Lassie - the MGM dog

Lassie the American canine icon was originally as British as roast beef.  In 1938 a short story by Eric Knight appeared in The Saturday Evening Post entitled “Lassie Come Home”.  In 1940 Knight developed it into a full-length novel under the same title.  It is set in Yorkshire, during the First World War, and tells the story of a poverty stricken family who, in order to survive, are forced to sell their son’s faithful dog. There then ensues a series of unsuccessful attempts by the dog to return to his master culminating in a 500-mile journey on foot (or rather paw!) across Scotland and England, which sees them happily re-united.

In 1942 Knight sold the film rights to MGM for $10,000 and in 1943 a feature film was made using the original title and starring Edmund Gwenn.  While watching the ‘rushes’ of some of the early scenes it was noticeable that the actress who was playing Priscilla, the Duke of Rudling’s daughter, was not completely at ease with the dog and because of her visible anxiety would have to be replaced.  On his way across the lot that night the director, Fred Wilcox, happened by chance to meet one of the studio’s night watchmen and knowing he and his wife were keen to get their daughter into ‘movies’ offered her the part. Thus began the acting career of Elizabeth Taylor.

The original dog cast from hundreds of potential candidates was a bitch but during the course of filming it was noted, with some concern, that she had started to moult.  (All dogs lose their hair but bitches tend to lose more than their male counterparts especially when in oestrus.)  The man in charge of supervising her was an actor called Rudd Weatherman.  He and his brother Frank trained dogs for films and television.  Frank had a collie dog called Pal that been engaged as a stand-in to do a particularly difficult stunt which involved him swimming across a river in full spate.  Collies are not well adapted to swimming.  Their paws are not webbed or even semi-webbed as in some breeds.  Pal did it but not without the stunt taking its toll.  As he reached the opposing bank he nearly collapsed but under the direction and encouragement of Frank Weatherman he valiantly struggled to complete the scene.  Fred Wilcox was amazed and said, ”Pal went into that river but Lassie came out of it.  That’s my star!”

From that moment on all Lassies have been male.  They don’t moult and they are larger than bitches, which makes them more impressive when filmed alongside young children.  Moreover they are all direct descendants of the original dog.   Lassie’s trademark requires her to be sable and white with a full white collar, four white feet and a white blaze on her nose.  All the dogs cast as Lassie have these genetic markings.  The current Lassie is the ninth generation direct descendant of the original Pal.