Son of Lassie

Plot synopsis:
In Yorkshire, England, at the estate of the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce), the British Army converted the grounds into a training camp for war dogs. The camp is placed under the supervision of Sam Carraclough (Donald Crisp), the kennel caretaker, who immediately begins the process of selecting the best dogs for training, including Laddie, the young pup of the champion collie, Lassie. Joe Carraclough (Peter Lawford), now an adult, joins the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. Departing for training school, he is forced to leave behind his dog Lassie and her pup, Laddie.
Laddie, being considered as a "war dog", follows Joe to training school and then stows away on his master's bomber, just as it takes off on a dangerous mission over Nazi-occupied Norway. The two are forced to parachute when hit by enemy fire. Laddie seeks help for his injured master and while they are separated with Joe being captured, the dog is pursued by enemy soldiers, first being sheltered by young Norwegian children and then by a freedom-fighter who is killed. Laddie reaches the prisoner-of-war camp where his master had been taken.
The German guards use Laddie to seek out his master who had escaped. In his search for Joe who is forced into a labor detail on a coastal gun emplacement, Laddie is reunited with his master and thereafter, the two race for their lives to reach friendly lines as the Nazis pursue them. Finally free, both Joe and Laddie make their way back to the Rudling estate to reunite with Lassie, Sam Carraclough, Joe's father and Priscilla (June Lockhart), the Duke of Rudling's granddaughter.

Tags: murder

Review:
One of the best Lassie films...gorgeous locations....
Breathtakingly beautiful location photography (Banff National Park, Canada) provides a colorful background for a war story involving Lassie, Peter Lawford, June Lockhart, Donald Crisp, Leon Ames, William Severn and an early performance by Terry Moore when she was a child actress.
Dealing with the warm relationship between Joe (Peter Lawford) and his war-trained pup, it has moments of high suspense, humor and classic Lassie challenges as the dog attempts to become reunited with his master.
Not as overtly sentimental as "Lassie Come Home", it scores on its own as one of the best in the string of Lassie films MGM made following the success of the first one.The war scenes are well handled with much of the action having a realistic look, as does the German village, with everyone contributing their own well acted moments to an intriguing film.
Little William Severn is appealing as the boy who discovers the wounded dog and must protect it from the German soldiers.
June Lockhart is refreshingly natural as Lawford's sweetheart and there are the usual pleasant performances from Donald Crisp and Nigel Bruce.
Lawford and Lassie have some strenuous stunts to perform in the rapids as they escape.
Definitely a Lassie film worth watching..
A Treat for Dog lovers.
I was surprised I enjoyed this film as much as I did.
Originally I only had it on in the background on TCM while I was getting ready for work.
Before I knew it I was peeking at the TV instead of looking for a shirt to wear.
I was getting absorbed in the story and losing track of the time.
Sure I was was going to be late for work...but I had to know, would Laddy turn out to be as brave trusty as Lassie?
Would he continue to follow his master even through war torn Norway and seemingly endless obstacles including heartless German soldiers and miles of snow ?
These were all questions I had to find out before I headed to my job !
Lucky for me I found a blank video tape to record the ending so I still made it.I loved this film.
It had wonderful acting by all involved, including the dog.
Visually it contained beautiful scenery, even great shots of the WWII planes I like so much .
The production was top notch.
Lots of action, and best of all a good old fashioned happy ending.
What more can you ask for?
These days gems like this are considered way to sugary by our cynical 21st century society to be produced.
To bad cause once in awhile it's very refreshing to see the good guys and the dog all live happily ever after.If you love animals and haven't seen this one yet, get a box of hankies and some popcorn cause you are in for a real treat.
Now excuse me while I go hug my beagle..
Fine family viewing, very well produced film!.
I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed this movie.
Having traveled in beautiful Norway several years ago -- the land of my ancestors -- and visited the WWII Resistance Museum in Oslo, the movie was of particular interest to me.
I suspected the location shots were in Canada, for having traveled across the mountains of Norway, something didn't appear quite right, but very close.
Lassie's performance as 'Laddie' is amazing and so many of the cast give fine performances, including a very young (22) Peter Lawford.
Watch also for teenage Terry Moore!
And sadly, one of the last movie roles by handsome former silent star Nils Asther as he slid into obscurity by the end of the '40s.
Ironically, there is also 20-year-old June Lockhart, who later played the mother two decades later in the Lassie series on TV.
A nice touch is the music of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg used throughout the score.
Fine film for family viewing..
Boy loves dog, dog loves boy..
This is a fine movie for animal lovers, for it is far more that the usual canine showcase.
It is an exceptionally well made film in terms of technical excellence.
The dialogue is always appropriate, the cinematography is very good, and the color is flawless.
As the movie progresses the symbiotic relationship between Joe (Peter Lawford) and Laddie (son of a Lassie) enhances both roles.
The cultural setting is that of World War Two, and Laddie experiences the full range of wartime threats, from being bombed to being captured, and so on.
