Challenge to Lassie (1949)

When Lassie's master dies, an old friend tries to convince a judge that the dog's life should be spared.

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

William Ludwig (screenplay), Eleanor Atkinson (based on the novel About A Skye Terrier, "Greyfriars Bobby")

Stars:

Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Brooks

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edmund Gwenn	...	John Traill
Donald Crisp	...	'Jock' Gray
Geraldine Brooks	...	Susan Brown
Reginald Owen	...	Sergeant Davie
Alan Webb	...	James Brown
Ross Ford	...	William Traill
Henry Stephenson	...	Sir Charles Loring
Alan Napier	...	Lord Provost
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. MacFarland
Edmund Breon	...	Magistrate
Arthur Shields	...	Dr. Lee
Lumsden Hare	...	MacFarland
Charles Irwin	...	Sergeant Major
Pal	...	Lassie (as Lassie)

Storyline

In Edinburgh in 1860, sheep herder Jock Gray finds a Collie puppy on the loose. When she is unclaimed, he takes her as his own and calls her Lassie. They are soon inseparable but when Jock dies and is buried in an unmarked grave, Lassie takes to sleeping in the churchyard to be near him. Jock's good friend John Traill is prepared to find a good home for Lassie but no matter how hard he tries, she always manages to get away and despite any obstacles put in her way, manages to get back to Jock's grave. It all comes to a head when a local magistrate orders her destroyed for not having a license leading Traill to take his case to a higher court.

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Plot Keywords:

animal character name in title | lassie character | dog | dog actor | animal | 

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Desafio de Lassie

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donald Crisp ('Jock' Gray) would later appear in Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961), which was likewise based on Eleanor Atkinson's 1912 novel "Greyfriars Bobby".

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Goofs

When Lassie is crawling out of the river, the POV is from the river and the river is running from left to right. When she comes over the bank, the POV is toward the river, the water is running from left to right.

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Connections

Version of Courage of Lassie (1946)

User Reviews

Sure--it's aimed at kids but I'm an adult and loved it!

Supposedly based on a true story this takes place in Scotland. Lassie's owner 'Jock' Gray (Donald Crisp) is killed by two thieves. Lassie will not rest unless she's sleeping by his grave. Unfortunately the laws in Scotland do not allow dogs in the graveyard and any dog that does not have an owner must be destroyed. Residents of the town try to save Lassie from being put to sleep against the nasty old judges.

OK--the plot is ridiculous and everybody talks down to the audience but what do you expect from a kids movie? Those problems aside, this is a great movie. It has incredible color photography and some of the backgrounds are just breath taking. Every single shot is in rich strong color and looks just beautiful. It also has a very impressive score that matches the movie beautifully. The acting is as OK as it could be and is mostly done by a competent group of character actors or unknowns. But this film belongs to Lassie. She looks just beautiful all through the film and there are incredible closeups of her. Also she does some impressive stunts for any dog. My one complaint is that she whines WAY too much. Yes, it fits the film but got on my nerves after a while. It's also pretty obvious that some of her whining was overdubbed! Still, this is a really beautiful film with a cute dog, beautiful color and a great score. Highly recommended for kids AND adults!