Nothing like watching the Jon Provost/June Lockhart reruns of Lassie….that child in me got swept right up in it this morning…the rescue, etc. The background music sounded so familiar it was like coming home…what a different era that was from now. The basic feeling is that little kids had a protector, and so did the adults. Lassie made little kids feel safe and secure, a show for kids….every Sunday night before Ed Sullivan…that way Ed wasn't so scary looking, lol. Besides, when Topo Gigo showed up, the uncle Ed was okay to the kids…they probably thought, “poor uncle Ed, he’s so ugly looking only Topo Gigo will be his friend…”
Jack Wrather had a good thing going training those dogs to play Lassie, my hats off to him. Jon Provost was our neighborhood friend, the Dad was pretty dull by necessity like most dad’s on those type of shows, and June Lockhart was everybody’s mom (and always will be). She did a guest shot on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (was a damn good dramatic actress and proved it on that show – about the giant whale chaser husband). Too bad she went off in space with that idiot Dr. Smith. Look where it got her – she landed on Petty Coat Junction for a year, then disappeared from TV basically except only on occasion.
Lassie was immortal with replacement dogs. But the one thing that always stood out in my mind about that show was that three or four part series of episodes made around 1963/1964 when Lassie got lost far away from home. That scene in the last part where Jon Provost has given up hope and starts burying Lassie’s things in the field where they used to play, in tears, and he hears a distant barking. Then Lassie shows up running toward him and they are reunited, I think that is one of the most beautiful moments in TV history (because it would never happen in real life mostly) and brings me to tears every time. It totally debunks all the jokes about what a silly series Lassie was, because it grabs you and shakes you down to the human condition of which we really are and supposed to be. It reunites you with yourself and your humanness, if you are open to it. There are those who would laugh, the same ones who blurt out “I’m sure…” when ET flies on a bicycle, because their beliefs are all about logic, and logic is a convenient mask for the not having to admit having human feelings. But I will stick with Lassie because life is so illogical – you can use logic to understand what causes an earthquake, but you cannot stop the earthquake. If there is an earthquake and I am trapped, I know have a chance to be rescued if Lassie is around. Of course if not, I’ll take Mr. Ed….
1 comment:
Thanks to Dteve for posting this little tribute to Lassie. I must add I read online further and found that the particular series of episodes I was referring to was during the 1962-63 season and was a three partercalled "the Oddysey." Another longer 5 part series of episodes aired in 1963 where Timmy and Lassie are stuck in a balloon, etc. then the final Timmy and Lassie year, 1963-64, has a five or 6 parter where ownership is eventually transferred to Ranger Corey of the National Park service. the Martine moved to Austrailia and could not take Lassie with them because of the animal laws etc. I gave Ranger Corey a chance with Lassie for a couple of years or less, but it was not the same, and i was getting older and growing out of that age where little kids start watching Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Gilligan's Island, Get Smart, Hogan's Heroes and other sarcastic stuff, hahaha. Besides, Mary Ann, Ginger, and Jeannie looked a lot better to me than a dog by that point....plus the Beatles and Batman cancelled out any need for a protective Collie
Post a Comment