Son of Lassie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Son of Lassie |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | S. Sylvan Simon |
| Produced by | Samuel Marx |
| Written by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Cinematography | Charles Edgar Schoenbaum |
| Editing by | Ben Lewis |
| Studio | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
| Release date(s) | April 20, 1945 |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Son of Lassie (also known as Laddie, Son of Lassie) is an exciting adventure movie from 1945. It was made by MGM and filmed in Technicolor, which means it has bright, vivid colors. This film is a sequel to the popular movie Lassie Come Home. It continues the story of Joe Carraclough, who is now grown up.
The movie stars Peter Lawford as Joe, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart, and the amazing dog Pal, who plays both Lassie and her son, Laddie. The story follows Joe when he joins the Royal Air Force during World War II. He ends up in danger over Norway, which was controlled by the Nazis at the time. His loyal dog, Laddie, is with him, and they face many challenges together. Son of Lassie first came out in theaters on April 20, 1945.
What the Movie is About
A New Adventure for Lassie's Son
The story begins in Yorkshire, England, at the beautiful estate of the Duke of Rudling. The British Army has turned the grounds into a training camp for war dogs. Sam Carraclough, who takes care of the kennels, is in charge of picking the best dogs for training. One of these special dogs is Laddie, the young son of the famous collie, Lassie.
Joe Carraclough, now an adult, decides to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. He has to leave his beloved dog Lassie and her pup, Laddie, behind when he goes off to training school.
Laddie's Brave Journey
Laddie, who is being considered as a "war dog," is very clever. He follows Joe to his training school. Then, he secretly sneaks onto Joe's bomber plane just as it takes off for a dangerous mission over Norway. Norway was occupied by Nazi forces during the war.
Suddenly, the plane is hit by enemy fire! Joe and Laddie have to parachute out. Joe gets hurt, and Laddie bravely goes to find help for him. They get separated. Joe is captured by the enemy, and soldiers chase Laddie.
Help Along the Way
Laddie is very lucky to find help. First, some kind Norwegian children find him and give him shelter. Later, a brave freedom-fighter helps Laddie, but sadly, this person is killed. Laddie keeps going until he reaches the prisoner-of-war camp where his master, Joe, has been taken.
The German guards try to use Laddie to find Joe, who has escaped from the camp. Joe is forced to work on a coastal gun. Laddie finally finds Joe, and they are reunited! Together, they race for their lives to reach friendly lines while the Nazis chase them.
Home at Last
After many dangers, both Joe and Laddie finally make it to safety. They travel all the way back to the Rudling estate. There, they are happily reunited with Lassie, Sam Carraclough (Joe's father), and Priscilla, the Duke of Rudling's granddaughter. It's a heartwarming ending to a thrilling adventure!
Main Actors and Characters
This movie features a talented cast, including the amazing dog Pal, who played both Lassie and her son, Laddie.
- Pal as Lassie and the grown-up Laddie
- Peter Lawford as Joe Carraclough, a young man who joins the RAF
- Donald Crisp as Sam Carraclough, Joe's father and the kennel caretaker
- June Lockhart as Priscilla, the Duke of Rudling's granddaughter
- Nigel Bruce as Duke of Rudling, Priscilla's grandfather
- Donald Curtis as Sgt. Eddie Brown
- Robert Lewis as Sgt. Schmidt
- Nils Asther as Olav
- William Severn as Henrik
- Leon Ames as Anton
- Fay Helm as Joanna
- Terry Moore as Thea (credited as Helen Koford)
Movie Music
The Score of Son of Lassie
The music for Son of Lassie was created by Herbert Stothart. A movie's music, called a "score," helps tell the story and makes you feel different emotions. For the scenes set in Norway, the movie uses music themes from a famous Norwegian composer named Edvard Grieg. You might recognize parts of his Piano Concerto and the Peer Gynt Suite.
In 2010, a company called Film Score Monthly released the complete music from seven Lassie movies made by MGM. This special collection also included music from another dog movie called It's a Dog's Life. They had to work hard to put the music back together because many of the original recordings were lost over time.
