Lassie Collection [Lassie Come Home/Courage Of Lassie/Son Of Lassie] [DVD] [1943] [2008]

There have been many different "Lassie" movies, but almost certainly the best are the first three, made from 1943-1946. The fact that two of them star a young Elizabeth Taylor adds to their allure.The first of them ,"Lassie Come Home", involves a struggling Yorkshire family - Mr. and Mrs. Carraclough and young Joe - who are forced to sell their dog Lassie to the wealthy Duke of Rudling. Lassie continually escapes, and is taken to Scotland as a security measure. However, Lassie attempts the long journey back from Scotland to Yorkshire to try and reunite with young Joe.The actors are tremendous in this film - Donald Crisp is the pick of them as the tough and resolute farmer. Elsa Lanchester is equally memorable as his strong-minded wife, and Nigel Bruce is brilliant as the buccaneering Duke of Rudling. However, in many ways the film is defined by the appearances of two young actors - Roddy McDowall as young Joe and Elizabeth Taylor as Priscilla, granddaughter of the Duke. As both went on to have such defining long careers, it is interesting to see them early on. They both put in fantastic portrayals."Son of Lassie" focuses on the much older Joe Carraclough after he joins the Royal Air Force during World War II and is shot down by the Germans over Nazi-occupied Norway along with an illicit passenger, Lassie's son "Laddie". One of the highlights of the film is the tremendous panoramic vivid colour images of the mountain scenery - it really is a joy to behold and showcases the classic MGM Technicolor at it's best.Peter Lawford steals the show as an older Joe, involved in high drama war action, and as an ill-treated prisoner of war. Donald Crisp and Nigel Bruce return, but a significantly older June Lockhart steps in for Elizabeth Taylor as Priscilla.Finally, in "Courage of Lassie" a young collie pup is found by Kathie Merrick (Elizabeth Taylor) and taken to her home. With the help of a friendly shepherd, Mr MacBain (Frank Morgan), she nurses him back to health, calls him Bill, and instructs him to herd sheep. Sadly, Bill goes missing, and is sent to a War Dog Training Center. After training, he is taken with the soldiers to the Aleutian Islands Campaign. He performs heroically on the battlefield, but the war stress makes him aggressive, and he attacks livestock and threatens people as he tries to return to Kathie. It is feared that he may be killed due to his aggressive behaviour, but Mr MacBain tries to save his life right at the end.The return of Elizabeth Taylor - all-be-it in a different character role as before - really adds something to this film. You really see her iconic look clearly - the distinctive facial features are all there, as is the shrill piercing voice. For fans of Elizabeth, this is a must-see film of an early extended leading role in which she dominates proceedings.Overall, this box-set is very engaging and amusing viewing, notable for two early Elizabeth performances. The picture and sound quality are very good indeed, and it is very good value for money.

This box contains 3 classical Lassie movies, Lassie come home, Son of Lassie and The courage of Lassie."Lassie come home" is about the poor Carraclough family, situated in Yorkshire. When the father loses his job, he sees no other choice than to sell the family dog, the beautiful collie Lassie. Naturally his son, Joe, is heart broken.The duke brings Lassie to his estate in Scotland, where she finds herself at the mercy of a malicious employee. She escapes and begins her long and perilous journey home. She endures hardships and meets new friends along the way."Son of Lassie" takes place some years later and Joe is now a young soldier during World War 2. His dog Laddie, son of Lassie, is young and disobedient. He seems to be nothing like his mother.When Joe is sent on a mission to Norway, Laddie manages to get aboard the plane and comes along. They are shot down over a country occupied by the Germans and the two become seperated.Joe has no idea whether or not Laddie has survived, and must try to get home, helped by the Norwegian resistance movement. Meanwhile, Laddie is searching for Joe, while the Germans are pursuing him, very interested in obtaining an English war dog."The Courage of Lassie" takes place in the USA. A collie pup lost in the woods is found by a young girl. She calls him Bill and uses him as a sheep dog. Unbeknownst to her, Bill is hit by a car and taken to a vet in the city.This takes place during the second world war, and the army is on the look out for more war dogs.Nicknamed Duke, the collie undergoes harsh training, and joins the war. He proves his courage in battle, but the his war experiences changes him from a loveable collie sheep dog to a killer. Will he recover, or will he be put to sleep? The troubled Bill/ Duke is on trial for his life...All 3 movies are wonderful and touching. The comment "You`re my Lassie come home" has brought tears to my eyes ever since I first saw the film 15 years ago. As a collie owner I may be extra susceptible, but...Perfect for dog lovers of all ages! Preschool children will probably not get them, though.I highly recommend all three movies! Great stuff!

Bought This For A Friend, She Thoroughly Enjoyed It.

Great memories

Great old film well worth a look.

Best set ever. Loved Lassie as a kid and my kids are now hooked!

The films are great to watch they are old and sad use to have a collie just like lassie

A lovely compact boxed set of the first (and best) 3 Lassie movies from MGM. Each disc comes in its own attractive slimline case. Extras include trailers for the films, cartoons and shorts. The transfers are, if not pristine, pretty darn good. Wonderful 40s Technicolor. If you love Lassie, this is definitely the one to get.