Lassie Come Home (1943) Review

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(More customer reviews)Who would have thought that a collie could inspire such loyalty and devotion from movie goers? 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 abundantly potent sentimentality, became one of the biggest grossing films of 1943. What makes "Lassie Come Home" such an engaging and enduring cinematic experience is the tender and 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 all of 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.


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LASSIE COME HOME - DVD Movie

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