Hard times come for the Carraclough family and they are forced to sell their dog, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling. Lassie, however, is unwilling to remain apart from young Carraclough son Joe and sets out on a long and dangerous journey to rejoin him.
Acting
Roddy McDowall's devastating child performance.
Cinematography
Gorgeous Technicolor Yorkshire landscapes.
Practical Effects
Multiple collies played Lassie—no CGI needed!
Director
Fred M. Wilcox
Roddy McDowall
Joe Carraclough
Donald Crisp
Sam Carraclough
May Whitty
Dally
Edmund Gwenn
Rowlie Palmer
Nigel Bruce
Duke of Rudling
Elsa Lanchester
Mrs. Helen Carraclough
Elizabeth Taylor
Priscilla
Ben Webster
Dan'l Fadden
J. Pat O'Malley
Hynes
Alan Napier
Jock
Arthur Shields
Andrew
Alec Craig
Buckles
May Beatty
Woman (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Pal the male collie played Lassie because his fur was more dramatic on camera than female collies' coats.
Released during WWII, the film became wartime comfort food—British audiences saw their own family separations mirrored in Joe and Lassie.
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Reactions from the web
That's MGM exec Frank Whitbeck doing the VO...he narrated most of the studio's film trailers, short subjects and promotional radio programs during the 30s/40s.
@ChuckD79 1
He’s right, great books, do make great movies.
@ansumanahargett6227
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