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Lassie
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Lassie is a fictional collie dog character and a stage name for several dog actors. The fictional character was created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a talented 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.
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Encyclopedia
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character and a stage name for several dog actors. The fictional character was created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a talented 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 long running, Emmy winning 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, telelvision, film, toys, comic books, animated series, juvenile novels, and other media. Pal's descendants continue to play Lassie today.
History
1930s–1940s
The character of Lassie was created by British-American author Eric Knight in the short story "Lassie Come-Home" published in the Saturday Evening Post in 1938 and as the novel Lassie Come-Home in 1940.
In Knight's story set in Depression-era England, a young Yorkshire boy owns an exceptionally beautiful and loyal collie (described as mahogany and sable in color), but when the family faces severe economic hardship, the dog is sold to a wealthy nobleman. Both boy and dog grieve over the separation, made worse when the new owner transports Lassie hundreds of miles away to his estate in Scotland. However, the collie's instinct and courage cause her to escape, and the book follows Lassie's desperate efforts to return to the boy she loves.
In 1943, the book was made into the first Lassie movie, Lassie Come Home, which generally followed the plot of the book, and which starred Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor. The movie was a hit and enjoyed favorable critical response.
MGM followed its success with more movies in the 1940s featuring the canine hero: In 1945, Son of Lassie premiered, starring Peter Lawford and June Lockhart. The next year, 1946, Courage of Lassie premiered (with Elizabeth Taylor, from the first film), and the "Lassie Radio Show" began (aired until 1949).
1950s–1990s
Between 1954-1973, the television series, Lassie was broadcast in the U.S. Unlike the novel and films which were set in Britain, the American television series brought Lassie to a weatherbeaten farm in the American midwest and teamed her for the show's first ten seasons with boys and then for its following seasons with adult forestry workers and finally, with the juvenile inmates of a home for troubled children. The long running series was the recipient of two Emmy Awards. Rudd Weatherwax (who had trained Pal for the six MGM films), also trained the several portrayers of Lassie for the television series.
Eventually, other series followed in the 1980s and 1990s from different production companies. In 1997, a Canadian production company, Cinar Inc. (now Cookie Jar Entertainment), produced a third Lassie television series (1997–1999) for the Animal Planet network in the U.S. and YTV in Canada.
The various series had different casts, with some tying back to the original series and others being new concepts. All included the basic theme of Lassie being a highly intelligent collie frequently helping her owners get out of trouble, making the Lassie concept one of the longest running of any collective series.
Recent years
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. It was warmly received by critics such as Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune, who called the acting "splendid" and "excellent".
The copyrights to the films and series are split because so many production companies picked up the story (and changed its characters and focus) over the years. The rights to the trademark of "Lassie" and TV series are held by Classic Media; however, Warner Bros./Turner Entertainment holds the rights to the "Lassie" films originally made by MGM.
Many of the movies and TV episodes are widely available on VHS and DVD, and are still aired on television. The 1954 – 1957 episodes of the Lassie TV show were later syndicated as Jeff's Collie and televised on the Animal Planet channel, along with the later seasons of the series which retained their original title of "Lassie." The later seasons' programs featuring Jon Provost and Robert Bray continue to be rerun in many countries.
Lassie continues to make personal appearances as well as marketing a line of pet food and a current 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 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 all time" – the only animal star on the list.
Dog actors
The first canine actor to play Lassie was Pal, who appeared in seven MGM films between 1943 and 1951: Lassie Come Home, Son of Lassie, Courage of Lassie, Hills of Home, The Sun Comes Up, Challenge to Lassie, and The Painted Hills. Pal was consistently billed in the film's credits and publicity as "Lassie" (rather than Pal), and, in some films, played characters called Lassie. Pal's handlers during his MGM career included brothers Frank and Rudd Weatherwax, and Frank Inn.
In 1950, Rudd Weatherwax co-wrote a book, The Story of Lassie: His Discovery and Training from Puppyhood to Stardom, recounting Pal's rise to stardom.
In 1954, Pal appeared in the two pilots filmed for the television series, Lassie, then retired. His descendants Lassie Junior, Spook, Baby, Mire, and Hey Hey played the role until 1973 when the show was canceled.
In 1978, Hey Hey's son Boy played Lassie in the film The Magic of Lassie and Boy's son The Old Man played the titular role in the syndicated television series, The New Lassie of the late-1980s and early 1990s. Rudd Weatherwax died during The Old Man's training and his son Robert Weatherwax then undertook the job.
All collies to play Lassie in the television series were male because male collies retain a thicker summer coat than females which "looks better on television" Also, the male is larger and a child actor can play opposite the dog for longer before outgrowing him.
Eight generations of Pal and his descendants portrayed the beloved collie in more than ten movies and two television series, until the late 1990s. All of the canines starring in those movies and TV series were owned and trained by Frank and Rudd Weatherwax and later by Rudd's son, Robert Weatherwax.
In 1997, the third Lassie television series aired with eighth genearation Pal descendant, Howard playing the title character in the first season. Midway through production, Howard was replaced with a non-Pal descended dog, and Lassie fans objected, arguing that only a dog in the Pal bloodline could be considered an "authentic" Lassie. In response, Hey Hey II, a ninth-generation direct descendant of Pal, assumed the role for the final thirteen episodes of the show in 1999.
Following the cancelation of the TV show, Classic Media acquired the Lassie trademark from the Weatherwax family in 2000. In 2003, Classic Media ended its contract with Weatherwax to supply Pal bloodline collies to portray the Lassie character.
In the 2005–2006 remake of the original Lassie movie, a non-Pal bloodline collie named "Mason" was used in the title role. Although Mason was praised as "photogenic" by Chicago Tribune critic Michael Wilmington, Lassie devotees objected to the movie's use of a non-Pal bloodline collie.
In late 2005, following the shooting of the movie, Classic Media contracted with Carol Riggins to supply "Hey Hey II", as the ninth generation Lassie in the Pal bloodline. More recently, Robert Weatherwax has disputed the use of collies other than his as authentic Pal-bloodline "Lassies", which has received some news media attention and comment on Lassie fan websites.
In 2006, Lassie returned to TV in the PBS series Lassie's Pet Vet with veternarian Dr. Jeff Werber, and, in January 2008, the legacy of line dogs continued with the premiere of Lassie 10 (aka Rockie), the 10th generation direct genetic descendant of the original Lassie.
Lassie was a special surprise guest on National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer on September 19, 2008 when the show's host, Cesar Millan, celebrated his 100th episode. Millan's childhood heros were Lassie and Rin Tin Tin and one of his dreams coming to America was to meet them.
Media
Film
Radio
Television
Books
See also
Lassie inspired a number of similar "heroic dog" characters, including:
External links
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- from the State Library & Archives of Florida
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