Ah, the life of the rich and famous.
Imagine being born into a famous family, one in which you have been bred to be the best-looking, most successful member of the clan. You receive a first-rate education because you are destined to inherit the family business, you travel first class and you stay in the best hotels.
Because life at the top is lonely, you have a full-time companion whose job is to keep you company. You have drivers who pick you up and deliver you. And everywhere you go, crowds mob you to try to touch your hair or get a glimpse of you.
Prince Charles? One of the Kennedy kids?
Lassie, this was your life!
Just in case you had forgotten the sweet-tempered collie with the heart (and paycheck) of gold, there’s little chance you’ll forget Lassie now.
Fifty years after Lassie had her debut on the silver screen in 1943’s “Lassie Come Home,” the collie is back-with a book, “Lassie: A Dog’s Life” (Penguin), a movie and a slew of promotional products.
And to keep the Lassie fanfare going, TV’s most famous dog was recently inducted into the Dog Hall of Fame in St. Louis-an honor typically reserved for champion show dogs.
Meanwhile, stuffed-toy manufacturer Dakin is unveiling a Lassie toy for the anniversary-and just in time for the holidays, of course.
And the hoopla will continue through next June, when the next Lassie film is to premiere. Lorne Michaels, the man behind TV’s “Saturday Night Live,” is producing the movie and has said it will not be a satire or a comedy, just a good, old-fashioned Lassie movie.
Those who might doubt the demand for this Lassie mass marketing need only tune in to Nickelodeon, where “Lassie” reruns are a staple. Since 1984, Nickelodeon has aired “Lassie” at 6:30 a.m., and the show has become a before-school ritual for kids across the country.
But what today’s Lassie fans may have forgotten-or never even known-is the incredible career that was spawned by “Lassie Come Home.”
It started in 1940 with the book “Lassie Come Home,” by Eric Knight, a screenwriter who moved from England to the U.S. at 11. Knight’s sentimental dog tale, which takes place in Yorkshire, England, began as a short story in The Saturday Evening Post in 1938. Within weeks Knight got a call from a publisher, asking that the story be expanded into a novel.
MGM paid $10,000 for the rights to the story, and Lassie’s career was born.
Seven Lassie movies were made over the years, culminating with the 1978 film “The Magic of Lassie,” providing Lassie with such famous co-stars as Jimmy Stewart and Mickey Rooney.
During the 1940s, Lassie was everywhere. At the matinee, on the radio, everywhere. Every Saturday afternoon from 1946 to 1949, kids across the country tuned in to Lassie’s radio show to listen as the dog barked, whined and scratched on cue. The actors filled in with dialogue, and an announcer kept listeners abreast of the action.
Then in 1954, Lassie made her TV debut, starring Pal, the male collie who had been the star of the movies. (Although Pal was male-and each of the eight succeeding Lassies have been males-Lassie was always portrayed as a female.)
“Lassie” the TV series relied on a pat formula for most of its episodes. The boy (either Jeff or Timmy, depending on the era) would get into some sort of trouble-which Lassie didn’t think was a good idea from the beginning-and Lassie would cross ravines, rivers and other obstacles to get help. If no one to help could be found, Lassie would take matters into her own paws, often retrieving ropes or implements to rescue the boy herself.
The public adored the series, and CBS’ Lassie regularly squashed the competition on Sunday nights. Even after the network dropped the series in 1971, Lassie continued to thrive in syndication until 1974.
Lassie shook up Hollywood, but she also created quite a stir in the dog world. Before “Lassie Come Home,” collie breeders tried to eliminate the white blaze that runs down the noses of some collies-a mark that was frowned upon by collie fanciers of the day. But after Lassie hit the big screen, people across the U.S. clamored for collies with white markings down the nose and a white collar of fur.
Before the Lassie media blitz, collies were the 12th-most-popular breed in the country. By 1963, the American Kennel Club noted that collies ranked third. Today collies have dropped to No. 26, below dogs like basset hounds, Lhasa apsos and even Chihuahuas.
Still, kids are crazy about Lassie.
“As a breed, it is not as popular as it used to be,” said Debbie Batchelor, a resident of Sanford, Fla., who with her husband, Dee, has raised collies for 20 years. “But kids still relate to Lassie. Collies come in different colors, but whenever children see a sable-and-white collie, he’s Lassie to them.”
Lassie, it seems, still can draw a crowd-even in the age of Ninja Turtles.
“It’s a staple in the morning for us,” said Nickelodeon spokesman Matt Palmer.
At Universal Studios in Florida, where three Lassie look-alikes perform in the Animal Actors Stage, children and adults clamor to see Lassie. All the other animals are simply sidekicks to Lassie.
“She’s an institution. There’s no animal that will ever be able to touch that dog,” says animal trainer Mike Muraco, who manages the Universal show.
Kids know Lassie from reruns; their parents remember Lassie from their childhoods.
“When we introduce Lassie in the show, we have her climb up to the top of a two- or three-story little cliff, have her put her feet up to her chest and bark-just like the opening of the (TV) show,” Muraco said. “And believe it or not, there are people in the audience getting choked up. I know it sounds corny, but it’s kind of a misty moment.”
AN ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO LASSIE
Here’s the poop on America’s favorite collie, from the book “Lassie: A Dog’s Life” (Penguin):
Q-What are the Lassie movies?
A-“Lassie Come Home” (1943), “Son of Lassie” (1945), “Courage of Lassie” (1946), “Hills of Home” (1948), “The Sun Comes Up” (1949), “Challenge to Lassie” (1949) and “The Magic of Lassie” (1978).
Q-Who has portrayed Lassie in films and on TV?
A-All nine Lassies have been males, starting with Pal, who died in 1958. Since then the Lassies-all descendants of Pal’s-have been (in order) Lassie Jr., Spook, Baby, Mire, Hey Hey, Boy, The Old Man and Howard, the current Lassie, preparing to star in the next Lassie movie.
Q-Why are only male dogs used?
A-Mature female collies go into heat twice a year and shed a large part of their coats during that time. That ruins the dog’s appearance.
