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Lassie

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Lassie
Lassie television series filming on location in Florida (1965)
First appearance
Lassie Come-Home
Created byEric Knight
Portrayed byPal
In-universe information
SpeciesDog (Rough Collie)
GenderFemale

Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a 1938 short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a 1940 full-length novel, Lassie Come-Home. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fictional female collie of the same name, featured in the British writer Elizabeth Gaskell's 1859 short story "The Half Brothers". In "The Half Brothers", Lassie is loved only by her young master and guides the adults back to where two boys are lost in a snowstorm.[1]

Knight's novel was filmed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1943 as Lassie Come Home, with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six other MGM feature films through 1951. Pal's owner and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, then acquired the Lassie name and trademark from MGM and appeared with Pal (as "Lassie") at rodeos, fairs, and similar events across America in the early 1950s. In 1954, the television series Lassie debuted and, over the next 19 years, a succession of Pal's descendants appeared on the series. The "Lassie" character has appeared in radio, television, film, toys, comic books, animated series, juvenile novels, and other media. Pal's descendants continue to play Lassie today.[2]

History

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Eric Knight short story and novel

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The fictional character of Lassie was created by English author Eric Knight in Lassie Come-Home, first published as a short story in the Dec. 17, 1938 issue of The Saturday Evening Post[3] and later as a full-length novel in 1940. Set in the Depression-era England, the novel depicts the lengthy journey a Rough Collie makes to be reunited with her young Yorkshire master after her family is forced to sell her for money.[4]

Movies and television

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In 1943, the novel was adapted into a feature film, Lassie Come Home, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) that stars Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor. The movie was a hit and enjoyed favorable critical response.[5] MGM followed this with several additional films, including a sequel entitled Son of Lassie (1945), starring Peter Lawford and June Lockhart, and Courage of Lassie (1946) with Elizabeth Taylor again. A radio series, Lassie Radio Show, was also created, airing until 1949.[6][7][8]

Lassie c. 1954

From 1954 to 1973, the television series Lassie was broadcast, with Lassie initially residing on a farm with a young male master. In the eleventh season, it changed to U.S. Forest Service rangers as her companions, then the collie was on her own for a season, before ending the series with Lassie residing at a ranch for orphaned children. The series was the recipient of two Emmy Awards before it was canceled in 1973. Lassie won several PATSY Awards (an award for animal actors).[9] A second series followed in the 1980s. In 1997, Canadian production company Cinar Inc. produced a new Lassie television series for the Animal Planet network in the U.S. and YTV in Canada. It ran until 1999.[citation needed]

In 2005, a remake of the original Lassie Come Home movie was produced in the United Kingdom. Starring Peter O'Toole and Samantha Morton, Lassie was released in 2006.[10]

Additionally, three animated TV series featuring the canine were produced. The first was Lassie's Rescue Rangers, created by Filmation Associates, which aired on ABC from 1973 to 1975.[11] An anime series Famous Dog Lassie aired in the 1996.[12] In 2014, a new animated series titled The New Adventures of Lassie was co-produced by Superprod Animation and Classic Media, in which Lassie was owned by the Parker family and lived in a national park. The series was primarily a traditionally animated (2D hand-drawn) TV series, though it also used some CGI animation. It was first seen in the United States starting in 2020 via the CBS All Access streaming service, then carried over to successor service Paramount+.[citation needed]

Lassie continues to make personal and TV show appearances as well as marketing a line of pet food and a reality pet care TV show, Lassie's Pet Vet on PBS stations in the United States. Lassie is one of only three animals (and one of very few fictional characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog, and Bugs Bunny) to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame—the others being silent-film stars Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart. In 2005, the show business journal Variety named Lassie one of the "100 Icons of the Century"—the only animal star on the list.[13]

Media

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Films

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List of films

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Year Title Role Notes
1943 Lassie Come Home Lassie Principal role played by Pal
1945 Son of Lassie Laddie
1946 Courage of Lassie Bill (as credited; also called "Duke")
1948 Hills of Home Lassie
1949 The Sun Comes Up
1949 Challenge to Lassie
1951 The Painted Hills Shep
1963 Lassie's Great Adventure (TV film) Lassie Principal role; compilation of television episodes
1978 The Magic of Lassie Principal role played by Boy
1994 Lassie Principal role played by Howard
2005 Lassie Principal role played by Mason
Action scenes played by DR Dakota
2020 Lassie Come Home[14] Principal role played by Lukas
2023 Lassie: A New Adventure [de][15]

Box office performance

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Title Year Worldwide Gross Rotten Tomatoes
Lassie Come Home 1943 $4,517,000 94%
Son of Lassie 1945 TBA TBA
Courage of Lassie 1946 $4,100,000
Hills of Home 1948 $2,312,000
The Sun Comes Up 1949 $2,044,000
Challenge to Lassie 1949 $1,155,000
The Magic of Lassie 1978 TBA
Lassie (1994) 1994 $9,979,683 87%
Lassie (2005) 2005 $6,442,854 93%
Lassie Come Home (2020) 2020 $3,683,655 N/A
Total gross/average rating $34,234,192 91.3%

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
1947–1948 Lassie Show Lassie Principal role; ABC series
1948–1950 Lassie Show Lassie Principal role; NBC series

