Comments on: “Lassie Doesn’t Give Speeches”

By: moirafinnie

moirafinnie — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:27:25 +0000

“Can you help me find the title of a movie that played sometime in the last week or so…”she’s all that” or something like that? It mentioned several movies with the same actress, and all of them had the word “she” or “she’s” in them. The story was about a young lady who lost her father…she didn’t know that he was broke. Her creditors (who are clearing her whole house of furniture in the first scene) make a deal with each other to return her belongings, so that she can find a rich husband who will pay them off. So funny. Any help?
Thanks,
S”

Hi S.,
Sorry for the late reply–but perhaps you are still interested in finding out more about the film you saw. I believe that the film you saw was Personal Property (1937-Woody Van Dyke) starring Jean Harlow and Robert Taylor. It does not appear to be available on commercial DVD now, but it does appear on TCM’s schedule occasionally. The comedy will be aired again on Friday, January 27, 2012 @ 7:15 AM (ET). I hope you catch it again.

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:09:21 +0000

I’d like to help you, homeschoolmentormom, but I need more information. Can you identify any actor in this film?

The plot you describe is a little like HIGHER AND HIGHER, from RKO. The difference is that the servants and master who live in a mansion conspire to have a pretty maid pose as a society girl and snag a rich husband. There are about a dozen well known actors in that one – Jack Haley, Frank Sinatra, Victor Borge, Barbara Hale, etc.

Unfortunately, I don’t think that plot was that unusual for a 30s or 40s film.

SHE’S GOT EVERYTHING, from RKO in 1937, has Ann Sothern as a recently impoverished woman trying to land a rich husband. Maybe that is it.

By: homeschoolmentormom

homeschoolmentormom — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 02:22:40 +0000

Can you help me find the title of a movie that played sometime in the last week or so…”she’s all that” or something like that? It mentioned several movies with the same actress, and all of them had the word “she” or “she’s” in them. The story was about a young lady who lost her father…she didn’t know that he was broke. Her creditors (who are clearing her whole house of furniture in the first scene) make a deal with each other to return her belongings, so that she can find a rich husband who will pay them off. So funny. Any help?
Thanks,
S

By: Yasmin Yanick

Yasmin Yanick — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:45:41 +0000

I was very pleased to find this blog.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every word of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff in the future.
Herm

By: jbl

jbl — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:07:29 +0000

The Tommy Rettig episodes of the TV shows were at one time re-syndicated under the name of “Jeff’s Collie” (Tommy played Jeff Miller), and who knows, they may still be around under that name. On the other hand that name may have been used only because a new incarnation of Lassie might have still been on in first release.

By: Roberta

Roberta — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:17:36 +0000

The longer I go without a dog in my life, the more the Lassie movies seem to touch something human in me. Seeing these Oscar-worthy films described with such affection in this cynical world is a tonic to my soul. Thanks for shining a spotlight on this dog’s ability to move us and make us human again. Sentimental? You bet, but anthropomorphism aside, these creatures are “the better angels of our nature” if only we’d see them.
Thanks for writing this blog on one of my favorite genres.

By: moirafinnie

moirafinnie — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:23:26 +0000

Ah, JB1,
You may be right about a different theme being part of the original Lassie tv program. My first memory of the show was when the Timmy (Jon Prevost) character was on the program. I don’t recall seeing the Tommy Rettig shows, but I sure found that melancholy tune memorable! Thanks for the clarification.

Al,
You and your brother Mike are, I believe remembering Courage of Lassie (1946), hands down the most melodramatic movie in the series as the battle weary Lassie fights her inner demons, tries to avoid attacking sheep to survive, and even growls at poor Liz Taylor! Man, if they were going to give the ol’ girl an Oscar for any movie, this was it!

MDR,
Can’t wait to catch up with your Oscar post. It’s good to know that little kids still get a kick out of Lassie. I just purchased a dvd with three of the films mentioned here for my younger nieces and nephews. I think that they will be as hooked on the story as their aunt.

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply to this post.

By: jbl

jbl — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:20:18 +0000

One small quibble, if it’s OK. I think the original theme song for the TV Lassie was not the one indicated here. I don’t remember what it was, but I definitely remember the transition from “Jeff” (Tommy Rettig) to “Timmy” (Jon Provost, and yes, with June Lockhart) around 1957. My comment is that I believe it was at that time they also changed the theme music to that depressing tune linked to above.

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 17:46:19 +0000

I never watched any of the Lassie movies.
Watching a pet frolic on screen is similar to watching televised fireworks. It is not nearly as good as the real thing.

However, I have a couple of Lassie stories.

This one probably never happened. This story was probably made up by disgruntled MGM employees. However…
Supposedly they were shooting a scene with Lassie and a boy on a raft and the rapids got out of hand. Everyone was alarmed as the raft floated away.
Everyone but Rudd Weatherwax. He didn’t hesitate. He jumped in the water, swam to the raft, grabbed the dog, left the boy and swam back to shore.
I said I didn’t think it ever really happened.

I am the one who made up the next story.
My brother Mike and I were talking about the movie in which Lassie had amnesia. (I never saw it, of course.) We started wondering if there was ever a TV episode with the same plot.

“Oh yeah,” I said. “I remember it now. Someone came to Lassie and said, ‘Timmy has fallen in a well.’ Lassie looked puzzled. Her reaction was: “Who’s Timmy? What’s a well? And who are you?”

By: Suzi Doll

Suzi Doll — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:14:57 +0000

Lassie rules!