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{{Short description|Fictional female collie dog}}
{{About|the fictional collie dog}}
{{Infobox character
| name        = Lassie
| image       = Nico Marischka with border collie.jpg
| caption     = [[Nico Marischka]] with a dog that portrayed Lassie in ''[[Lassie Come Home (2020 film)|Lassie Come Home]]''
| first       = ''[[Lassie Come-Home]]''
| first_date  = 1938
| creator     = [[Eric Knight]]
| portrayer   = [[Pal (dog)|Pal]]
| species     = Dog ([[Rough Collie]])
| gender      = Female
}}

'''Lassie''' is a fictional female [[Rough Collie]] dog and is featured in a 1938 short story by [[Eric Knight]] that was later expanded to a 1940 full-length novel, ''[[Lassie Come-Home]]''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fictional female collie of the same name, featured in the British writer [[Elizabeth Gaskell]]'s 1859 short story "The Half Brothers". In "The Half Brothers", Lassie is loved only by her young master and guides the adults back to where two boys are lost in a snowstorm.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Elizabeth |last=Gaskell |title=The Half Brothers |journal=Lizzie Leigh and Other Tales |publisher=[[Smith, Elder & Co.]] |pages=482–492 |location=London |date=1889}}</ref> 

Knight's novel was filmed by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in 1943 as ''[[Lassie Come Home]]'', with a dog named [[Pal (dog)|Pal]] playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six other MGM feature films through 1951. Pal's owner and trainer, [[Rudd Weatherwax]], then acquired the Lassie name and trademark from MGM and appeared with Pal (as "Lassie") at rodeos, fairs, and similar events across America in the early 1950s. In 1954, the television series ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]'' debuted and, over the next 19 years, a succession of Pal's descendants appeared on the series. The "Lassie" character has appeared in radio, television, film, toys, comic books, animated series, juvenile novels, and other media. Pal's descendants continue to play Lassie today.<ref>{{cite news |title= Lassie: The Perfect Dog Sets High Bar for Real Pups |work=[[NPR]] |date=7 January 2008 |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17894690 |access-date=26 September 2010}}</ref>

==History==
===Elizabeth Gaskell short story===
An early depiction of Lassie is found in British writer [[Elizabeth Gaskell]]'s 1859 short story "The Half-brothers".  In the story, Lassie is described as a female [[collie]] with "intelligent, apprehensive eyes" who rescues two half-brothers who are lost and dying in the snow.  When the younger brother can no longer carry on, elder brother Gregory, Lassie's master, ties a handkerchief around Lassie's neck and sends her home.  Lassie arrives home, and leads the search party to the boys.  When they arrive Gregory is dead, but his younger half-brother is saved.  Thus, Gaskell apparently originated the character Lassie and, at the same time, defined the "Lassie saves the day" [[Plot (narrative)|storyline]] that is the essence of subsequent Lassie tales.

===Eric Knight short story and novel===
The fictional character of Lassie was created by English author [[Eric Knight]] in ''[[Lassie Come-Home]]'', first published as a short story in ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]'' in 1938 and later as a full-length novel in 1940. Set in the [[Great Depression|Depression-era]] [[England]], the novel depicts the lengthy journey a [[rough collie]] makes to be reunited with her young [[Yorkshire]] master after her family is forced to sell her for money.

===Movies and television===
In 1943, the novel was adapted into a feature film, ''[[Lassie Come Home]]'', by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] (MGM) that starred [[Roddy McDowall]] and [[Elizabeth Taylor]].  The movie was a hit and enjoyed favorable critical response.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Lassie Come Home |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 1, 1943 |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792448.html |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101012141744/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792448.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 |archive-date=12 October 2010 |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier Inc.]]}}</ref>  MGM followed this with several additional films, including a sequel entitled ''[[Son of Lassie]]'' (1945), starring [[Peter Lawford]] and [[June Lockhart]], and ''[[Courage of Lassie]]'' with Elizabeth Taylor. A [[radio series]], ''Lassie Radio Show'', was also created, airing until 1949.

