Excellent, a Must See

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This is a wonderful family film, but if you are expecting the emphasis to be on Lassie and her adventures, then you will likely be somewhat disappointed. Instead, the emphasis is on Dr. William MacLure (Edmund Gwenn), the elderly physician to a rural Scottish area in the 19th century. Donald Crisp plays Drumsheugh, MacClure's closest friend and a good adviser. These two actors, along with Tom Drake, who plays MacClures's assistant, were in several Lassie films during the 1940's playing different roles each time.MacClure is one of those doctors from a bygone era that makes house calls in the middle of the night and accepts payment in goods as well as money. At one point in the film, he is sitting at a table in a restaurant having tea as patient after patient comes up to him and practically forces payment upon him. MacClure loves his work, and payment is a secondary issue with him. One person, though, decides to cheat MacClure and gives him Lassie as payment, with MacClure believing that she is a sheep dog. MacClure figures she will be a good companion and messenger dog, so it doesn't matter so much that she turns out not to be a sheep dog. However, it does matter that she is afraid of water since the glen in which they live has heavy snow and rain at times, and crossing streams when getting to patients is a necessity. At first MacClure, angry at being deceived, decides to give Lassie away. However, he changes his mind and decides to teach the dog not to be afraid of water. This doesn't work out so well, as Lassie is willing to do just about anything short of swimming. MacClure gives up on this effort, but still he keeps Lassie. In spite of his complaints about her usefulness as a working dog, she is becoming a pet to him. This is something MacClure is not about to admit since his whole life has been about service to others. He has always denied himself anything he deems as a luxury, and this would certainly include having an animal whose only purpose is companionship.The rest of the film is about the good doctor facing the various medical crises that impact the residents of the glen. During this time, dog and master bond and become fast friends. MacClure is aware that his days as a doctor are coming to an end, and thus he has picked a young man of the village (Tom Drake) to travel to Edinburgh to study medicine and become his replacement upon graduation. Towards the end of the young man's time at medical school, MacClure is called out one snowy winter night on one of his house calls. He is knocked unconscious and will freeze to death in the snow unless Lassie is able to overcome her fear of the water and swim across the stream to bring help to the doctor.This is going to be one of those films you either love or hate. If you are ever in the mood for an old-fashioned rather slow-moving story that will really tug at your heartstrings, this movie really fits the bill.

In an idyllic Scottish village, poor collie dog Lassie fails at sheepherding because she's afraid of crossing through water; a crusty old doc inherits Lassie, but he doesn't much want her either, even after she warns him of a collapsed bridge down the road. Despite a handsome MGM production, this non-adventure is unrelievedly depressing and infuriating (if the simple-minded plot doesn't gnaw at you, the ridiculous Scottish accents and muttonchops on the men certainly will). The collie dog used for the film is a beautiful animal but, let's face it, not particularly gifted for the camera (most of the time, she hovers about on the edge of the frame, constantly looking to one side for directions). Lassie takes a real beating in this one (including harsh owners, icy, raging rivers and bad weather of all sorts), yet, oddly, much of the focus is on doctor Edmund Gwenn and the wet-eyed, hand-wringing families of his patients. This downer is truly one of the dreariest family films of all time, not helped by a colorless supporting cast which includes a wooden Janet Leigh in an early role. *1/2 from ****

Although this is a minor Lassie film, it did open at the famous Radio City Music Hall in 1948, where the showplace must have decided it was the perfect theater to show this family film--in a theater that catered to wholesome films above all others.It's a charmer, helped considerably by the performances of EDMUND GWENN, as an old-fashioned Scottish doctor who acquires a dog who is afraid of water, and LASSIE as the collie who has to overcome his fear of water when his master is in danger and needs him to swim for help.DONALD CRISP, as Gwenn's loyal friend, and young JANET LEIGH and TOM DRAKE as the love interest, form a pleasant supporting cast responding well to Fred M. Wilcox's able direction. All the resources of the MGM studio went into recreating the Scottish settings and atmosphere that pervade the film, so much so that we can forgive the occasional lapses in the Scottish accents.It passes the time pleasantly, but is not the typical Lassie film with him displaying all sorts of intelligence and courage. And this time, EDMUND GWENN actually steals scenes from the famous collie, holding much of the spotlight with a warm and easy performance as the crusty old doctor.

They don't make'em like this any more, they can't. A picture postcard of a time long lost is captured in this beautiful film. The characters are not perfect, they have flaws like real people. Edmund Gwenn turns in a performance as Dr.McClure that lets the viewer in and identify with him as he relates to difficult people and takes anger in stride from the distraught and scared citizens of his village. Lassie is presented as frightened and imperfect also, something new to me since I had seen only the television features showing this dog as brave, smart, and resourceful. The relationship that develops between the doctor and his dog is fulfilling on every level and the responsibility he feels towards those who depend on him is inspirational. Catch this if you can, you'll find it worthy of your attention.