The Odyssey (1962 Lassie TV series episodes)
"The Odyssey" is a three part production from the American television program Lassie. "The Odyssey" was first broadcast on three successive Sundays – February 18, February 25 and March 4, 1962 – at 7:00 p.m. EST on CBS. "The Odyssey" is essentially a retelling of Eric Knight's 1940 novel Lassie Come-Home, and is regarded by fans and critics alike as the best of the television Lassie productions. Lassie travels hundreds of miles to be reunited with Timmy, her companion human and guardian. "The Odyssey" comprises episodes 13, 14, and 15 in the show's eighth season, and episodes 276, 277, and 278 in the complete series.
Plot summary
When Timmy, Lassie, and Paul attend the Capitol City farmer's market, Lassie is locked in a truck that travels hundreds of miles away. Once freed, Lassie sets off across field and forest to be reunited with Timmy. After many efforts to recover Lassie end in failure, Timmy gives up hope of ever seeing her again.
Detailed synopsis
Part One. Far in the fields, Timmy and Lassie sit on a weathered log. Timmy has carved both their names on the log and buries a bone nearby. The spot is now their "secret, special place." The two friends shake hands, then run home to accompany Paul to market.
Paul asks Timmy to stay close to him at the market in order to begin learning the business end of farming. When they arrive at the market, Paul and Mike Finch talk business while Timmy observes quietly. Lassie meanwhile meets a little terrier named Scratch. The two play hide and seek among the produce on the docks, and rush in and out of the trucks being loaded for transport. While Lassie is hiding in a truck, the drivers pass by and lock her in. Scratch runs back to Timmy and Paul, making motions for them to follow. When they reach the loading dock, the truck has departed and Paul realizes what has happened. He tells Timmy he believes Lassie was locked in one of the trucks leaving the market.
Lassie remains locked in the vehicle overnight. The next day, when the truckers stop at a diner, they think they hear a dog barking in the truck. Lassie is barking, but the men are distracted by the noise of a little dog in a parked car nearby. They enter the diner without investigating their truck.
In the meantime, Paul and Timmy go to the offices of the "Calverton Chronicle" hoping an article in the paper will help locate Lassie. The editor, Henry Deshew, knows the paper's circulation isn't wide, but he has an idea and calls the national news service. As a result of Deshew's quick thinking, Lassie's story is broadcast on the radio. The truck drivers hear the broadcast and decide to open their truck. When they do, Lassie growls at them and rushes into the woods. The truckers go to the nearest city to report what has happened.
Lassie, in the meantime, climbs the tallest hill in the area and surveys the vast panorama before her. Hunger overwhelms her. Seeing a deer eating berries, she tries them but cannot eat. She spots a bear catching fish in some rapids. She tries her luck but, unfortunately, catches nothing.
She comes upon a cabin and sees a man departing on a horse. He has just put out a meal for his dog, and as Lassie approaches, the animal barks savagely at her. Lassie notices that the dog is chained to a stump; by leading the dog in a circle and winding the chain around the stump, she gets the dog to a point where he cannot reach her. She devours his meal.
Back at the farm, Paul gets news that Lassie escaped from the truck near Lexington, a town 650 miles northwest of Calverton. Ruth suggests they put an ad in the Lexington paper. Timmy bursts in, having heard about the radio broadcast, with a new toy for Lassie, a "welcome home" gift of a squeaky rubber kitten. Paul doesn't have the heart to tell him the bad news.
In the meantime, Lassie passes through Lexington and makes her way to the railroad tracks. She trots along the tracks, determined to find her way home.
Part Two. Lassie, now weary, still plods on the railroad tracks. As she crosses a trestle, a train comes. She cannot jump; the ground is too far below. She huddles next to the water barrel she has just taken a drink from, just out of range of the train.
Having hadn't eaten since her meal with the dog, Lassie then chases a rabbit in the forest and catches it. Unfortunately the good-hearted collie can't bear to kill the rabbit and lets it go. Instead she swims a lake and continues on her journey, while Timmy sits by the phone, waiting for a call saying Lassie is safe.
Later, in bed, Paul and Ruth discuss telling Timmy about what has happened, and Paul resolves to go to Lexington.
As Lassie continues on her journey, Paul and Timmy journey to Lexington, a two-day trip. Timmy worries that whomever finds Lassie might not be feeding her properly, and Paul warns him that they don't know if she's been found. Timmy reminds him that Lassie wouldn't kill anything, how would she eat? He is certain they will find her in Lexington.
As Paul drives on, he passes under an overpass built for train access. Unbeknownst to both Timmy and himself, Lassie is on that overpass; footsore and weary, she has chosen that moment to lie down and lick her sore feet. It is only after they are out of sight that she appears in sight from the road below.
