Courage of Lassie *** (1946, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Morgan, Tom Drake, Selena Royle, George Cleveland, Harry Davenport) – Classic Movie Review 4648

Director Fred M Wilcox’s 1946 children’s adventure is the unrelated third of seven MGM films featuring its canine star called Lassie, following Lassie Come Home (1943) and Son of Lassie (1945). Confusing a whole generation of kids, a male collie named Pal is credited as Lassie, here playing Bill, referred to as Duke. Furthermore, its human star, the 14-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, appears in a different role from her part as Priscilla in Lassie Come Home.

Just to be clear, though the film is called Courage of Lassie, and the dog from the Lassie movies is used, Eric Knight’s fictional character Lassie does not appear. Otherwise, the film is just what you would expect. The movie is old-fashioned, homely, lovingly crafted and appealing, all glowing in Leonard Smith’s lovely Technicolor cinematography.

This time a collie pup is separated from his mother up in the forest and is found by young Kathie Merrick (Elizabeth Taylor), who takes him home and tends him back to health with the help of kindly shepherd Mr MacBain (Frank Morgan). Kathie names the collie Bill and teaches him to herd sheep.

But Bill is hit by a truck and taken to an animal hospital and is sent to a War Dog Training Centre, where he is called Duke. Then, after training as a war dog for combat against the Japanese in World War Two, he is shipped out with the troops to the Aleutian Islands Campaign as part of the American effort to retake the Aleutian island of Attu, part of the Alaska Territory, from the Japanese in 1943. Following many trials and tribulations, Bill is eventually reunited with his beloved Kathie.

Location shooting took place in Railroad Creek by Lake Chelan, near Holden, Washington.

It was a watershed in Taylor’s career as her first top billing. George Cleveland, as Old Man, Bill’s original owner, in the opening scenes, became one of the star of the 1954 TV series Lassie as Gramps.

Also in the cast are Tom Drake, Selena Royle, George Cleveland, Harry Davenport, Catherine McLeod, Morris Ankrum, Arthur Walsh, Michael Lewis, Jane Green, David Holt, William Lewin and Minor Watson.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4648

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