Lassie: The Painted Hills (DVD)

Packed With Thrills!

In her last picture for major studio Painted Hills, Lassie plays Shep. (In truth, Lassie was a male.) But by any name, we can count on her for plenty of action and adventure.

Based on the novel Shep Of The Painted Hills by Alexander Hull, here we find the resourceful and ever-loyal Lassie coming to the aid of miners and prospectors as they battle greedy claim jumpers in the West of the 1870s. There's also a revenge plot as Lassie works diligently to bring her master's murders to justice.

The Painted Hills plays like a much bigger production than its modest budget (by MGM standards) would indicate. Cinematographers Harold Lipstein (Pal Joey) and Alfred Gilks (An American In Paris), handled the beautiful Technicolor photography, making the most of the many outdoor scenes. Paul Kelly (The High And The Mighty) heads a cast of top=notch character actors getting rare leads. And director Harold Kress gets an amazing "performance" from Lassie.

After this film, a major studio sold the rights to the Lassie character. They must have underestimated the collie's appeal, because Lassie went on to almost 20 years on TV. Good girl.