List of Lassie episodes (season 1)
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The first season of the television series Lassie premiered in the United States on CBS on September 12, 1954. Produced by Robert Maxwell, follows the adventures of a female rough collie named Lassie and her young owner Jeffrey Miller (Tommy Rettig). The series also features Jan Clayton as Jeff's mother Ellen and George Cleveland as Ellen's father-in-law and Jeff's grandfather "Gramps." Lassie and Jeff are often joined in their adventures by Jeff's best friend, Sylvester "Porky" Brockway (Donald Keeler), and Porky's basset hound Pokey, who was considered an uncredited series regular.
The season spanned twenty-six episodes, with the season finale airing on March 6, 1955.[1] The song "Secret of the Silent Hills (Theme from the Lassie TV Series)," is used for both the opening and ending theme. Composed by William Lava, the orchestral theme was originally created for the 1940 radio show The Courageous Dr. Christian.[2]
In 1955, the show won an Emmy Award for the Best Children's Program category.[3]
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[edit] Production
In 1954, producer Robert Maxwell sought out Rudd Weatherwax and his rough collie Pal, known to the public as "Lassie". Lassie had become a household name in the 1940s after Pal had played the heroic and intelligent dog in a series of MGM films. After the last movie, Weatherwax and Pal had been performing at fairs and rodeos. When Maxwell approached Weatherwax with a concept of producing a new television series starring Lassie, Weatherwax agreed and a pilot was quickly produced.[1] Both Maxwell and Weatherwax agreed that the series should center on "a boy and his dog." CBS executives were impressed with the pilot and gave the show a full-year contract. Also impressed was the Campbell Soup, which became the show's primary sponsor.[4]
With the pilot a success, Lassie went into production and debuted on Sunday, September 12, 1954. Pal, who was seventeen when the series went into production, performed the role of Lassie in the pilot episode, "The Inheritance," and "The Well," which was filmed as a secondary pilot, but became the 24th episode of the series. After the filming of those two episodes, Weatherwax retired Pal, who died a year later. Pal's son, "Lassie Junior," took over the role and stage name of Lassie for the rest the rest of the first season, as well as the next four seasons.[1]
[edit] Reception
Millions watched the first episode, in which Lassie is bequeath in a neighbor's will to young Jeffrey Miller, but refused to stay with him until she had tamed a thief after her late master's hidden savings. The ratings grew for the second episode, and remained high for the rest of the season.[1]
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Inheritance" | Leslie Goodwins | Claire Kennedy | September 12, 1954 |
| Widow Ellen Miller (Jan Clayton) and her eleven year old son Jeff (Tommy Rettig) attend the reading of the will of their late neighbor Homer Carey, while Ellen's father-in-law George "Gramps" Miller (George Cleveland) remains at their farm. In the will, Carey bequeathed his female rough collie, Lassie, to Jeff. Initially overjoyed, Jeff is heartbroken when the dog runs away from the Miller farm and returns to the Carey house. Jeff finds her lying on the hearth. When she does it again, Jeff begins carrying food and water to Lassie and trying to coax her back to the farm. He later discovers that Lassie is actually guarding a cache of money that Carey had hid under the hearth. Carey's former farm hand, Matt Willis (Jim Hayward), has been searching for the money and sees Jeff find it through the window. Willis steals the money after brushing Lassie aside and threatening Jeff. After he leaves, Lassie escapes from the house and takes off in pursuit, followed by Jeff and the mail carrier, whom Jeff flagged down. At the edge of a lake, Lassie catches Willis and attacks him, with the mail carrier arriving to help knock him out. With the money in safe hands, Lassie returns to the Miller farm. After a moment where it seems like she may run away again, Lassie returns to Jeff's arms, accepting her new family. | ||||
| 2 | "Arithmetic" | Sheldon Leonard | Claire Kennedy | September 19, 1954 |
| 3 | "The Colt" | Sheldon Leonard | Claire Kennedy | September 26, 1954 |
| 4 | "The Gun" | Sidney Salkow | Jackson Gillis | October 3, 1954 |
| 5 | "Mr. Peabody" | Sheldon Leonard | David Chantler | October 10, 1954 |
| 6 | "The Convict" | Thomas Carr | Claire Kennedy | October 17, 1954 |
| 7 | "Feud" | Sheldon Leonard | Claire Kennedy | October 24, 1954 |
| 8 | "The Lion" | Sheldon Leonard | Claire Kennedy | October 31, 1954 |
| 9 | "Gramps" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | November 7, 1954 |
| 10 | "Lassie's Pups" | Sheldon Leonard | Claire Kennedy | November 14, 1954 |
| 11 | "The Job" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | November 21, 1954 |
| 12 | "The Carnival" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | November 28, 1954 |
| 13 | "Sale of Lassie" | Rod Amateau | Claire Kennedy | December 5, 1954 |
| 14 | "The Rustlers" | December 12, 1954 | ||
| 15 | "The Fighter" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | December 19, 1954 |
| 16 | "The Contest" | December 26, 1954 | ||
| 17 | "Runaways" | Sidney Salkow | David Chantler | January 2, 1955 |
| 18 | "The Brat" | Lesley Selander | Claire Kennedy | January 9, 1955 |
| 19 | "Father" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | January 16, 1955 |
| 20 | "The Fawn" | Lesley Selander | Claire Kennedy | January 23, 1955 |
| 21 | "Blind Soldier" | Lesley Selander | January 30, 1955 | |
| 22 | "The Cave" | Thomas Carr | Claire Kennedy, Inez Asher | February 6, 1955 |
| 23 | "The Injury" | Lesley Selander | Claire Kennedy | February 13, 1955 |
| 24 | "The Well" | Leslie Goodwins | Claire Kennedy | February 20, 1955 |
| 25 | "The Snake" | Sidney Salkow | Claire Kennedy | February 27, 1955 |
| 26 | "The Bear" | March 6, 1955 | ||
[edit] References
- General
- Lassie Episode Guide. TV.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
- Specific
- ^ a b c d Collins, Ace (1993-10-01). Lassie: A Dog's Life. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0140231830. OCLC 29878000.
- ^ Lassie /Jeffs Collie /Timmy and Lassie. ClassicThemes.com. The Media Management Group. Retrieved on 2008-02-16.
- ^ CBS at 75: 1950s. CBS. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Collins, Ace (2004). Lassie: Celebrating 50 Years of Love guide book (included with DVD set). Classic Media.
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