Hills of Home (film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hills of Home |
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| Directed by | Fred M. Wilcox |
| Produced by | Robert Sisk |
| Screenplay by | William Ludwig Eric Knight |
| Narrated by | Donald Crisp |
| Starring | Pal (credited as "Lassie") Edmund Gwenn Donald Crisp Tom Drake Janet Leigh |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Cinematography | Charles Edgar Schoenbaum |
| Editing by | Ralph E. Winters |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 1948 |
| Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,946,000 |
| Money made | $2,312,000 |
Hills of Home is a 1948 Technicolor drama film. It is also known by other names like Danger in the Hills and Master of Lassie. This movie is the fourth in a series of seven Lassie films made by MGM. It stars Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, and Tom Drake. The story is about a brave dog named Lassie and a kind doctor in Scotland.
Story of the Film
The movie begins with Dr. William MacLure, a doctor in Scotland, adopting Lassie. Lassie is a special dog, but she has one big fear: water. She really doesn't like it at all! Dr. MacLure tries his best to help Lassie get over her fear, but it's a tough challenge.
One day, a young man named Tammas Milton needs a serious operation. The doctor wants to use a new medicine called chloroform to help Tammas sleep during the surgery. However, the people in the village, called the Glen, are worried about this new idea. They don't trust it.
To show them that chloroform is safe, Dr. MacLure uses it on Lassie. He puts her to sleep for more than twenty minutes. This helps everyone see that the medicine works and is not dangerous. After this, the doctor performs the operation in his own house. He saves Tammas's life.
As a thank you, the doctor asks Tammas's father for a special promise. He wants Tammas to go to Edinburgh to study medicine for four years. This way, Tammas can become a doctor and take over the practice when Dr. MacLure gets too old.
Tammas recovers and goes away to study. Dr. MacLure continues to care for his patients in the area. But people start to worry about the old doctor's health. One snowy night, he is called out to see a patient. On his way home, he falls asleep on his horse. A tree branch knocks him off into the deep snow.
Lassie, being a very loyal dog, quickly runs for help. She crosses a damaged bridge over a river that is overflowing with water. She finds two men and brings them back. But when they return, the bridge has been washed away by the flood!
Dr. MacLure's life is in danger. Lassie, despite her fear of water, knows she must act. She is forced to dive into the wild, raging river to get to the other side. The strong water almost pulls her under twice, but she tries again. On her second try, she makes it across! Seeing Lassie's bravery, the two men wade through the waist-deep flooded river to reach the doctor. They find Dr. MacLure unconscious and very cold in the snow. They quickly get him home.
The doctor eventually wakes up and spends a few days in bed. But the difficult night was too much for him, and he sadly passes away. Soon after his funeral, which everyone in the Glen attends, the new doctor arrives. It's Tammas, who has passed his exams! He takes over the doctor's practice, continuing Dr. MacLure's legacy.
Main Characters
- Pal (credited as "Lassie") as Lassie, the brave dog
- Edmund Gwenn as Dr. William MacLure, the kind Scottish doctor
- Donald Crisp as Drumsheugh
- Tom Drake as Tammas Milton, the young man who becomes a doctor
- Janet Leigh as Margit Mitchell
- Rhys Williams as Mr. Milton
- Reginald Owen as Hopps
- Edmund Breon as Jamie Soutar
- Alan Napier as Sir George
- Hughie Green as Geordie Howe
- Lumsden Hare as Lord Kilspindie
- Eileen Erskine as Mrs. Belle Saunders
Film Music
The music for Hills of Home was composed by Herbert Stothart. A film's music, also called its score, helps tell the story and makes you feel different emotions.
In 2010, a company called Film Score Monthly released the music from seven Lassie movies on CD. They also included music from another film called It's a Dog's Life. Only 1000 copies of this special CD collection were made.
It was hard to put together the music for these old films. Many of the original recordings, called "music masters," were lost over time. So, the music had to be put back together using other available sounds, like the music and sound effects tracks.
Even though the original music masters for Hills of Home are gone, the CD collection includes the opening music from the film. This helps listeners get an idea of the rich and colorful music Herbert Stothart created for the movie.
Music Tracks for Hills of Home (Disc 3)
- Opening Title and Narration* 2:56
- This track includes sound effects from the movie.
