The Sun Comes Up facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Sun Comes Up |
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VHS cover
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| Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
| Produced by | Robert Sisk |
| Screenplay by | Margaret Fitts William Ludwig Eric Knight |
| Starring | Jeanette MacDonald Lloyd Nolan Claude Jarman Jr. Pal (credited as "Lassie") |
| Music by | André Previn |
| Cinematography | Ray June |
| Editing by | Cotton Warburton |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | January 27, 1949 |
| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,659,000 |
| Money made | $1,280,000 (Domestic earnings) $764,000 (Foreign earnings) |
The Sun Comes Up is a heartwarming 1949 movie from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was filmed in Technicolor, which means it had beautiful, vibrant colors. This film is famous for starring Lassie, the amazing dog, alongside the talented actress Jeanette MacDonald. While Jeanette MacDonald had returned to movies a year before, The Sun Comes Up was her very last film role. After this, she continued to perform in concerts and on TV.
What Happens in the Movie?
The story follows Helen Lorfield Winter, a former opera singer played by Jeanette MacDonald. Helen moves to a small town called Brushy Gap in the hills of Georgia. She brings her loyal dog, Lassie, with her. Helen is dealing with a very sad time in her life after her son passed away.
In Brushy Gap, Helen meets a young orphan boy named Jerry, played by Claude Jarman Jr.. Helen and Jerry quickly become friends. Even though she cares for Jerry, Helen isn't ready to have children in her life so soon after her loss. Because of this, she decides to leave Brushy Gap and go back to her singing career.
While Helen is away, Jerry is caught in a big rainstorm while taking Lassie home. He gets very sick with pneumonia. Helen soon returns to Brushy Gap and finds that the house owner, Thomas Chandler (Lloyd Nolan), is taking care of Jerry.
After Jerry gets better, a scary fire breaks out at the orphanage. Both Lassie and Tom bravely rescue Jerry from the burning building. Seeing how much she cares for Jerry and how much they need each other, Helen decides to adopt him. She chooses to stay in Brushy Gap with Jerry and Lassie.
Meet the Main Characters
Here are the main actors and the characters they played in The Sun Comes Up:
- Pal (known as "Lassie") as Lassie, the loyal dog.
- Jeanette MacDonald as Helen Lorfield Winter, the former opera singer.
- Lloyd Nolan as Thomas I. Chandler, the kind house owner.
- Claude Jarman Jr. as Jerry, the young orphan boy.
- Lewis Stone as Arthur Norton.
- Percy Kilbride as Mr. Willie B. Williegood.
- Nicholas Joy as Victor Alvord.
- Margaret Hamilton as Mrs. Golightly.
- Hope Landin as Mrs. Pope.
- Esther Somers as Susan, the maid.
The Movie's Music
The beautiful music for The Sun Comes Up was composed by André Previn. A film's music, also called its score, helps tell the story and makes you feel different emotions. In 2010, a special collection of music from seven Lassie movies was released on CD. Many of the original music recordings from this time were lost, so experts had to carefully put the music back together from other sources.