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1954–1973 Lassie Lassie Principal role
1968 The Adventures of Neeka Principal role; compilation of television episodes
1970 Peace is Our Profession Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
1970 Well of Love Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
1972 Joyous Sound   [wd] Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
1972 Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain Principal role
1972–1973 Lassie's Rescue Rangers Principal role
1978 Lassie: The New Beginning Principal role; Television special
1980 Taxi Guest appearance (1 episode)
1989–1992 The New Lassie Principal role
1995 Space Ghost Coast to Coast Guest appearance (1 episode)
1996 Famous Dog Lassie Principal role
1997–1999 Lassie Principal role
2001 Whose Line Is It Anyway? Cameo appearance
2007 Lassie's Pet Vet Principal role
2014–2019 The New Adventures of Lassie Principal role

Games

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Two English language board games based on the TV show have been published: one by Lisbeth Whiting in 1955[16] and another by Game Gems in 1965.[17] A German language game was published by Noris Spiele in 1961.[18]

A Lassie PS2 game was released in 2002.[19]

Comics

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A comic series ran from May 1950 to 1969 and lasted 70 issues. It was titled M-G-M's Lassie until issue #37, then just Lassie until the end of its run. It was published by Dell Comics until issue #59 Oct 1962, then by Gold Key.[20]

Books

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Seafarer Books

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  • Lassie and the Lost Little Sheep
  • Lassie's Forest Adventure

Whitman Cozy-Corner

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  • Lassie: Rescue in the Storm

Whitman Novels

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  • Lassie and the Mystery of Blackberry Bog by Dorothea J. Snow ; illustrated by Ken Sawyer. New York : Golden Press, 1956[23]
  • Lassie and the Secret of the Summer by Dorothea J. Snow ; illustrated by Ken Sawyer. Racine, Wis. : Whitman Pub. Co., 1958.[24]
  • Lassie: Forbidden Valley by Doris Schroeder illustrated by Ken Sawyer Racine, Wis. : Whitman, 1959
  • Lassie: Treasure Hunter by Charles S. Strong illustrated by Harry L. Timmons Racine, Wis. : Whitman, 1960[25]
  • Lassie: the Wild Mountain Trail by I. G. Edmonds illustrated by Larry Harris. Racine, Wis. : Whitman, 1966[26]
  • Lassie and the Mystery of Bristlecone Pine by Steve Frazee illustrated by Larry Harris. Racine, Wis. : Whitman, 1966[27]
  • Lassie and the Secret of the Smelter's Cave by Steve Frazee illustrated by Larry Harris. Racine, Wis. : Golden Press, 1968[28]
  • Lassie: Lost in the Snow
  • Lassie: Trouble at Panter's Lake

Big Little Books

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  • Lassie: Adventure in Alaska
  • Lassie and the Shabby Sheik
  • Lassie: Old One Eye

Golden Books

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  • The Adventures of Lassie
  • Lassie and Her Day in the Sun
  • Lassie and Her Friends
  • Lassie and the Big Clean-Up Day
  • Lassie and the Daring Rescue
  • Lassie and the Lost Explorer
  • Lassie Shows the Way
  • Lassie: The Great Escape

Tell-a-Tale Books

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  • Hooray for Lassie!
  • Lassie and the Cub Scout
  • Lassie and the Deer Mystery
  • Lassie and the Firefighters
  • Lassie and the Kittens
  • Lassie Finds a Friend
  • Lassie's Brave Adventure
  • Lassie: The Busy Morning

Tip-Top Books

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  • Lassie: The Sandbar Rescue

Wonder Books

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  • Lassie's Long Trip

Marian Bray

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  • Lassie to the Rescue
  • Lassie: Hayloft Hideout
  • Lassie Under the Big Top
  • Lassie: Treasure at Eagle Mountain
  • Lassie: Danger at Echo Cliffs

The New Lassie

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  • The Puppy Problem
  • Digging Up Danger
  • The Big Blowup
  • Water Watchdog
  • Skateboard Dare
  • Dangerous Party

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Gaskell, Elizabeth (1889). "The Half Brothers". Lizzie Leigh and Other Tales. London: Smith, Elder & Co.: 482–492.
  2. ↑ "Lassie: The Perfect Dog Sets High Bar for Real Pups". NPR. 7 January 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
  3. ↑ LASSIE COME HOME Eric Knight
  4. ↑ Publishers Weekly
  5. ↑ "Lassie Come Home". Variety. Reed Elsevier Inc. January 1, 1943. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  6. ↑ Series: Lassie
  7. ↑ Radio: Almost Human
  8. ↑ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 389. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-11-09.
  9. ↑ Harris, Norene (September–October 1973). "1973 PATSY Awards" (PDF). Animal Cavalcade. pp. 24–25. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  10. ↑ Potempa, Philip (August 11, 2006). "Latest Lassie busy promoting new film". Northwest Indiana Times. TownNews.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "Lassie's Rescue Rangers (TV Series 1973–1975) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
  12. ↑ 名犬ラッシー
  13. ↑ "100 Icons of the Century: Lassie". Variety. Reed Elsevier Inc. October 16, 2005. Archived from the original on 4 January 2006. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "Lassie Come Home - Film Review". www.weekendnotes.com. 27 November 2020.
  15. ↑ Cline, Rich (2024-05-02). "Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films". www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-06-16. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  16. ↑ Adventures of Lassie (1955)
  17. ↑ Lassie (1965)
  18. ↑ Lassie (1961)
  19. ↑ Lassie – Release Details
  20. ↑ Mike's Amazing World of Comics
  21. ↑ The magic of Lassie : a novel
  22. ↑ Lassie
  23. ↑ Lassie and the mystery at Blackberry Bog
  24. ↑ Lassie and the secret of the summer
  25. ↑ Lassie : Treasure hunter
  26. ↑ Lassie : the wild mountain trail
  27. ↑ Lassie : the mystery of Bristlecone Pine
  28. ↑ Lassie : the secret of the smelters' cave
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