Hills of Home (1948)

William McClure is the villlage doctor in a remote Scottish glen. Tricked into buying Lassie, a collie afraid of water, he sets about teaching her to swim. At the same time he has the ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred M. Wilcox

Writers:

William Ludwig (original screenplay), Ian Maclaren (suggested by the sketches "Doctor of the Old School")

Stars:

Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, Tom Drake

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edmund Gwenn	...	Dr. William MacLure
Donald Crisp	...	Drumsheugh
Tom Drake	...	Tammas Milton
Janet Leigh	...	Margit Mitchell
Rhys Williams	...	Mr. Milton
Reginald Owen	...	Hopps
Edmund Breon	...	Jamie Soutar
Alan Napier	...	Sir George
Hughie Green	...	Geordie (as Hugh Green)
Lumsden Hare	...	Lord Kilspindie
Eileen Erskine	...	Belle Saunders
Victor Wood	...	David Mitchell
David Thursby	...	Burnbrae
Frederick Worlock	...	Dr. Weston
Pal	...	Lassie (as Lassie)

Storyline

William McClure is the villlage doctor in a remote Scottish glen. Tricked into buying Lassie, a collie afraid of water, he sets about teaching her to swim. At the same time he has the bigger problem that he is getting older and must ensure the glen will have a new local doctor ready.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | lassie | dog movie | dog actor | title spoken by character | 

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Taglines:

M-G-M's thrilling adventure of young love in the hills!

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was first telecast in Chicago Saturday 3 August 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2); it first aired in Norfolk VA 12 August 1957 on WTAR (Channel 3), in Memphis 17 August 1957 on WHBQ (Channel 13), in Seattle 22 August 1957 on KING (Channel 5), in Portland OR 10 September 1957 on KGW (Channel 8), in Philadelphia 12 September 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), in New Haven CT 26 September 1957 on WNHC (Channel 8), in Honolulu 6 October 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13), in Altoona PA 13 October 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), in Salt Lake City 5 December 1957 on KTVT (Channel 4), in Windsor ON (serving Detroit) 30 December 1957 on CKLW (Channel 9), in New York City 3 March 1958 on WCBS (Channel 2), in Adams MA 6 March 1958 on WCDC (Channel 19), and in San Francisco 11 November 1958 on KGO (Channel 7); Lassie finally came down from the Hills in Los Angeles 10 May 1959 on KTTV (Channel 11). At this time, color broadcasting was in its infancy, limited to only a small number of high rated programs, primarily on NBC and NBC affiliated stations, so these film showings were all still in B&W. Viewers were not offered the opportunity to see these films in their original Technicolor until several years later.

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Goofs

When Dr McClure is called to a pub Lassie carries his bag in her mouth and drops it on the pub floor. The doctor, finding his patient, the landlord's son, only has stomach ache storms out but without his bag.

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Connections

Followed by The New Lassie (1989)

User Reviews

Smart dog, stubborn humans, fill-in-the-blanks plot

In an idyllic Scottish village, poor collie dog Lassie fails at sheepherding because she's afraid of crossing through water; a crusty old doc inherits Lassie, but he doesn't much want her either, even after she warns him of a collapsed bridge down the road. Despite a handsome MGM production, this non-adventure is unrelievedly depressing and infuriating (if the simple-minded plot doesn't gnaw at you, the ridiculous Scottish accents and muttonchops on the men certainly will). The collie dog used for the film is a beautiful animal but, let's face it, not particularly gifted for the camera (most of the time, she hovers about on the edge of the frame, constantly looking to one side for directions). Lassie takes a real beating in this one (including harsh owners, icy, raging rivers and bad weather of all sorts), yet, oddly, much of the focus is on doctor Edmund Gwenn and the wet-eyed, hand-wringing families of his patients. This downer is truly one of the dreariest family films of all time, not helped by a colorless supporting cast which includes a wooden Janet Leigh in an early role. *1/2 from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Danger in the Hills

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1