[[File:Lassie.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|''Lassie'']] television series filming on location in Florida (1965)]]
Between 1954–1973, the television series ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]'' was broadcast, with Lassie initially residing on a farm with a young male master. In the eleventh season, it changed to [[U.S. Forest Service]] rangers as her companions, then the collie was on her own for a season before ending the series with Lassie residing at a ranch for orphaned children. The series was the recipient of two Emmy Awards before it was canceled in 1973.  Lassie won several [[PATSY Award]]s (an award for animal actors).<ref name=animalhealthfoundation>{{cite news|url= http://www.animalhealthfoundation.net/magazines/ac9-10-1973.pdf|title= 1973 PATSY Awards|first= Norene|last= Harris|work= Animal Cavalcade|date= September–October 1973|pages= 24–25|access-date= December 14, 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021345/http://www.animalhealthfoundation.net/magazines/ac9-10-1973.pdf|archive-date= March 5, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> A [[The New Lassie|second series]] followed in the 1980s. In 1997, [[Canada|Canadian]] production company [[Cookie Jar Entertainment|Cinar Inc.]] produced a new [[Lassie (1997 TV series)|''Lassie'']] television series for the [[Animal Planet]] network in the [[United States|U.S.]] and [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV]] in Canada. It ran until 1999.

In 2005, a remake of the original ''Lassie Come Home'' movie was produced in the [[United Kingdom]]. Starring [[Peter O'Toole]] and [[Samantha Morton]], ''Lassie'' was released in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Philip |last=Potempa |title=Latest Lassie busy promoting new film |newspaper=[[Northwest Indiana Times]] |date=August 11, 2006 |url=http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/08/11/columnists/offbeat/8e1a1a7fcfb75bf7862571c5008367cc.txt |access-date=13 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206102310/https://www.nwitimes.com/entertainment/columnists/offbeat/latest-lassie-busy-promoting-new-film/article_dde3664e-09a0-5de1-8dbe-ed2cbd0447ab.html |archive-date=6 December 2018 |publisher=[[TownNews.com]]}}</ref>

Additionally, two animated TV series featuring the canine were produced. The first was ''[[Lassie's Rescue Rangers]]'', created by [[Filmation Associates]], which aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1973 to 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0227915/|title=Lassie's Rescue Rangers (TV Series 1973–1975) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> Nearly four decades later, a new animated series titled ''[[Lassie (2014 TV series)|The New Adventures of Lassie]]'' was co-produced by Superprod and [[Classic Media]], in which Lassie was owned by the Parker family and lived in a national park. The series was primarily a traditionally animated (2D hand-drawn animated) TV series, though it also used some CGI animation. It was first seen in the United States starting in 2020 via the [[CBS All Access]] streaming service, then carried over to successor service [[Paramount+]].

Lassie continues to make personal and TV show appearances as well as marketing a line of pet food and a current pet care TV show, ''Lassie's Pet Vet'' on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] stations in the United States. Lassie is one of only four animals (and one of very few fictional characters, such as [[Mickey Mouse]], [[Kermit the Frog]], and [[Bugs Bunny]]) to be awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]—the others being silent-film stars [[Rin Tin Tin]] and [[Strongheart]]. In 2005, the show business journal ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' named Lassie one of the "100 Icons of the Century"—the only animal star on the list.<ref>{{cite journal |date=October 16, 2005 |title=100 Icons of the Century: Lassie |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=variety100&content=jump&jump=icon&articleID=VR1117930642 |access-date=13 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104124733/http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=variety100&content=jump&jump=icon&articleID=VR1117930642 |archive-date=4 January 2006 |publisher=[[Reed Elsevier Inc.]]}}</ref>

==Media==

===Art===
Lassie is featured in ''[[United States Bicentennial|Our Nation's 200th Birthday]], [[Invention of the telephone|The Telephone's 100th Birthday]]'' (1976) by [[Stanley Meltzoff]] for [[Bell System]].<ref>[https://www.jklmuseum.com/tag/stanley-meltzoff/ "Stanley Meltzoff Archives: The 1976 Bell System Telephone Book Cover"] [[JKL Museum of Telephony]] (December 19, 2015); retrieved March 16, 2021</ref>

