Pal (dog) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pal

Pal in 1942, as Lassie
Other name(s)	"Lassie"
Species	Canis lupus familiaris
Breed	Rough Collie
Sex	Male
Born	June 4, 1940 Glamis Kennels in North Hollywood, California, United States
Died	June 18, 1958(1958-06-18) (aged 18) Rudd Weatherwax's home in North Hollywood, California, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1943–1954
Term	1943–1954
Successor	Lassie Junior
Owner	Rudd Weatherwax
Parent(s)	Red Brucie of Glamis Bright Bauble of Glamis
Offspring	Lassie Junior

Pal (born June 4, 1940 – died June 18, 1958) was a famous male Rough Collie dog. He was the very first dog to play the much-loved fictional character, Lassie. Pal brought Lassie to life in movies, on radio, and on television.

Pal was born in California in 1940. He later met Rudd Weatherwax, a Hollywood animal trainer. In 1943, Pal was chosen to star as Lassie in the movie Lassie Come Home by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

After his first movie, Pal starred in six more Lassie films. These movies were made by MGM from the mid-1940s to the early 1950s. He also appeared in shows and fairs across the United States. In 1954, Pal starred in the first two episodes, called pilots, for the Lassie television series.

Pal retired after filming these TV pilots. He passed away in June 1958. Pal had many children and grandchildren who continued to play the famous Lassie character after him. In 1992, a magazine called The Saturday Evening Post said Pal had "the most spectacular canine career in film history." This means he had the most amazing dog acting career ever!

Pal's Early Life

Pal was born on June 4, 1940, at Glamis Kennels in North Hollywood, California. His parents were named Red Brucie of Glamis and Bright Bauble of Glamis. Pal's family tree goes back to a famous English collie from the 1800s called "Old Cockie."

Pal had large eyes and a white stripe on his forehead. Because of these features, he was not considered a top show dog. So, he was sold as a pet.

A dog trainer named Howard Peck brought Pal to Rudd Weatherwax. Pal was eight months old at the time. He had a problem with barking too much and chasing motorcycles. Weatherwax helped Pal stop barking, but he couldn't get him to stop chasing motorcycles.

Peck was not happy with the results. He gave Pal to Weatherwax instead of paying him money he owed. Weatherwax then gave Pal to a friend. But when Weatherwax heard that MGM wanted to make a movie based on the book Lassie Come-Home, he knew Pal was perfect for the role. He bought Pal back from his friend for just $10.

Later, after Pal became famous as Lassie, Peck tried to get him back. But the court ruled that Weatherwax was Pal's rightful owner. Rudd's brother, Frank Weatherwax, also helped train Pal. Frank had trained dogs for other famous movies like The Wizard of Oz.

Pal's Movies with MGM

The first MGM "Lassie" movie was meant to be a small, black-and-white film for kids. Pal was one of 1,500 dogs who tried out for the main role. But he was turned down because he was a male. They also thought his eyes were too big and his head too flat. A female show collie was chosen to be the star instead.

Weatherwax was hired to train the female star. Pal was hired as a stunt dog, meaning he would do the dangerous parts.

Pal in his first movie role as Lassie in MGM's Lassie Come Home (1943), with Roddy McDowall as Joe Carraclough

During filming, the crew decided to use a real flood in the San Joaquin River in California. This would create an exciting scene for the movie. The female collie was still being trained and refused to go into the strong, rushing water.

Weatherwax was there with Pal. He offered to have Pal do the difficult scene. Pal had to swim the river, get out, lie down without shaking off the water, crawl while lying on his side, and then lie still, looking completely tired. Pal did an amazing job, and the scene was filmed perfectly in just one try.

Weatherwax said the director, Fred M. Wilcox, was so impressed that he had "tears in his eyes." Because of Pal's incredible performance, the female collie was let go. Pal was hired to play Lassie instead. They re-filmed the first six weeks of the movie with Pal as the star.

Other stories say the female collie was replaced because she lost too much fur during the summer filming. This made Weatherwax use Pal instead. Either way, MGM executives were very impressed with Pal. They decided to make the movie a big production with lots of advertising and filming in Technicolor. Pal performed with great energy and rarely needed more than one take. He did all his own stunts too!

