Lassie Come Home (1943)

Director:

Fred M. Wilcox

Writers:

Hugo Butler (screenplay)
Eric Knight (novel)

Release Date:

December 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

Tagline:

A Thrilling Saga Of Courage And Loyalty !

Plot:

After her destitute family is forced to sell her, a collie named Lassie escapes from her new owner and begins the long trek from Scotland to her Yorkshire home.

Plot Keywords:

Animal Abuse | Dog Actor | Dog | Lassie | Duke

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast

Roddy McDowall	...	Joe Carraclough
Donald Crisp	...	Sam Carraclough
Dame May Whitty	...	Dally
Edmund Gwenn	...	Rowlie
Nigel Bruce	...	Duke of Rudling
Elsa Lanchester	...	Mrs. Carraclough
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Priscilla
Ben Webster	...	Dan'l Fadden
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Hynes (as J. Patrick O'Malley)
Alan Napier	...	Jock
Arthur Shields	...	Andrew
John Rogers	...	Snickers
Alec Craig	...	Buckles
Pal	...	Lassie (as Lassie)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
May Beatty	...	Heavy Woman (uncredited)
George Broughton	...	Allen (uncredited)
Sherlee Collier	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Howard Davies	...	Cobbler (uncredited)
Hugh Harrison	...	Schoolteacher on Stairway (uncredited)
Charles Irwin	...	Tom (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Joe's Teacher (uncredited)
Janet Littlewood	...	Little Girl (uncredited)
Roy Parry	...	A.J. Halstead - Butcher (uncredited)
John Power	...	Miner (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred M. Wilcox

Writing credits
Hugo Butler		(screenplay)
Eric Knight		(novel "Lassie Come-Home")

Produced by
Samuel Marx	....	producer
Harry Rapf	....	executive producer (uncredited)
Dore Schary	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Daniele Amfitheatrof
Eric Zeisl		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Leonard Smith		(director of photography)
Charles P. Boyle		(director of photography) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Ben Lewis

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Charles J. Hunt	....	unit manager (uncredited)
George Yohalem	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Andre	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Alfred Raboch	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Mildred Griffiths	....	associate set decorator
Paul Groesse	....	associate art director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Larry Kert	....	stunts: Roddy McDowall (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Henri Jaffa	....	associate color director: Technicolor

Music Department
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Leonid Raab	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	color advisor: Technicolor
Frank Inn	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Rudd Weatherwax	....	dog trainer: "Lassie" (uncredited)

Thanks
Eric Knight	....	dedicatee (as Major Eric Knight)

Production Companies

• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Loew's (1943) (USA) (theatrical) (uncredited)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (triple feature with "Son of Lassie" and "Courage of Lassie")
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Netherlands:6 (2008) | Canada:G (video rating) | Finland:S | Norway:A | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (PCA #8995) | USA:G (re-rating) (1971) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Elizabeth Taylor replaced the actress Maria Flynn, who was not seen to be afraid of the dog on the set. But when the "rushes" came back from the Metrocolor processing lab, three days later, her fear of the male collie showed. And the production was halted. The producer was walking the 600 block of North Foothill Road in Beverly Hills doing his nightly patrol as an air raid warden when he met Francis Taylor, who patrolled the 700 block. Knowing he and Sara wanted to get their daughter into the movies, he asked him to bring Elizabeth to the studio. There she was introduced to Lassie and the production resumed.

Quotes:

Sam Carraclough: You can't feed a dog on the dole, and you can't feed a family either.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Snoopy Come Home (1972)

Soundtrack:

America the Beautiful

A Story Of Love And Courage

I love dogs so this movie is probably the best ever of showing the courage and love of a dog. This film is set in a little Yorkshire town. Two of the great character actors (Donald Crisp and Edmund Gwenn) as Sam Carraclough and Rowlie Palmer respectively add so much to the "feel" of this film. Carraclough family needs money so sell the only thing of worth, a dog named Lassie to Nigel Bruce "the Duke." Roddy McDowall plays Joe Carraclough who loves the dog with all his heart and vice-versa from Lassie. The dog is taken to Scotland and Lassie must escape in order to "come home" to Joe. There is a great river to swim to reach England but Lassie does it. The cost is great, she is near death until an old couple care for her and nurse her back to health. But something is wrong, at 3:50pm each day she must leave somewhere? The couple gave her freedom for the journey home. Lassie then joins Rowlie Palmer a "pots/pans" traveling salesman along with his own beloved dog, Toots. Little Toots is better than a wife for Rowlie because she is neat, clean and gives no back check to Rowlie. Poor Toots is killed trying to save her master. Finally Lassie makes it home. Damaged, injured and a wanted dog, she braves whatever it takes to get home. But wait, she belongs to the Duke not Joe, can the humans in the story arrange a proper home for Lassie? Tune in to this classic and find out.