Fresh and Exciting

Absolutely brilliant

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Edmund Gwenn and Donald Crisp join Lassie the Collie once more after having been teamed in the otherwise-unrelated "The Hills Of Home" from 1948. This heart-tugging, family-oriented saga, based on the book "Greyfriars Bobby" by Eleanor Atkinson, involves stray, untagged Lassie with a crusty old coot who can't figure out why the dog has a confounding need to get into the Greyfriars Churchyard, where animals are forbidden. Geraldine Brooks is the proverbial pretty girl/Elizabeth Taylor substitute, Kathryn Beaumont has an uncredited bit as a neighborhood child, Gwenn is his usual spunky self, yet the whole show belongs to Lassie. Whether crossing a wide river, digging her way out of a barn, climbing out a window, or outwitting the hysterical humans, the dog is shown to a star's advantage. Story remade by Disney in 1960 (under the original title and with a Skye terrier in the lead). ** from ****

Back (again) in Scotland, Lassie is (again) on trial for her life. Because the faithful dog sleeps on her master's grave, she must be put to death, according to law. Oddly, it is also explained that Lassie had no "legal" owner, which is, apparently, also against an old Scottish law. If, after three days, no owner is located, dogs must be destroyed. Edmund Gwenn (as John Traill) pleads Lassie's case, which leads to an extended flashback, showing Lassie's adoption by Donald Crisp (as John "Jock" Gray).Although it's based on an interesting, original story ("Greyfriars Bobby"), "Challenge to Lassie" revisits several earlier Lassie situations; and, it does not improve upon them. Comparatively speaking, this one is sloppy and unexciting; and, it's a disappointing follow-up to "The Sun Comes Up" (1949). Geraldine Brooks (as Susan Brown) and several of the other performers may be charming, but can't elevate this one. Little Jimmy Hawkins (from "It's a Wonderful Life") is among the notable children supporting Lassie. *** Challenge to Lassie (10/31/49) Richard Thorpe ~ Edmund Gwenn, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Brooks

A wonderful movie starring the original Lassie. A sad tale of an owner who dies and his loyal dog who prefers to sleep on his grave only to find it is against the law. The movie is a Lassie movie of old, that's for sure and a treat to view and watch. A real family film, entertaining for all ages. The setting is Scotland and of course, we see it is a Hollywood set, but so what? It is a wonderful film and you will become enraptured with this beautiful collie dog who acts and performs like a human being. I highly recommend the film. Very lovely, endearing and a real treat. As is any Lassie movie. Don't miss it. It comes on TV a lot or rent or buy it. It is a keeper.

Long before Mel Gibson and his Braveheart chums erroneously and treacherously painted Robert the Bruce as a traitor to the people he served so heroically, Hollywood was trampling all over the memory of that other great Scottish hero, Greyfriar's Bobby. Challenge to Lassie removes the faithful terrier, replacing him with some big shot American sheepdog, surrounded by 'actors' whose Scottish accents are so bad you wonder if they've given up half way through, tried an Irish one, realised they're not much cop at that either and tried Scottish again to no avail.Hopefully Braveheart will pay the same price for attempting to alter Scotland's proud history and be as anonymous in forty odd years as Challenge to Lassie is now.An evil, evil film.