Editing Lassie Come Home

{{short description|1943 film by Fred M. Wilcox}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{for-multi|the original Eric Knight novel|Lassie Come-Home|the TV movie|Psych 2: Lassie Come Home}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Lassie Come Home
| image          = Lassie Come Home (1943 poster).jpg
| alt            = An illustration of a boy and his dog in a forest staring toward the horizon.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Fred M. Wilcox (director)|Fred M. Wilcox]]
| producer       = [[Samuel Marx (film producer)|Samuel Marx]]<br />[[Dore Schary]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Lassie Come-Home]]''<br>1940 novel|[[Eric Knight]]}}
| screenplay     = [[Hugo Butler]]
| starring       = [[Pal (dog actor)|Pal]] (credited as "Lassie")<br />[[Roddy McDowall]]<br />[[Donald Crisp]]<br />[[Dame May Whitty]]<br />[[Edmund Gwenn]]<br />[[Nigel Bruce]]<br />[[Elsa Lanchester]]<br />[[Elizabeth Taylor]]
| distributor    = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
| music          = [[Daniele Amfitheatrof]]
| cinematography = [[Leonard Smith (cinematographer)|Leonard Smith]]
| editing        = [[Ben Lewis (editor)|Ben Lewis]]
| released       = {{Film date|1943|10|7}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $666,000<ref name="Mannix">{{Citation | title = The Eddie Mannix Ledger | publisher = Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study | place = Los Angeles}}.</ref>
| gross          = $4,517,000<ref name="scott">Eyman, Scott. ''Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer'', Robson, 2005, p. 355.</ref><ref name="Mannix"/>
}}
'''''Lassie Come Home''''' is a 1943 [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] [[Technicolor]] feature film starring [[Roddy McDowall]] and  canine actor [[Pal (dog)|Pal]], in a story about the profound bond between Yorkshire boy Joe Carraclough and his [[Rough Collie|rough collie]], [[Lassie]].<ref>''[[Variety Film Reviews|Variety]]'' film review; August 18, 1943, page 10.</ref> The film was directed by [[Fred M. Wilcox (director)|Fred M. Wilcox]] from a screenplay by [[Hugo Butler]] based upon the 1940 novel ''[[Lassie Come-Home]]'' by [[Eric Knight]]. The film was the first in a series of seven MGM films starring "Lassie."

In 1993, ''Lassie Come Home'' was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures added to the [[National Film Registry]] of the [[Library of Congress]] being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and recommended for preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Librarian Announces National Film Registry Selections (March 7, 1994) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin|url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/94/9405/film.html|access-date=2020-11-18|website=www.loc.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|access-date=2020-11-18|website=Library of Congress}}</ref>

The original film saw a sequel, ''[[Son of Lassie]]'' in 1945 with five other films following at intervals through the 1940s. A British remake of the 1943 movie was released in 2005 as ''[[Lassie (2005 film)|Lassie]]'' to moderate success. The film has been released to VHS and DVD.

== Plot ==
Set in [[Great Depression|Depression]]-era [[Yorkshire]], [[England]], Mr and Mrs Carraclough are hit by hard times and forced to sell their collie, Lassie, to the rich Duke of Rudling, who has always admired her. Young Joe Carraclough grows despondent at the loss of his companion.

Lassie will have nothing to do with the Duke, however, and finds ways to escape her kennels and return to Joe. The Duke finally carries Lassie to his home hundreds of miles distant in [[Scotland]]. There, his granddaughter Priscilla senses the dog's unhappiness and arranges her escape.

Lassie then sets off for a long trek to her Yorkshire home. She faces many perils along the way, dog catchers and a violent storm, but also meets kind people who offer her aid and comfort. At the end, when Joe has given up hope of ever seeing his dog again, the weary Lassie returns to her favorite resting place in the schoolyard at home. There, Lassie is joyfully reunited with the boy she loves.

== Cast ==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Roddy McDowall]] as Joe Carraclough, a Yorkshire schoolboy
* [[Donald Crisp]] as Sam Carraclough, Joe's father
* [[Dame May Whitty]] as Dally, an elderly woman who aids Lassie on her journey homeward
* [[Edmund Gwenn]] as Rowlie, a tinker who befriends Lassie
* [[Nigel Bruce]] as Duke of Rudling, grandfather to Priscilla
* [[Elsa Lanchester]] as Mrs. Carraclough, Joe's mother
* [[Pal (dog)|Pal]] as Lassie (credited as Lassie)
* [[Elizabeth Taylor]] as Priscilla, a young girl sympathetic to Lassie's plight 
* [[Ben Webster (actor)|Ben Webster]] as Dan'l Fadden, married to Dally
* [[J. Patrick O'Malley]] as Hynes
* [[Alan Napier]] as Jock
* [[Arthur Shields]] as Andrew
* [[John Rogers (actor)|John Rogers]] as Snickers
* [[Alec Craig]] as Buckles
* George Broughton as Allen (uncredited)
}}

