Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film Family
Rating: NR
Release Date: 24-AUG-2004
Media Type: DVD

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50754 in DVD
• Brand: LASSIE
• Released on: 2004-08-24
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Dolby, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.com
Peril lurks behind every scene resolution in the 1946 hit Courage of Lassie. After an odd, peaceable-kingdom beginning, Lassie is shot by Carl Switzer, the kid who used to play Alfalfa (really!), and rescued by Elizabeth Taylor. She inexplicably names Lassie "Bill" (maybe in revenge because Lassie got on the movie's title) and trains him to be a sheepdog. Bill gets hit by a truck, then impressed into service in the U.S. war effort in the Philippines. Presaging Rambo, Bill becomes a war hero, yet returns home from the front a broken dog and is considered a menace to society. The war scenes are a bit too grueling for a family film (at least with very young children). Bill gets shot (again) and has to do a reconnaissance mission that Joseph Conrad would admire. Taylor doesn't so much act as sob and gush, and only Frank Morgan, the actor known best as the Wizard of Oz, comes off as well as the collie. That collie, though, is pretty wonderful and fans of the first film won't be too disappointed. --Keith Simanton

Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Film
This film is simple and spans alot of territory for one beautiful dog. However, it is refreshing to see this type of movie with such a message of gentle caring, and loyalty between an animal and it's owner.

Films aren't made like this anymore, and while this it is not academy award material, I enjoyed every minute. I can't wait to share it with my elementary school aged, Grandchildren.

STRANGE SEQUEL NOT NEARLY AS ENGAGING AS ORIGINAL!
"The Courage of Lassie" MGM's 1946 sequel of sorts to its blockbuster, "Lassie Come Home" is by far the most depressingly humiliating cinema excursion for those old enough or young at heart enough to recall the tender poignancy of the original film. Minus Roddy McDowell, the film stars Elizabeth Taylor this time as Kathie Merrick - an angelic nymph living in serene surrealism until Lassie comes hobbling out of the forest with a gun shot wound. Seems Lassie took on for the team by a hunting youth played by none other that Little Rascals Alfalfa, Carl Switzer (billed here only as `first youth'...oh, well - it's a living!) Kathie restores the dog to health, inexplicably names her "Bill" (presumably because gender is something that Liz just didn't get at that early age) then sets Bill on a course of one perilous and implausible mishap upon the next. Bill gets hit by a truck, serves as part of the U.S. war effort in the Philippines, is considered an outcast of society, then a war hero, then gets shot yet again in a sort of war time bedtime story that would have made the likes of Ernest Hemmingway gush. Though this film too was a resounding hit upon its initial release there's very little in the way of the original's magical charm to insight loyalty or repeat viewings once you've sat through it once. The war nonsense is too intense for a family picture and, at times, laughable in a "I can't believe they did that" sort of way.

Warner's DVD is even more of a disappointment than "Lassie Come Home". The worn film negative exhibits a very dated picture with inconsistently rendered colors that, at times, are vibrant - if garish - and other times, quite pale and uninspiring. Age related artifacts abound throughout and there is a considerable amount of edge enhancement and pixelization. Overall, fine details are very nicely realized. However, contrast and black levels are not very solid. The audio is mono but respectably cleaned up and presented with a fidelity that outweighs the visual characteristics. There are NO extras.

Delightful and Relevant Film!
This movie is plain and simply described as . . . fantastic! It centers around the dog "Bill" who is portrayed by Lassie. And let me say, if there were an Academy Award for animal actors, Lassie would be the champion. What fabulous acting! Lassie outshines many human actors in terms of expression and convincing acting. I don't know how they were able to film it. Elizabeth Taylor is simply beautiful in this movie, young, but already a phenomenal beauty. She portrays the girl who first rescues Bill and trains him to be a sheepdog. He gets run over and through a series of events becomes a war dog. Who then suffers from post-traumatic war syndrome. Even though, we all know it is a movie with a happy ending, I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat when Bill's trial is on. As Bill turns into quite a primitive animal after his war experience, but I don't want to reveal the entire plot. Suffice it to say, it is a lovely family film (although I do wonder about the anti-Church attendance message) and it is relevant to today with the exploration into post-traumatic war syndrome that affects returning soldiers. Anyone watching this movie, will cheer for Bill all the way through. And will admire Elizabeth Taylor's role as the caring young girl. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. And whole-heartedly recommend it!