The supporting actors are good beyond expectation, and the topography of Norway (even though the movie was filmed in Canada) is precise.
What is particularly unique about this film is that Laddie is not portrayed as a human in dog's clothing.
Laddie is a dog that does what dogs do, both rightly and wrongly.
One wonders how many children in the post-war era better understood war and its dangers after seeing this film.
Bottom line: Lawford is better as a member of the dog pack that he ever was as one of the rat pack.
This movie should not be missed!.
"Lassie Come Home" Sequel..
S. Sylvan Simon directed this sequel to "Lassie Come Home", set several years later, with Lassie's son being a trained war dog who assists a grown-up Joe(now played by Peter Lawford) while he is behind enemy lines in Norway during WWII, where he is now a soldier who must flee the Nazis in his bid for freedom.
June Lockhart takes over the role of Priscilla from Elizabeth Taylor, who here is romantically involved with Joe, praying for his safe return.
Donald Crisp returns as his father Sam, and Nigel Bruce also returns as the Duke of Rudling.
Entertaining continuation of the first film pretty much gets it right with an interesting wartime setting, though it's a pity the time-frame didn't allow the return of original actors Roddy McDowall & Elizabeth Taylor, though Lawford & Lockhart do just fine..
More Lassies Than You Can Shake a Stick At. The first of many sequels to the classic 1943 Lassie movie finds original dog owner Joe Carraclough suffering from accelerated growth; in two years, he has grown about ten years - from boy Roddy McDowall to man Peter Lawford!
Little Pricilla has experiences a similar growth spurt - from girl Elizabeth Taylor to woman June Lockhart (who would re-encounter Lassie a decade later, as young Timmy's mother).
Donald Crisp as father Sam has holds up well, considering.
Meanwhile, in dog years, Lassie has a son, Laddie.
Presumably, "Pal" plays Mama "Lassie" and Son "Laddie" - but, it's possible an actual "Son of Lassie" is used in the film."Son of Lassie" is, understandably, not as good as the first Lassie film.
The photography is absolutely beautiful, though; and, Pal/Lassie's performance is excellent - in fact, one could argue that the dog creates two separate characterizations (the Son a little less wise).
Lawford in endearing as Joe. The World War II storyline is flawed, but inevitable, considering the time of release.
The multiplication of Lassies was unnecessary, since it had been less than two years since the first Lassie.
Still, it's a very well-photographed Lassie, with a rousing conclusion.
****** Son of Lassie (4/20/45) S.
Sylvan Simon ~ Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart.
For every time Laddie does something heroic, there are two or three times when he's a total putz!.
"Son of Lassie" is a sequel to "Lassie Come Home", the first Lassie movie.
The same characters return but time has past and the two leading children in the first movie (Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowell) are recast with adult actors (June Lockhart and Peter Lawford).As I mentioned, time has passed and it is now during WWII.
Lassie is older and spends her time chilling at home.
Her/his son, Laddie (played by Pal...who is the dog who played Lassie in the films) is young and adores his owner, Joe (Lawford).
However, when they try to make him a war dog, he's a total washout in camp.
In fact, for much of the film he can't seem to do anything right.Later, when Joe is in the Royal Air Force, Laddie does what his mother/father did in the first film....he goes on a cross country trek to find Joe. Amazingly, he does and the dog spends some time at the air base where Joe is stationed.
Instead of going back home, however, Laddie stows away in Joe's plane...and they end up getting shot down over Norway.
Most of the film consists of Laddie and Joe trying to find their way home.Much of the time Laddie is in Norway, he's looking for Joe because they became separated.
Again and again, Laddie alerts the Nazis and helps them catch Joe!
So even though later Laddie proves himself, it's only after this dog nearly gets Joe killed!!
Not exactly a great dog!So is this entertaining?
Yes. Even though I think the story could have been a lot better (making Pal not so stupid would have been a good start), it is enjoyable..
Sequel to the first Lassie film.
Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowell in the first film, Peter Lawford here) is home briefly from the war.
He loves a dog named Laddie (who may be the son of Lassie--it's never made clear).
He still loves Priscilla (Elizabeth Taylor in the first, June Lockhart here).
He takes Laddie with him to the Army (!!!) and soon he and Laddie are trapped in occupied Norway.This is strictly for the kids.
The dialogue is on the level of a bad Archie comic book, there's zero characterization and one sequence with four children has some of the worst acting I've ever seen in a movie.
Also they're constantly pushing Laddie in your face so you can go "awwwwwwwww".
Still this is shot in gorgeous Technicolor, has stunning scenery and Laddie is a good actor (so to speak).
More for kids though--as an adult I was getting pretty bored.
It was kind of fun to see Lockhart here considering she was in the Lassie TV show about a decade later.
Parents should know a man is shot dead (no blood), Laddie is shot also and is constantly being put in danger.
That might bother some kids.
The adventures of Laddie: son of Lassie.
