After years making money for MGM in feature films Lassie the collie moved to the
small screen where she ran seemingly forever on Sunday night under various owners. Her viewers and fans were intergenerational.
She first shows up on a farm with widow Jan Clayton, her son Tommy Rettig, and father-in-law George Cleveland playing one of those lovable and irascible codgers. That was for the first few seasons. But with Tommy Rettig growing up and George Cleveland dying a whole new family was introduced. Jon Provost became the new kid and his parents were John Shepodd and Cloris Leachman. But then the actors playing the parents were replaced with Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart. This combination lasted for about a decade.
When the family relocated to Australia and couldn't take Lassie, the collie became the property of forest ranger Robert Bray. Finally a pair of rangers ended up with a dog that had more years on television than dogs usually have in a lifetime. Her final masters were rangers Jed Allan and Jack DeMave.
This was one of the wholesomest shows on television. Nobody ever tired of seeing the kids or the rangers get in trouble and Lassie go get help if not be the help.
Lassie was an indelible part of growing up in the 50s and 60s.
She first shows up on a farm with widow Jan Clayton, her son Tommy Rettig, and father-in-law George Cleveland playing one of those lovable and irascible codgers. That was for the first few seasons. But with Tommy Rettig growing up and George Cleveland dying a whole new family was introduced. Jon Provost became the new kid and his parents were John Shepodd and Cloris Leachman. But then the actors playing the parents were replaced with Hugh Reilly and June Lockhart. This combination lasted for about a decade.
When the family relocated to Australia and couldn't take Lassie, the collie became the property of forest ranger Robert Bray. Finally a pair of rangers ended up with a dog that had more years on television than dogs usually have in a lifetime. Her final masters were rangers Jed Allan and Jack DeMave.
This was one of the wholesomest shows on television. Nobody ever tired of seeing the kids or the rangers get in trouble and Lassie go get help if not be the help.
Lassie was an indelible part of growing up in the 50s and 60s.