In an attempt to capitalize upon the popularity of the film series - Son of Lassie was released in 1945 - the Metro producers wisely renamed the film Courage of Lassie (1946). There was one problem, however. In the movie, they named the dog Bill. MGM reasoned that viewers would soon forget the movie title that drew them into the cinema and they were right, proving that the success of the Lassie phenomenon applied even when the dog's name wasn't Lassie!
Due to the success of National Velvet (1944), Courage of Lassie would mark the first time Taylor received top billing in a film, at the ripe old age of eleven. A fanatical animal lover, Taylor convincingly relayed her affection for all creatures large and small onscreen; she was to remark later in life, "Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses." On location, the idyllic setting of Lake Chelan, in Washington State, provided the pastoral environment the producers hoped to capture. Taylor took advantage of the bounties of the countryside; during the filming of Courage, in fact, she caught twenty-five chipmunks to keep as pets. All but one would be released. The one she kept and nicknamed "Nibbles" ended up being cast in a bit part in the film. Alas, his big scene was ultimately cut. As Taylor explained in an interview, "He was too good. It didn't look real." Nibbles, however, did provide the inspiration for Taylor's book debut, Nibbles and Me, which was published in 1946, chronicling their adventures and mutual affection. Taylor also drew the illustrations for the 77-page tome and collected $1000 for her efforts. Courage of Lassie marked the last time she co-starred with an animal.
Besides Taylor, Courage of Lassie is memorable for its supporting cast which includes Frank Morgan, best remembered as the title character in The Wizard of Oz (1939), despite his Oscar® nominations for Tortilla Flat (1943) and The Affairs of Cellini (1934). Morgan, born Wuppermann, was born into wealth as one of eleven children of the co-founder of the Angostura-Wuppermann Corporation, which distributed the popular bitters condiment used in cocktails. He soon abandoned the family business, however, to follow his acting dreams - changing his name along the way. Courage of Lassie has another Oz connection: bit actor Mitchell Lewis had an uncredited role as the "Captain of the Winkie Guard". A prolific but unlucky actor, Lewis probably holds some kind of record for uncredited or deleted scenes in films - 90 or more! Courage of Lassie was, in fact, one of his few credited roles.
Our Gang graduate Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer also has a small part in the film as a young boy who accidentally shoots the dog in a hunting accident. Ironically, Switzer would become the victim of gun violence when he was shot dead during an argument over money in 1959. Switzer and Taylor had previously starred together in Taylor's film debut There's One Born Every Minute (1942). George Cleveland, who plays the elderly man in Courage of Lassie, parlayed his involvement in the film into a three-year stint as "Gramps" Miller in the television series Lassie. Director Fred Wilcox had cut his teeth on the first Lassie flick, Lassie Come Home, but he would be best remembered for his work on The Secret Garden (1949), starring child actor Margaret O'Brien.
Producer: Robert Sisk
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Screenplay: Lionel Houser
Cinematography: Leonard Smith
Film Editing: Conrad A. Nervig
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Paul Youngblood
Music: Scott Bradley, Bronislau Kaper
Cast: Elizabeth Taylor (Kathie Merrick), Frank Morgan (Harry McBain), Tom Drake (Sergeant Smitty), Selena Royle (Mrs. Merrick), Harry Davenport (Judge Payson), George Cleveland (Old Man).
C-93m. Closed captioning. Descriptive Video.
by Eleanor Quin
