ada
the leading man is my tpye
Comwayon
A Disappointing Continuation
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Calum Hutton
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
westegg
Sorry, but this is one stupid movie. A bewigged judge and surrounding court has nothing better to do than sentence noble Lassie to death! Why? Because of some infraction of the law, and while the judge admits it's an outdated law, Lassie must be sacrificed before the law can be changed! Not even pleading kids, who scrape up money for a dog license, can convince the judge to lighten up. I figure it ended happily (I'll admit I exited before it ended, but have read of the Greyfriar's Bobby inspiration)), but really, the story was a stretch to believe--can the law of the land consider it a job well done by sacrificing an innocent collie, who never bothered anyone, because of some unwavering judicial claptrap? Sure, it's meant to be a movie with conflict, but this was just ill conceived and obnoxious. Beyond that, nicely acted, photographed and all that, but...stupid.
James Donnelly
Its hard for me to watch this or judge it well as it seems, plot-wise, its successor 1960's Greyfriar's Bobby almost completely ripped off the plot. When I read the synopsis in the TV guide, I actually thought the movie title was misprinted. However after giving it a shot, I did notice some amazing similarities and some good differences. Differences I guess that epitomised a Lassie film back then. I know the 60's movie Greyfriar's Bobby very well, so I did chuckle at many references that was 'inspired or duplicated'.And having Donald Crisp have a role in the movie, then 11 years later appear in effectively the same movie, in a different role tied both the movies well. But to me Greyfriar's Bobby, the TRUE dog, will always be better than Lassie.LAssie or Bobby.. it doesn't really matter. The story is absolutely compelling from start to finish.
heathentart
Was there ever an animal actor as compelling and affecting as Lassie? Regardless of the sex confusion (the first Lassie was actually a male, not the female the dog portrayed), Lassie was competent in his roles, this film being no exception.The story is simple and heartfelt, based upon a true event - a terrier who so loved his master that, when he died, would faithfully guard and sleep on his dead master's grave. Hence "Greyfriar's Bobby" and his story was born. Take the time to look it up online, it's a wonderful story of love, devotion and how a town got involved in the life of one, poor dog.The cast is delightful, filled with my favorite character actors from the 1940s - Donald Crisp, Edmund Gwenn, Reginald Owen, Alan Napier - wonderful actors no matter what the role.According to IMDb, some of the filming was done at the actual location of Greyfriar's Churchyard. If true, it brings a beautiful touch of authenticity, even if Lassie is a collie and not a terrier.This film is especially good for children to watch, as it teaches a lesson about devotion and loyalty and the heavy price one might have to pay for both. But the denouement is uplifting and joyous, and very special to watch.I've loved this movie since I was a child, and now almost a half-century later, it still holds up,.Treat your children and yourselves to a sweet, uplifting experience. The "Challenge To Lassie" is worth your time.
moonspinner55
Edmund Gwenn and Donald Crisp join Lassie the Collie once more after having been teamed in the otherwise-unrelated "The Hills Of Home" from 1948. This heart-tugging, family-oriented saga, based on the book "Greyfriars Bobby" by Eleanor Atkinson, involves stray, untagged Lassie with a crusty old coot who can't figure out why the dog has a confounding need to get into the Greyfriars Churchyard, where animals are forbidden. Geraldine Brooks is the proverbial pretty girl/Elizabeth Taylor substitute, Kathryn Beaumont has an uncredited bit as a neighborhood child, Gwenn is his usual spunky self, yet the whole show belongs to Lassie. Whether crossing a wide river, digging her way out of a barn, climbing out a window, or outwitting the hysterical humans, the dog is shown to a star's advantage. Story remade by Disney in 1960 (under the original title and with a Skye terrier in the lead). ** from ****