===Films===
====List of films====
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1943
|''[[Lassie Come Home]]''
| Lassie
| rowspan="7"| Principal role played by Pal
|-
|1945
|''[[Son of Lassie]]''
| Laddie
|-
|1946
|''[[Courage of Lassie]]''
|Bill (as credited; also called "Duke")
|-
|1948
|''[[Hills of Home (film)|Hills of Home]]''
| rowspan="3"| Lassie
|-
|1949
|''[[The Sun Comes Up]]''
|-
|1949
|''[[Challenge to Lassie]]''
|-
|1951
|''[[The Painted Hills]]''
|Shep
|-
|1963
|''[[Lassie's Great Adventure]]'' (TV film)
| rowspan="6"| Lassie
|Principal role; compilation of television episodes
|-
|1978
|''[[The Magic of Lassie]]''
|Principal role played by Boy
|-
|1994
|''[[Lassie (1994 film)|Lassie]]''
|Principal role played by Howard
|-
|2005
|''[[Lassie (2005 film)|Lassie]]''
|Principal role played by Mason<br>Action scenes played by DR Dakota
|-
|2020
|''[[Lassie Come Home (2020 film)|Lassie Come Home]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weekendnotes.com/lassie-come-home-film-review/|title=Lassie Come Home - Film Review|website=www.weekendnotes.com|date=27 November 2020 }}</ref> 
|Principal role played by Lukas
|-
|2023
|''{{ill|Lassie: A New Adventure|de|Lassie – Ein neues Abenteuer}}''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cline |first=Rich |date=2024-05-02 |title=Shadows on the Wall {{vbar}} Arthouse Films |url=http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/10i.htm#lass |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616221823/http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/24/10i.htm |archive-date=2024-06-16 |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk}}</ref>
|
|}

====Box office performance====
{|class="wikitable"
! Title
! Year
! Worldwide Gross
! [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
|-
| ''Lassie Come Home'' 
| 1943 
| $4,517,000
| 94%
|- 
| ''Son of Lassie''
| 1945
|  TBA
| rowspan="6"| TBA
|-
| ''Courage of Lassie''
| 1946
| $4,100,000
|-
| ''Hills of Home''
| 1948
| $2,312,000
|-
| ''The Sun Comes Up ''
| 1949
|  $2,044,000
|-
| ''Challenge to Lassie ''
| 1949
|  $1,155,000
|- 
| ''The Magic of Lassie  ''
| 1978
| TBA
|-
| ''Lassie (1994)''
| 1994
| $9,979,683 
| 87%
|-
| ''Lassie (2005)''
| 2005
| $6,442,854  
| 93%
|- 
| ''Lassie Come Home'' (2020)
| 2020
| $3,683,655
| N/A
|-
| ''Total gross/average rating''
| 
! ${{formatnum:{{#expr:4517000+4100000+2312000+2044000+1155000+9979683+6442854+3683655}}}}
| 91.3%
|}

===Radio===
{{Main|Lassie (radio program)}}
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1947–1948
|''Lassie Show''
|Lassie
|Principal role; ABC series
|-
|1948–1950
|''Lassie Show''
|Lassie
|Principal role; NBC series
|-
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1954&ndash;1973
|''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]''
|rowspan="16"| Lassie
|Principal role
|-
|1968
|''[[The Adventures of Neeka]]''
|Principal role; compilation of television episodes
|-
|1970
|''[[Peace is Our Profession]]''
|Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
|-
|1970
|''[[Well of Love]]''
|Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
|-
|1972
|{{ill|Joyous Sound |qid=Q131257720 |short=yes |italic=yes}}
|Principal role; compilation of TV episodes
|-
|1972
|''[[Lassie and the Spirit of Thunder Mountain]]''
|Principal role
|-
|1972–1973
|''[[Lassie's Rescue Rangers]]''
|Principal role
|-
|1978
|''[[Lassie: The New Beginning]]''
|Principal role; Television special
|-
|1980
|''[[Taxi (TV series)|Taxi]]''
|Guest appearance (1 episode)
|-
|1989–1992
|''[[The New Lassie]]''
|Principal role
|-
|1995
|''[[Space Ghost Coast to Coast]]''
|Guest appearance (1 episode)
|-
|1996
|''[[Famous Dog Lassie]]''
|Principal role
|-
|1997–1999
|''[[Lassie (1997 TV series)|Lassie]]''
|Principal role
|-
|2001
|''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway? (U.S. TV series)|Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]''
|Cameo appearance 
|-
|2007
|''Lassie's Pet Vet''
|Principal role
|-
|2014–2019
|''[[Lassie (2014 TV series)|The New Adventures of Lassie]]''
|Principal role
|}

