''The Magic of Lassie'' is a 1978 American

musical drama film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

directed by

Don Chaffey Donald Chaffey (5 August 1917 – 13 November 1990) was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director. Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the indu ...

, and starring

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality ...

(in his final appearance in a domestically-released live action feature film), Stephanie Zimbalist,

Pernell Roberts Pernell Elven Roberts Jr. (May 18, 1928 – January 24, 2010) was an American stage, film, and television actor, activist, and singer. In addition to guest-starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartw ...

and

Michael Sharrett Stuart Michael Sharrett (born July 18, 1965) is an American actor. Best known for his role in the 1978 family movie ''The Magic of Lassie'' with James Stewart, Sharrett additionally co-starred in the 1985 action film ''Savage Dawn'' and in the 19 ...

, with cameo appearances by

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

and

Alice Faye Alice Faye (born Alice Jeanne Leppert; May 5, 1915 – May 9, 1998) was an American actress and singer. A musical star of 20th Century-Fox in the 1930s and 1940s, Faye starred in such films as ''On the Avenue'' (1937) and ''Alexander's Ragtime B ...

(in her final film role). Stewart appeared in one of only three musical film roles that he played: the first was ''

Born to Dance ''Born to Dance'' is an American musical film starring Eleanor Powell and James Stewart, directed by Roy Del Ruth and released in 1936 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The score was composed by Cole Porter. Plot summary While on leave, sailor Ted ...

'' (1936) in which he introduced the

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

standard "Easy To Love" and the second was '' Pot O' Gold'' (1941). The screenplay and song score are supplied by the prolific

Sherman Brothers The Sherman Brothers were an American songwriting duo that specialized in musical films, made up of Robert B. Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) and Richard M. Sherman (born June 12, 1928). Together they received various accolades i ...

, who worked as staff songwriters for

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

and wrote songs for his films such as ''

Mary Poppins It may refer to: * ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fantasy novels that introduced the character. * Mary Poppins (character), the nanny with magical powers. * ''Mary Poppins'' (film), a 1964 Disney film star ...

'' (1964). Their song "When You're Loved" was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for "

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

" and was sung by

Debby Boone Deborah Anne Boone (born September 22, 1956) is an American singer, author, and actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, " You Light Up My Life", which spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the ...

. It is also the only musical film featuring Lassie. Released in the wake of ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'', the film was critically panned as old-fashioned, and flopped at the box office. Critics expressed dismay at Stewart singing unmemorable songs as the grandfather. Following the film's failure, he semiretired from acting.

Plot

The Mitchell Vineyard, in the rolling hills of

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

, is the very blood of Clovis Mitchell (

), a spare and dignified grandfather and guardian to Kelly ( Stephanie Zimbalist) and her brother Chris (

). The heart of the household, though, is

, a handsome young collie, affectionate, obedient, sensitive, and very wise. A threat is in the air one night when Jamison (

) and his associate Finch ( Robert Lussier) appear at the winery and offer to buy the land from Clovis. They get a refusal from the old man, while Lassie growls in the background. Jamison promises to return, and does, to claim Lassie, one of a litter he says escaped during a fire. She has a tattoo mark in her right ear to prove it. Clovis has no alternative but to give up the dog, and tells his heart-broken grandchildren. Lassie has an alternative; taken by private plane to Jamison's home in

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, fitted with a handsome green collar with gold studs, Lassie makes her escape. Chased by helicopter and kennel men through the rocks and hills of Colorado, Lassie manages to elude them and out-stare a cougar before she joins up with new friends – Gus (

), a down-at-heel wrestling manager and Apollo (

Mike Mazurki Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990) was a Ukrainian-American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in more than 142 films. His 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) presence and face had him typecast as often brainless athletes ...

), a kindly mountain of a man and Gus's so-called star. About the time they are binding up Lassie's sores, giving her food and water, and moving along in their van, young Chris bolts on his first day of the school term and sets off alone in search of Lassie. With his distraught grandfather setting out to find the boy, and Kelly and her sweetheart, attorney Allan Fogerty (

Lane Davies Lane Davies (born July 31, 1951) is an American actor. Personal life Davies was born in Dalton, Georgia, the son of Emily and Bill Davies. He has three brothers—Bruce, George, and Whit. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with ...

), checking with the police, Chris takes a car conveyor in the direction of Colorado Springs. Soon after the truck takes off, a hungry and frightened Chris leaves the vehicle, buys food in a restaurant from a sympathetic waitress (

), then goes out to look for another truck, and finally dives into the back of a cattle truck. The restaurant waitress, hearing reports of Chris's disappearance, calls his home and tells his sister where the boy has been, but Chris is on the move again, and so is Lassie. He in an empty cattle truck, she in the doorway of a freight car. Lassie leaps from the freight car and continues her journey. Clovis and the police officer who is aiding in the search for Chris, hear his cries as he is about to be crushed by a herd of Longhorns being loaded into his hiding place. Everybody is home – everybody but Lassie, whose ownership by Clovis has been clarified by Allan, the young attorney, who is about to join the family as an in-law. Lassie continues her long, painful journey. Wet, sore-footed, and limping, she stumbles upon the

Mike Curb Congregation Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder of Curb Records where he presently serves as the chairman. Curb also s ...

