Lassie Come Home (1943)

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.

Director:

Fred M. Wilcox

Writers:

Hugo Butler (screenplay), Eric Knight (novel)

Stars:

Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp, May Whitty

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roddy McDowall	...	Joe Carraclough
Donald Crisp	...	Sam Carraclough
May Whitty	...	Dally (as Dame May Whitty)
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)

Storyline

Hard times came for Carraclough family and they are forced to sell their dog to the rich Duke of Rudling. However, Lassie, the dog, is unwilling to leave the young Carraclough boy and sets out on the long and dangerous journey in order to rejoin him.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | human dog relationship | lassie | dog | journey | 

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Taglines:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Technicolor Triumph!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

La cadena invisible

Filming Locations:

Cape Mendocino, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth Taylor replaced Maria Flynn in the role of Priscilla. Some sources say Flynn was afraid of the dog on the set. Others say that she grew taller than Roddy McDowall or that the strong Technicolor lighting caused her eyes to water. In any case, 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.

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Goofs

When Lassie decides to leave the elderly couple, the man opens and closes the gate for her to leave. The camera angle then changes to show the gate still open, and then the camera returns to the original angle to show the gate closed again.

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Quotes

Joe Carraclough: Ye're my Lassie come home.

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Connections

Featured in Senior Trip (1995)

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Soundtracks

I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls
(1843) (uncredited)
from "The Bohemian Girl"
Music by Michael William Balfe and lyrics by Alfred Bunn (uncredited)
Sung a cappella by Edmund Gwenn

User Reviews

Lots of fun

I was expecting to hate this film. After all it's a kids film (I'm 37). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It's one of those few films that works for both adults and children. It's in color (which was rare in the early 1940s), has a simple story and never becomes too sentimental or childish. It's particularly fun seeing Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall as children; Elsa Lancaster as roddy's mother(!!!); and Nigel Bruce NOT playing Doctor Watson for once and actually proving he could be gruff and aggressive in a performance. Best of all though, is Lassie. I don't know how they did it, but the dog (actually a male dog named Pal) gives in an astonishing performance. Just the expressions on her(his) face tells you what she(he) is thinking! Also has a great ending that is very moving (in a good way). Very well woth seeing. Only complaint--the color in this film is so washed out! Why doesn't someone restore it?