== Production ==
[[File:Lassie Come Home - Theatre ad - 16 December, 1943.png|thumb|Theatrical advertisement from 1943]]
The film was shot in [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] and [[Monterey, California|Monterey]], [[California]], while the rapids scene was shot on the [[San Joaquin River]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Thomas, Tony|title=The Films of the Forties|year=1990|publisher=Carol |isbn=0863694020}}</ref> It also features scenes from the former Janss Conejo Ranch in [[Wildwood Regional Park]] in [[Thousand Oaks, California]]. Additional photography occurred in [[Big Bear Lake, California|Big Bear Lake]] and [[Cape Mendocino]],<ref>https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036098/locations/</ref> California.
<ref>{{cite web|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/538-LASSIE-COMEHOME?sid=0ed59718-cc97-4c67-bb8c-ee1b2b3e3d07&sr=2.7577631&cp=3&pos=1|access-date=April 5, 2020|title=Lassie Come Home}}</ref>

During the film's production, MGM executives previewing the [[dailies]] were said to be so moved that they ordered more scenes to be added to "this wonderful motion picture."<ref>{{cite news|title=Lassie (History timeline)|publisher=Classic Media|year=2005}}</ref>

Some sources say that, initially, a female collie was selected for the title role, but was replaced when the dog began to shed excessively during shooting of the film in the summer.<ref name=Parade>"Lassie a 'Lass-he'", [[Parade (magazine)|''Parade'' magazine]], 18 October 1992, p. 22.</ref> The trainer, [[Rudd Weatherwax]], then substituted the male collie, Pal, in the role of "Lassie". Pal had been hired to perform the rapids stunt and, being male, looked more impressive in the part.<ref>{{cite book|page=126|title=Happy tails across New Jersey|author=Goodspeed, Diane|year=2006|publisher=Rutgers University Press |isbn=0813538483}}</ref> Still other accounts, such as a 1943 ''[[The New York Times|New York Times]]'' article written while the film was in production, say that Pal was cast by director Fred Wilcox after first being rejected, because no other dog performed satisfactorily with the "near human attributes" he sought for the canine title role.<ref>{{cite news|title=Profile of a Collie|date=February 28, 1943|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=4}}</ref> Weatherwax would later receive all rights to the Lassie name and trademark in lieu of back pay owed him by MGM.<ref>Collins, Ace. ''Lassie: A Dog's Life''. Penguin Books.</ref>

== Music ==
In 2010, [[Film Score Monthly]] released the complete scores of the seven Lassie feature films released by MGM between 1943 and 1955 as well as [[Elmer Bernstein]]’s score for ''[[It's a Dog's Life (film)|It's a Dog's Life]]'' (1955) in the CD collection ''Lassie Come Home: The Canine Cinema Collection'', limited to 1000 copies.  
Due to the era when these scores were recorded, nearly half of the music masters have been lost so the scores had to be reconstructed and restored from the best available sources, mainly the Music and Effects tracks as well as monaural ¼″ tapes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/459/Lassie-Come-Home-The-Canine-Cinema-Collection/|title=Lassie Come Home: The Canine Cinema Collection (1943–1955)|website=[[Film Score Monthly]]|access-date=November 21, 2019}}</ref>

The score for ''Lassie Come Home'' was composed by [[Daniele Amfitheatrof]].

'''Track listing for ''Lassie Come Home'' (Disc 1)'''

# Main Title*/The Story of a Dog* – 2:23 
# Time Sense—Second Version*/Have a Good Time/Waking Up Joe*/Lassie is Sold – 6:30 
# Lassie is Sold, Part 2 – 1:07 
# Joe is Heartbroken*/Priscilla Meets Lassie – 2:40 
# Time Sense—Second Version*/First Escape (beginning)* – 1:33 
# Hynes Arrives/Time Sense—Second Version*/Second Escape – 2:09 
# Day Dreaming – 1:30 
# Bid Her Stay*/Honest is Honest/Lassie Goes to Scotland*/Lassie in Scotland – 4:45 
# Lassie is Chained* – 0:51 
# Hynes Walks Lassie – 0:59 
# Time Sense—Second Version*/Lassie Runs Away*/The Storm/Over the Mountains*/The Lake & Time Sense #3/Lassie vs. Satan*/The Dog Fight (Amfitheatrof–Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco)*/Lassie vs. Satan, Part 2*/A Surprise for Joe*/Crossing the River* – 13:09 
# Dan and Dally*/Lassie Recovers/Joe Can't Sleep*/Time Sense—Second Version* – 4:40 
# Lassie is Not Happy/Time Sense—Second Version*/Goodbye, Girl*/Meeting Palmer/Lassie Refuses Food*/Lassie Follows Palmer – 6:28 
# Lassie Wants to Go That Way/Lassie is a Lady/Next Morning – 3:11 
# Toots Gives a Performance*/The Dogs Play*/Thousand Kronen (Bronislau Kaper)*/Last Fight*/Toots is Dead/It's Goodbye, Then*/The Dog Catchers*/Out of Work/Lassie Comes Home*/Duke Arrives* & This is No Dog of Mine*/Time Sense—Second Version*/Lassie Finds Joe & End Title* – 23:19

