Doylenf Review of Lassie Come Home

Lassie Come Home (1943)

Admirable boy/dog story from the Eric Knight best-seller...

[16 April 2001]

Early MGM technicolor is a real asset to this boy/dog tale based on a novel by Eric Knight. When Roddy McDowall's parents (Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester) are forced to sell their beautiful collie to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) in Scotland, the boy is heartbroken. But not to worry. The bond is so strong that Lassie swims rivers, climbs mountains, fights other dogs, and makes his way through miles of picturesque pastoral countryside to return to his master after the long trek from Scotland. And by the end of the film, his devotion to the boy is so overwhelming that the Duke pretends not to recognize the dog as the one he bought. Elizabeth Taylor, at eleven, makes a touching appearance as Nigel's niece, sympathetic to the plight of the dog who has rejoined his master. If this one doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you have a heart of stone. Lassie is a natural and performs everything on cue brilliantly--you almost feel he's living the part. All of the performances are ingratiating and the technicolor photography cannot be faulted. Handsomely produced and perfect family entertainment.