"Lassie Goes Nuts"....or, perhaps another title that might fit for this one is "Lassie Goes Through Hell and Ends Up With PTSD". This is because Lassie (here actually called Bill) is tortured and goes through more in one film than most of his others combined!!! In this film, he loses his mother, gets shot, gets run over, gets sent to war and almost dies...and, naturally, ends up losing his mind. While the term was never used, he obviously was suffering from PTSD...and the film was actually a metaphor for the millions of damaged soldiers coming home from Europe and Asia following WWII...which ended the year before.
Fortunately, the film is not just one series of torment after another for good 'ol Bill/Lassie. When he's not suffering, he's living with a lovely little girl (Elizabeth Taylor) and loves her dearly. But he gets lost and goes through the worst before he ultimately is reunited with her.
The movie is enjoyable and the scenery AMAZING...having been filmed in the Pacific Northwest in beautiful color. And, because it was a prestige project (after all, Lassie was a BIG star at MGM), the studio used some of its best supporting actors (Frank Morgan, Harry Davenport and Tom Drake, among others) and it really is a lovely film. But some might tire of seeing the animal going through torment, so it's not nearly the film as "Lassie Come Home"!
Finally, although I liked the movie I really would have loved a scene with Lassie lying on the couch being psychoanalyzed near the end of the story!
Fortunately, the film is not just one series of torment after another for good 'ol Bill/Lassie. When he's not suffering, he's living with a lovely little girl (Elizabeth Taylor) and loves her dearly. But he gets lost and goes through the worst before he ultimately is reunited with her.
The movie is enjoyable and the scenery AMAZING...having been filmed in the Pacific Northwest in beautiful color. And, because it was a prestige project (after all, Lassie was a BIG star at MGM), the studio used some of its best supporting actors (Frank Morgan, Harry Davenport and Tom Drake, among others) and it really is a lovely film. But some might tire of seeing the animal going through torment, so it's not nearly the film as "Lassie Come Home"!
Finally, although I liked the movie I really would have loved a scene with Lassie lying on the couch being psychoanalyzed near the end of the story!