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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Who would have thought that
a collie could inspire such loyalty and devotion
from moviegoers? When Loewes Inc. President
Nicholas Schenk first screened "Lassie Come Home"
he reportedly told director Fred Wilcox that it
was so bad he was going to recommend to MGM's
mogul L.B. Mayer that the film not be released.
Thankfully, Mayer thought otherwise and the film,
with all its maudlin charm and abundant
sentimentality, it became one of the biggest
grossing films of 1943.
What makes "Lassie Come Home" such an engaging and
enduring cinematic experience is the tender,
wistful relationship between Joe Carraclough
(Roddy McDowell) and his loyal four-legged
companion. When Joe's father Sam (Donald Crisp) is
forced to sell Lassie to the wealthy, Duke of
Rudling (Nigel Bruce), Joe's heart is shattered.
But the collie refuses to stay with his new
master, crossing hill and dale, stream and
mountain in a picturesque trek that is in the best
tradition of travelogue meets melodrama. At the
age of ten Elizabeth Taylor completely captivates
as Pricilla, the Duke's granddaughter who
eventually realizes that the bond between Joe and
Lassie can never, and should never, be broken.
Truthfully, I found myself getting a lump in the
throat when at last Joe -- who can't believe his
eyes when, after some time Lassie suddenly appears
patiently waiting for him outside in the school
yard -- utters the now much clichéd and
overplayed, "Oh, there's my Lassie, come home!"
This film is the sort of MGM glamorous treatment
that the studio's best movies had in spades. It's
lushly photographed and vibrantly told with
poignant performances that have long withstood the
test of time.
Warner's DVD is somewhat of a disappointment. Not
having considered the overall magnitude and
enduring impact of the film on audiences, Warner
has not done a thing to restore "Lassie Come Home"
to its original brilliance. 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. |