'''Bonus tracks'''

# Dog Fight (Amfitheatrof–Castelnuovo-Tedesco) – 0:44
# The Accident – 0:44
# Pump and Chicken House (Lennie Hayton) – 0:49

'''Bonus track for ''Lassie Come Home'' (Disc 4)'''

# First Escape (complete)*† – 3:07

{{Asterisk}}Contains Sound Effects

†Contains Dialogue

'''Total Time: 81:19'''

== Reception ==
The movie was a big hit. According to MGM records it earned $2,613,000 in the US and Canada and $1,904,000 overseas, resulting in a profit of $2,249,000.<ref name="Mannix"/><ref name=scott/>

The film was nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography, Color]] and later the character of Lassie received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 6368 Hollywood Blvd. In 1993, ''Lassie Come Home'' was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

[[Bosley Crowther]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' of October 8, 1943 uniformly praised the performers and production, noting that the film "tells the story of a boy and a dog, tells it with such poignance and simple beauty that only the hardest heart can fail to be moved."<ref>{{cite news|author=Crowther, Bosley|title=MOVIE REVIEW: Lassie Come Home (1943): Lassie Come Home,' Drama of a Dog, at Music Hall – 'Sherlock Holmes Faces Death' Seen at the Palace|date=October 8, 1943|work=The New York Times|page=0}}</ref> In ''[[The Nation (magazine)| The Nation]]'' in 1943, critic [[James Agee]] wrote, "''Lassie Come Home'' is a dog story which I had hardly expected to enjoy{{nbsp}}... I did, though. Those who made it seem to have had a pretty fair sense of the square naivete which most good stories for children have, or affect; they also manipulate some surprisingly acute emotions out of the head dog. Whether from private remembrance or from the show, I got several reverberations of that strangely pure, half-magical tone which certain books{{nbsp}}... have for many children."<ref>Agee, James - ''Agee on Film Vol.1'' © 1958 by The James Agee Trust.</ref>

Almost 50 years after the film's release, ''Parade'' discussed its lasting cultural impact, quoting the ''[[Saturday Evening Post]]'' which said the film launched Pal on "the most spectacular canine career in film history". ''Lassie Come Home'' was also cited as a cultural icon in [[Jane and Michael Stern]]'s 1992 book, ''Encyclopedia of Pop Culture''.<ref name=Parade/>

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2003: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]:
** [[Lassie]] – #39 Hero<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains|url=https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|access-date=August 20, 2019}}</ref>

== References to ''Lassie Come Home'' in other media ==
* The 1972 ''[[Peanuts]]'' film ''[[Snoopy Come Home]]'' is a title reference to ''Lassie Come Home'', and its plot is also similar to the movie's plot.
* ''Lassie Come Home'' is the title of the 11th track on [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]]'s 1986 album ''[[Afternoons in Utopia]]''.
* "Lasso Come Home", an episode of the [[Disney Junior]] series ''[[Sheriff Callie's Wild West]]'', also resembles the title.
* The season 2 episode "R2 Come Home" of ''[[Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008 TV series)|Star Wars: The Clone Wars]]'', features a very similar plot line to the film.
* [[Psych 2: Lassie Come Home]]
* "Nero come home", a 2015 ''[[Danger Mouse (2015 TV series)|Danger Mouse]]'' episode

==Home media==
The film was released on VHS by [[MGM Home Entertainment]] in 1990.
The film was released on DVD by [[Warner Home Video]] and [[Warner Archive Collection]] from 2004 onwards.

==Remake==
A German [[Lassie Come Home (2020 film)|remake]] was released in 2020<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weekendnotes.com/lassie-come-home-film-review/|title=Lassie Come Home - Film Review|date=27 November 2020 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{commons category-inline|Lassie Come Home}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=deq3xI8OmCkC ''Lassie Come Home''] essay by Daniel Eagan in America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the [[National Film Registry]], Bloomsbury Academic, 2010 {{ISBN|0826429777}}, pages 364-366

{{MGMLass}}
{{Fred M. Wilcox}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1943 films]]
[[Category:1940s children's adventure films]]
[[Category:American children's adventure films]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films based on British novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Fred M. Wilcox]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1930s]]
[[Category:Films set in Scotland]]
[[Category:Films set in Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Films shot in Big Bear Lake, California]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Lassie films]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof]]
[[Category:1943 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:1940s American films]]
[[Category:English-language adventure films]]