===Video games===
{{Dynamic list}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Game !! Title !! Console !! Year !! Ref 
|-
| #1 || ''[[Lassie (2005 film)#Video game|Lassie]]'' || [[PlayStation 2]] || 2005 || <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000QDPCFY/|title=Lassie (PS2): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games|website=www.amazon.co.uk}}</ref>
|}

===Books===
<div style="float:left;width:50%;">
* ''[[Lassie Come-Home]]''
* ''Lassie: The Prize''
* ''Forest Ranger Handbook''
* ''Lassie: A Boy's Best Friend & Buried Treasure''
* ''Lassie: Party Nightmare & Water Watchdog''
* ''Lassie: Skateboard Stunt & Danger Zone''

==== Seafarer Books ====
* ''Lassie and the Lost Little Sheep''
* ''Lassie's Forest Adventure''

==== Whitman Cozy-Corner ====
* ''Lassie: Rescue in the Storm''

==== Whitman Novels ====
* ''Lassie and the Mystery of Blackberry Bog''
* ''Lassie and the Secret of the Summer''
* ''Lassie: Forbidden Valley''
* ''Lassie: Treasure Hunter'' by [[Charles S. Strong]]
* ''Lassie: the Wild Mountain Trail''
* ''Lassie and the Mystery of Bristlecone Pine''
* ''Lassie and the Secret of the Smelter's Cave''
* ''Lassie: Lost in the Snow''
* ''Lassie: Trouble at Panter's Lake''

==== Big Little Books ====
* ''Lassie: Adventure in Alaska''
* ''Lassie and the Shabby Sheik''
* ''Lassie: Old One Eye''
</div><div style="float:right;width:50%;">

==== Golden Books ====
* ''The Adventures of Lassie''
* ''Lassie and Her Day in the Sun''
* ''Lassie and Her Friends''
* ''Lassie and the Big Clean-Up Day''
* ''Lassie and the Daring Rescue''
* ''Lassie and the Lost Explorer''
* ''Lassie Shows the Way''
* ''Lassie: The Great Escape''

==== Tell-a-Tale Books ====
* ''Hooray for Lassie!''
* ''Lassie and the Cub Scout''
* ''Lassie and the Deer Mystery''
* ''Lassie and the Firefighters''
* ''Lassie and the Kittens''
* ''Lassie Finds a Friend''
* ''Lassie's Brave Adventure''
* ''Lassie: The Busy Morning''

==== Tip-Top Books ====
* ''Lassie: The Sandbar Rescue''

==== Wonder Books ====
* ''Lassie's Long Trip''

==== Marian Bray ====
* ''Lassie to the Rescue''
* ''Lassie: Hayloft Hideout''
* ''Lassie Under the Big Top''
* ''Lassie: Treasure at Eagle Mountain''
* ''Lassie: Danger at Echo Cliffs''

==== The New Lassie ====
* ''The Puppy Problem''
* ''Digging Up Danger''
* ''The Big Blowup''
* ''Water Watchdog''
* ''Skateboard Dare''
* ''Dangerous Party''
</div>{{Clear}}

==See also==
* [[List of individual dogs]]
* [[List of fictional dogs]]
* [[Rough Collie]]
* ''[[Bessy (comics)|Bessy]]'', a Belgian comic strip inspired by the success of "Lassie" and which also featured a collie. 
* [[John English (film director)|John English]]
* [[Rin Tin Tin]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.lassie.com}}
* [https://Lassieweb.org Lassieweb.org]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, a comprehensive site about every facet of Lassie lore

{{Lassie}}
{{Animal actors}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lassie| ]]
[[Category:Fictional dogs]]
[[Category:Dog actors]]
[[Category:Characters in American novels of the 20th century]]
[[Category:Drama television characters]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1940]]
[[Category:American film series]]
[[Category:Film series introduced in 1943]]
[[Category:Mass media franchises]]