Pal's success in Lassie Come Home in 1943 led to six more MGM movies. These included Son of Lassie, Courage of Lassie, Hills of Home, The Sun Comes Up, Challenge to Lassie, and The Painted Hills. In Pal's early years with MGM, Rudd Weatherwax was helped by Frank Inn. Frank trained the Lassie dogs for 14 years and later provided animals for the 1954 Lassie TV series.

After The Painted Hills in 1951, MGM thought the Lassie movies had run their course. They didn't plan any more films with the character. MGM wanted to end their contract with Weatherwax. Weatherwax was worried about protecting Pal and the famous Lassie image he had created. Instead of getting US$40,000 that MGM owed him, Weatherwax made a deal. He asked for and received the Lassie name and trademark. This meant he owned the rights to the name "Lassie."

Lassie Television Series

After leaving MGM, Pal and Weatherwax traveled around. They performed an 18-minute show at dog shows and department stores. A TV producer named Robert Maxwell convinced Weatherwax that Pal's future was in television. Together, they created a story about a boy and his dog. It was about a family struggling on a farm in the middle of America.

Three young actors were considered for the role of the boy in the Lassie show. The final choice was left to Pal. Pal spent a week with the boys at Weatherwax's home. He seemed to like eleven-year-old Tommy Rettig the most. Rettig got the role because of Pal's reaction. Filming for the first two TV episodes began in the summer of 1954. Pal played Lassie in both of them.

After watching the episodes, CBS TV executives quickly decided to put the 30-minute show on their fall 1954 schedule. Pal retired after filming these two pilot episodes. His son, Lassie Junior, took over the TV role. Lassie Junior was three years old and had been training for a few years.

Pal would come to the TV studio every day with his son during filming. He had a special bed behind the set. Everyone respectfully called him "The Old Man." Tommy Rettig, the show's star, later remembered: "When Rudd would ask Lassie, Jr. to do something, if you were behind the set, you could see The Old Man get up from his bed and go through the routine back there."

Pal's Later Years and Death

By 1957, Pal was getting old. He was becoming blind, deaf, and stiff. He rarely visited the Lassie set anymore. Jon Provost, another star of the show, later said, "Even though I was young, I could see how much that dog meant to Rudd. Rudd loved that old dog as much as anyone could love an animal or person."

Pal passed away naturally in June 1958. He was 18 years old, which is about 85 in "dog years." For months after Pal's death, Weatherwax was very sad. Robert Weatherwax, Rudd's son, later remembered: "It hit him very hard when Pal died. He buried him in a special place on the ranch and would often visit the grave. Dad would never again watch an MGM Lassie movie. He just couldn't bear to see Pal. He didn't want to have to be reminded of just how much he loved that dog."

Pal's Lasting Legacy

In 1950, Rudd Weatherwax and John H. Rothwell wrote a book about Pal's life. It was called The Story of Lassie: His Discovery and Training from Puppyhood to Stardom.

Many of Pal's descendants continued to play the fictional Lassie character after he died. On the original television series (1954–73), Pal's son, Lassie Junior, and his grandsons, Spook and Baby, starred for the first few seasons. Other descendants like Mire and Hey Hey also played Lassie in later seasons.

Sometimes, collies not related to Pal's family line have been cast as Lassie. This has led to protests from fans. For example, in 1997, a new Lassie TV series started without a Weatherwax-trained dog. Fans protested, and the producers brought in a ninth-generation Weatherwax dog for the show. In 2005–2006, a remake of the original Lassie movie also caused comments when a non-Pal bloodline collie was chosen. Robert Weatherwax has always believed that only dogs from Pal's family should play Lassie.

In 2000, the Lassie trademark was sold by the Weatherwax family. It eventually became the property of Universal Studios in 2016. In 2004, Robert Weatherwax's personal contract to provide a dog for the role of Lassie ended. After a few years of other collies playing Lassie, Classic Media hired Carol Riggins. She had been a co-trainer with Robert Weatherwax. Her dog, HeyHey, is a 9th-generation descendant of Pal. HeyHey had played Lassie in a Canadian TV series. Today, Carol Riggins is the official owner and trainer of Lassie. She works with another "Pal," a 10th-generation direct descendant of the original Pal.

Pal's Film Roles

Pal starred in several movies and TV shows. Here are some of his most famous roles:

Movies

Television Shows