10 Best Dog Movies
4. Lassie Come Home (1943)
Lassie is up there with Toto from The Wizard of Oz in terms of most iconic dogs in film history. The character started off as a creation by Eric Knight, who featured her in a short story about a rough collie’s outdoor journey to be reunited with the boy she loves. The story then became expanded to a full-length novel called ‘Lassie Come Home’, before the canine character started prominently featuring in several forms of media.
Although many movies have revolved around the famous dog, the definitive one will always be the original 1943 movie Lassie Come Home. As the Carraclough family face financial difficulties, they have no choice but to sell their beloved dog. However, Lassie (the dog) doesn’t want to leave the young Joe Carraclough behind and sets on a long, arduous journey to be reunited with him.
The actor who plays the titular character is clearly well trained and makes for a compelling dog performer. It’s not as schmaltzy as you’d expect but is still a heart-warming, adventurous tale and it’s not hard to see why the movie helped Lassie to become a legend in American pop culture.