Main Cast: Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart, Nigel Bruce, Nils Asther, William Severn
Release Year: 1945
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
Plot
Son of Lassie is about a courageous collie named Laddie, played by a dog named "Pal". A sequel to Lassie Come Home, the film stars Peter Lawford and June Lockhart as the grown-up counterparts of the characters played in the earlier film by Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor. When WW2 breaks out, young Yorkshireman Joe Carraclough (Lawford) signs up with the British air force, bringing Laddie along. The inquisitive canine sneaks aboard the plane which takes Joe on his first mission. Their aircraft hit by enemy fire, Joe and Laddie are forced to parachute into Nazi-occupied Norway. Injured in the landing, Joe lies in a daze while the dog seeks help for his master. Once Laddie ascertains that the Nazis aren't his friends, the film evolves into one long chase, as dog and master try to make their way back to their own lines?while back at home, Joe's sweetheart Priscilla (June Lockhart, who of course would later costar in the Lassie TV series) bites her nails in anticipation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Son of Lassie does prove, rather unfortunately, that the apple can indeed fall pretty far from the tree. A big step down from Lassie Come Home, Son doesn't begin to follow in its mother's pawprints. It's not the dog actor's fault, as Pal played Lassie herself in the original. Blame it on the scriptwriters, who somehow seemed to think that the offspring of the world's smartest dog should be a contender for the dumbest (as well as the most annoying). Actually, for the most part the dog is just doing what a dog might do -- but in the "dramatic" context of the film, it comes off as sheer stupidity. It doesn't help matters that the story itself is pretty contrived from start to finish. Peter Lawford does a decent job as a grown-up Roddy McDowall, but June Lockhart is a wan substitute for Elizabeth Taylor. Donald Crisp and Nigel Bruce reliably reprise their earlier performances to good effect, and the supporting cast in general is fine. But the biggest asset is the gorgeous Technicolor lensing by Charles E. Schoenbaum, which pops off the screen in a most pleasing manner. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Hubert Hobson - Art Director, Irene - Costume Designer, S. Sylvan Simon - Director, Ben Lewis - Editor, Herbert Stothart - Composer (Music Score), Charles E. Schoenbaum - Cinematographer, Samuel Marx - Producer, Arnold A. Gillespie - Special Effects, Daniel Hall - Special Effects, Warren Newcombe - Special Effects, Jeanne Bartlett - Screenwriter, Eric M. Knight - Book Author
Joe Carraclough, now an adult, joins the RAF during World War II. Departing for training school, he is forced to leave behind his dog Lassie and her pup, Laddie. Laddie follows Joe to training school and then stows away on his master's plane, just as it takes-off on a dangerous mission over Nazi-occupied Norway. The two are forced to parachute when hit by enemy fire. Laddie seeks help for his injured master and thereafter the two race for their lives to reach friendly lines as the Nazis pursue them.
Produced under the working title Laddie, Son of Lassie, the film originally had Elsa Lanchester playing the role of the adult Priscilla. Shortly after filming began, June Lockhart took on the role.[1] It was the first movie filmed using the Technicolor Monobook method.[citation needed]
According to the Hollywood Reporter, John Charles Reed sued MGM in October 1947 for plagiarism, claiming the film script was based on his 1943 story "Candy". The jury disagreed and the suit was dismissed.[1]
Release
Son of Lassie was released to theaters on April 20, 1945. A VHS home video release came on September 1, 1998.[5] It was first released to Region 1 DVD by Warner Home Video on August 24, 2004.[6] It was re-released on November 7, 2006 in a three-movie, 2-disc set along Lassie Come Home and Courage of Lassie.[7]
Reception
The movie reportedly popularised the name "Lad" for male dogs.[8]
Bosley Crowther in the New York Times of June 11, 1945 felt the sequel to Lassie Come Home fell short of "being a worthy heir to the champion" and further noted, "The resulting film, which, while it undoubtedly will be a delight for dog lovers, evolves mainly as a lengthy, contrived and only occasionally suspenseful melodrama handsomely dressed in the lovely polychromes of Technicolor." He praised the main players and concluded, "it is the winsome Laddie and Lassie who romp away with the acting laurels of this pretty but incredible picture."[9]