Shot when the 3rd Reich was on it's knees.
the scripted locations are in Yorkshire, England and coastal occupied Norway, mostly shot in several Canadian locations, most noticeably in Banff National Park, as backdrops for many of the Norwegian scenes.
It's the first of 6 MGM sequels to the first in the series: "Lassie Come Home".
We have several personnel changes among the stars.
Thus, Peter Lawford takes the place of Roddy McDowell, as Joe , while June Lockhart takes the place of Elizabeth Taylor, as Joe's girlfriend: Pricilla ..
Both are young adults, whereas Roddy and Elizabeth were children or mid-teens.
Donald Crisp returns as Joe's father: Sam, while Nigel Bruce returns as the Duke of Radling, although his estate has been relocated from the Scottish highlands to Yorkshire.......The film begins with puppy capers, as Lassie's young puppy, Laddie, generally makes a mess of things, including chewing up the Duke's flower bed.
We go through a phase of genuine slapstick, with little Laddie causing several people or things to fall to the ground, making off with some laundry.
The kids should like that.
The kids should like that.
......But, then things turn more serious, as an older Laddie tries out being a War Dog. True to expectations, he funks the tests badly.
Nonetheless, he's given a collar saying War Dog?
He gets involved with the nearby airbase, following Joe's bus all the 40 miles, Jumping on or in planes Joe is in, chasing his airplane taking off, and even being a stowaway on a reconnaissance mission to coastal Norway.
Of course, their plane is shot down, necessitating a parachute exit.
Lassie lands with no problem, but Joe's still attached parachute drags him, until his head hit's a boulder, knocking him out.
Laddie goes looking for help, finding a couple of German soldiers.
They read War Dog on his collar, but fortunately Joe has recovered and left by then.
Laddie runs away, being shot at.
The soldiers look for him and Joe, who remain separated.
At one point, Laddie discovers the cabin where Joe and his friend Brown are hiding out.
Brown is there, and locks Laddie in a closet when he sees a couple of German soldiers coming.
The soldiers figure out that Brown is a spy, and shoot him, being unaware of Laddie.
Before leaving, they throw a bomb in the cabin, destroying it.
However, Laddie survives, under some rubble, which he manages to push out of the way enough to allow escape.
The film continues with Laddie's and Joe's adventures in Norway, mostly separate, but reunited near the end, when they take a fishing boat back to England.
To me, it's at least as entertaining as "Lassie Come Home", so I give it a high mark.
It's on a DVD.
Chose the economical 4 MGM Lassie film package..
SPOILERS HEREIN: One Dumb Dog!.
If Laddie really were the Son of Lassie, we'd have to hope that she had a lot of other pups in the litter because the writing of this movie makes Laddie into one dumb dog!
(In reality, if you check out the Trivia section, this dog is Pal, the original Lassie from Lassie Come Home movie of two years before and the progenitor of every Lassie thereafter, but we'll forget those confusing realities for the moment and pretend this is really the "Son of Lassie").Right from the outset, Laddie betrays his family lineage.
Where Lassie always knew the good guys from the bad guys, Laddie tries to get help from Nazis which results in them trailing him and the Allies for the rest of the movie.
You start wishing after a while that someone would shoot the dog so he doesn't give away any more secrets as he reveals Allies and their hiding places wherever he goes.Where Lassie only whined when someone else was in trouble, Laddie spends the whole movie whining (and giving away Allies whenever he does so).
When trapped in a cabin, instead of finding the way out (as Lassie would have done), old Laddie gets the guy hiding him shot and the only way Laddie escapes is surviving having the entire cabin blown up around him.I must also take exception to the person who wrote how "realistic" the war/POW scenes are.
Through the whole movie the Nazis are obsessed with killing the dog (strangely even though they know he will lead them to an Allied parachuter) so when the dog ends up at the POW camp they just let him in to help a blind prisoner.
(In reality, both the blind guy and the dog would have been killed a long time ago.) There are some redeeming qualities about the film, though.
Beautiful colors and gorgeous scenery worth watching for that alone.
And old friends of Lassie, Donald Crisp and a very young June Lockhart who would one day be TV Lassie's matron (Timmy's Mom).
And young Billy Severn as Henrik is really great as the little boy who befriends the wounded Laddie.
(You'll cringe as he touches the wounded dog with a bloody paw...Making you want to remind children again not to touch a wounded dog).
It's amazing how much violence there is in this a "children's" movie in fact.
Explosions and several death scenes and shootings.
Maybe the kids of the war era were thought to be of sterner stuff.
Anyway, as little Henrik cries in his prayers to God to find the lost "puppy", my eyes actually teared up.
"I FOUND him and I LOVE him..." Sniff, sniff...He names the dog "Mr. Simply" and it's no wonder since you wonder if it's because the dog is so simple minded.All's well that ends well in a happy reunion, but you leave the movie thinking that Laddie is one dumb dog!!
But, even though he's every bit as big as Mama Lassie, you leave the movie thinking "Maybe it's because he's just a puppy after all", and forgive the dumb but sweet critter in the end.