Lassie Come Home

It is actually a short story expanded to a novel length called Lassie Come Home, the imaginary character of which was created by Eric Knight. As a short story it was published in 1938 and as a full length novel in 1940. In 1943, it was filmed, Lassie Come Home, by Metro Goldwyn Mayer abbreviated as MGM that starred Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor, the main character of which is a talented dog named Pal playing Lassie. MGM made various additional films including a follow-up son of Lassie, staring Peter Lawford and June Lockhart, and Courage of Lassie with Elizabeth Taylor. A radio series was also created and aired until 1949, with title "Lassie Radio Show likes Lassie with his friends". The long running and Emmy winning television series Lassie debuted in 1954, and, over the next 19 years, a succession of descendants of Pal appeared on the series.

The stage name and character Lassie became very famous and is used in six other MGM feature films through 1951, it has also appeared in radio, television, film, toys, comic books, animated series, juvenile novels, and other media. When Rudd Weatherwax who is the owner and trainer of Pal see the popularity of stage name "Lassie" then he decided to acquire the Lassie name and trademark from MGM, and to appear with Pal as Lassie at rodeos, fairs, and similar events across America in the early 1950s. Lassie also started to make personal appearances as well as marketing a line of pet food.

The television series, Lassie was broadcasted in America in between 1954-73. That series started with Lassie residing on a farm with a young male master who changed to adult forestry worker in the eleventh season. The series ended with Lassie residing at a ranch for troubled children. The series won two Emmy Awards and canceled in 1973. A new Lassie television series was produced by Canadian production company, Cinar Inc. for the Animal Planet network, United States, and for YTV in Canada which ran until 1999. A remark movie of the original Lassie Come Home was also produced in United Kingdom, in 2005 and released in 2006. We can see the presence of Lassie in a current pet care TV show, Lassie Pet Vet on PBS stations in the United States. Lassie is one of very few imaginary characters, such as Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny.

Adil Wasim