, who are rehearsing. The group takes Lassie along to their engagement, where a flare is knocked over, causing a fire. Panic ensues. Lassie is trying to save the life of a kitten from a burning dressing room and is presumed dead, but she is not, and the next day – Thanksgiving – Lassie, tired and filthy, comes wagging over the hill to Chris, Clovis, Kelly, and home.

Cast

as Clovis Mitchell * Stephanie Zimbalist as Kelly Mitchell *

as Jamison *

as Chris Mitchell *

as Gus *

as the Waitress (Alice) *

Gene Evans Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Background Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona and raised i ...

as Sheriff Andrews *

as Apollo * Robert Lussier as Finch *

as Allan Fogerty * James V. Reynolds as Officer Wilson *

Rayford Barnes Rayford Barnes (October 23, 1920 – November 11, 2000) was an American film and TV character actor from Whitesboro, Texas. Early years Barnes was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas. He acted in plays at the universit ...

as Reward Seeker *

Buck Young John Otto "Buck" Young (April 12, 1920 – February 9, 2000) was an American actor who played the role as Sergeant Whipple on the ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' TV series, and Deputy Joe Watson on ''The Andy Griffith Show''. In 1944, during World Wa ...

as TV Announcer * Bob Cashell as Ed * Gary Davis as Motorcycle Officer * Carl Nielsen as Mr. Kern

Soundtrack (US version)

The film's

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...

was released in the United States by

Peter Pan Records Peter Pan Records is an American record label specializing in children's music. The label was introduced to the public in March 1948. The label was owned by the Synthetic Plastics Company of Newark, New Jersey until the 1970s. The label became ...

on November 23, 1978. It was the first soundtrack LP to be issued on the Peter Pan Records label under its Orange Blossom logo. The songs were composed by

Robert B. Sherman Robert Bernard Sherman (December 19, 1925 – March 6, 2012) was an American songwriter, best known for his work in musical films with his brother, Richard M. Sherman. The Sherman brothers produced more motion picture song scores than any ...

and

Richard M. Sherman Richard Morton Sherman (born June 12, 1928) is an American songwriter who specialized in musical films with his brother Robert B. Sherman. According to the official Walt Disney Company website and independent fact checkers, "the Sherman Brot ...

, and all music was supervised, arranged, and conducted by

Irwin Kostal Irwin Kostal (October 1, 1911 – November 23, 1994) was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals. Biography Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kostal attended Harrison Technical High School, but opted not to ...

. ;Side 1: # "When You're Loved" –

# "Nobody's Property" –

# "Travellin' Music" –

# "There'll be Other Friday Nights" –

# "A Rose Is Not A Rose" –

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

;Side 2: # "Banjo Song" –

# "Brass Rings and Day Dreams" –

# "That Hometown Feeling" –

# "I Can't Say Goodbye" –

# "Thanksgiving Prayer" –

Soundtrack (UK version)

A slightly different version of ''The Magic of Lassie'' soundtrack with a new cover was issued in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

Pickwick Records Pickwick Records was an American record label and British record distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo (later changing its name to Intern ...

in February 1979. The running order of the tracks on this version differ from that of the original soundtrack and three soundtrack songs not featured on the US release are included on the UK release – an instrumental version of "Nobody's Property" conducted by

, a new recording of "A Rose Is Not a Rose" by

and a reprise of "When You're Loved" by

. ;Side 1: # "When You're Loved" –

# "Nobody's Property" –

# "Travellin' Music" –

# "There'll be Other Friday Nights" –

# "A Rose Is Not A Rose" –

# "Banjo Song" –

;Side 2: # "Nobody's Property" (Instrumental) –

# "A Rose Is Not A Rose" –

# "That Hometown Feeling" –

# "Brass Rings and Daydreams" –

# "Thanksgiving Prayer" –

# "I Can't Say Goodbye" –

# "When You're Loved" (Reprise) –

Production and release

Filming

The film was shot from September 19 to late November 1977 on location in

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendoci ...

at Hop Kiln Winery, Griffin Vineyard on Westside Road, Healdsburg, California.''The Magic of Lassie'': American Film Institute (AFI)
retrieved April 19, 2016. Other locations included

Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is th ...

and

Zion National Park Zion National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

Release

On July 27, 1978, the world premiere of ''The Magic of Lassie'' was held at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and theater at 1260 Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplace of the Nation", it is the headquarters for ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and broke a box-office record, grossing $40,673.75 on its opening day. It was released in New York on August 2 and nationwide on August 18. It opened in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

on December 8, 1978.

Novelization

A paperback

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

of the film was written by

Robert Weverka Robert Weverka (November 17, 1926 – May 19, 2009) was an American novel writer, and scriptwriter in collaboration with S. L. Stebel (Perilous Voyage (film) 1976, The Small World: "The Gypsy Children of Granada" 1963). From the ''One Minute to ...

and published by

Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...

to coincide with the film's release.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Magic Of Lassie 1978 films 1970s English-language films 1970s musical drama films Films set in the 1970s American musical drama films Films directed by Don Chaffey Lassie films Musicals by the Sherman Brothers Films about dogs Films about orphans Films set in California Films set in Colorado Films shot in California Films shot in Utah Films shot in Nevada 1978 soundtrack albums 1979 soundtrack albums Pickwick Records soundtracks Films scored by Irwin Kostal Musical film soundtracks Drama film soundtracks 1978 drama films 1970s American films