Evening star., 1943-11-14
LASSIE.
Galvanized by a Dog
By Harold Hefernan.

OF two a year. 1t has already been
announced that Lassie will make a
sequel to that trail-blazing starter
and Immediately after that will be
co-starred with little Margaret
OBrien.
Mothers and Sons.
As for Flicka, 20th Century-Fox
is busy readying a sequel, to be
called Son Of Flicka." Roddy Mac
Dowall again will appear with the
horse, and scouts are now ransack-
ing the countryside trying to find
a bright colt suitable for the title
part.
A successor to MONS eyes in
the Night" also has been rumored
at that studio, with Friday, the
powerful German shepherd, again
in the leading role of Edward
Arnolds seeing-eye dog. Friday is
the son of Flash, top star of an
earlier era. In five years, starting
in 1918, Flash appeared in a dozen
pictures and made more than $780,.
900 for his owner.
Keeping abreast of the trend,
nearly every studio now has its
animal star hopefuls under con-
tract. Daisy, canine veteran of the
Blonde series (also a male, by the
way) is branching out to play a
prominent role in Universals Three
Cheers for the Boys" Warmers
have Whisker black Scotty owned
by Daisy's master, Rennie Renfro.
Whisker is scoring a current hit by
impersonating President Roosevelts
Fala in Princess ORourke."
Now owned by Paramount are two
valuable King Charles spaniels. ped.
igreed dogs that are rare today,
but typical Of 18th century England.
They were found in Minnesota and
brought out to appear in French
mans Creek"
g. Comeback for Asia.
/ With more Thin Man pictures
in the offlng. Asia, wire-haired ter
rier that has always shared billing
with William Powell and Myrna
10y, again will resume his career.
An old-timer in the hearts of film
fans is Topper, Bill Boyd's beauti-
full white horse Of the Hopaiong
Cassidy series. One of the busiest
actors in town, he gets little rest
between assignments.
Another horse may soon Join the
equine elite when Director Mervyn
LIE Roy finds a piebald jumper for
his National Velvet" The animal
is almost as important to the story
as are Mickey Rooney and little
Elizabeth Taylor-in fact, Elizabeth
and the horse may rocket to star
dom together in the same picture.
Lassie, however, is setting a fast
pace for fellow thespians of the
animal kingdom. His story is Hol-
lywood's best Cinderella yarn OF
l943. Three years ago he was OBJ
tained by his present owner and
trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, in set
tlement of $40 debt. Today he
has one of the most unusual movie
contracts in film history. Besides
increasing each year that it runs.
the dogs salary is paid for all 50
weeks of the year. Contracts Of
even the top screen stars call only
for minimum of 40 weeks.
Havoc in the Box Office.
Lassie's contract was signed i'm
mediately after "Lassie Come Home"
opened in New York. The picture
broke the first week record runs Of
both Mrs. Miniver," last years
Academy Award winner, and RAN
dom Harvest" an event that COM
| pletely befuddled the box Office ex-
perts. MGM signed the dog quickly
after that but barely beat two other
studios to the wire.
The dog was trained by Weather
wax for two years before essaying
his first start before a camera. But
even after more advanced educa-
ton, Lassie could find no work.
There didn't seem to be room in
any movie for a collie. although
IWeatherwax had all his other 10
dogs working regularly
When the call first did come for
Lassie, WeatherwaX was in for a
rude jolt. He had loaned Lassie
(See HEFFERNAN, Page C-s0
4