Here she looks down and sees a man hitchhiking. She notices the man picked up by a car and comes down from the overpass to "try her luck." However, everyone ignores her, even if she is sitting up. Then she sees a tall truck go under the overpass. Its top almost scrapes the overpass walls. She hurries back up to the trestle and jumps down upon the top of the next passing tall truck, which is luckily carrying hay.
While Paul and Timmy comb Lexington for the missing collie, Lassie has a ruder encounter: a wolf finds her on his territory and fights with her. A hunter who spies the altercation fires his gun and the wolf flees. But Lassie is too shy to come near him just then, despite an injured paw.
Two days later, a disappointed Timmy and Paul return to Calverton. They camp out on the first night, and Timmy prays to God that some miracle might occur and Lassie might return to him. Paul adds a heartfelt "amen." In the meantime, a still-injured Lassie finally approaches the hunter, who kindly cleans and bandages her wound and feeds her. While Timmy and Paul finish their journey and the depressed boy returns disconsolately to his room, Lassie recovers at the hunter's camp, accompanies him fishing, and "sings" along with his harmonica playing.
Far away, Timmy sits at the hollow log, pretending Lassie is still with him. When she is not there to fetch a stick he throws, he puts his head down on the log and begins crying.
Part Three. Some time has passed. Timmy has no appeatite and picks at his meals. Paul tries to cheer him with tales of a neighbor's new colt and Ruth tries to distract him with news of a classmate's call. But he simply returns to his room after breakfast and his parents worry about him.
In bed that night, Timmy cries himself to sleep. He calls out for his dog. Somehow, over the miles, Lassie hears her master's voice. Earlier in the evening, the hunter had removed her bandage and pronounced her foot well; now she awakes from sleep, licks the face of the man who has taken care of her, and continues on her way.
Desperately, Ruth and Paul seek some help from Cully Wilson. A stray dog on his farm has given birth, and the puppies are just ready to give away. Cully picks out a pup with a blaze down her face and Paul asks if he will present the pup to Timmy, to perhaps "give him something to love again." Cully brings the puppy to the farm and the little dog is so charming and Cully so persuasive that Timmy agrees to "take care of her" for a little while, at least until Lassie comes home.
Lassie, meanwhile, still toils over hill and dale, about to take to the train tracks when she sees a better route crossing a lumberyard. She picks her careful way over a stream full of logs and must swim another lake.
Next morning, the restive puppy wakes early. Placed on the floor by Timmy, who claims it's Saturday and he gets to sleep late, she finds Lassie's welcome-home toy. Timmy gets angry with her for playing with it and takes it to bed with him, leaving the puzzled pup alone. Later that day he bicycles to Cully's house to return the little dog.
Cully decides it's time for a talk. His gentle but firm words make Timmy realize that there is a very slim chance of Lassie's returning to him, as it's over three weeks since she was lost. Nevertheless, he tells Cully that he's not ready for another dog, not just yet.
A little while later, Ruth finds Timmy cleaning Lassie's toys out of his closet. When questioned, he tells her bravely that he is getting rid of them because he knows Lassie is never coming home again. He doesn't believe she's dead, but has found a new home.
He takes all the toys, including the welcome-home gift, to the hollow log, their "secret special place," and digs a hole there to bury them. He has dumped the toys in the hole and is just about to cover them when he hears a familiar bark. Looking up, he sees Lassie at the top of the hill. Dropping the shovel, he runs to her and she to him. They meet in a joyous embrace. Lassie has come home.
Cast
- Alan Hale, Jr. as Outdoorsman (credited as Alan Hale)
- Andy Clyde as Cully Wilson
- Baby as Lassie
- Hugh Reilly as Paul Martin
- Jon Lormer as Henry Deshew
- Jon Provost as Timmy Martin
- June Lockhart as Ruth Martin
- Leonard P. Geer as Slim Trucker
- Richard Reeves as Mike Finch
- Rusty Lane as Beefy Trucker
Crew
- A Jack Wrather Production
- Bill Anderson, sound effects editor
- Bonita Granville Wrather, associate producer
- Charles Van Enger, director of photography
- Don Schoenfeld, makeup
- Don Castle, associate producer
- George Troast, art director
- Grace Kuhn, wardrobe
- Harold Murphy, special effects
- Harvey Clermont, casting
- James Blakeley, editorial administrator
- James Casey, assistant director
- Lassie is owned and trained by Rudd Weatherwax
- Lionel Comport, livestock supervisor
- Lloyd Nelson, dialogue coach
- Maria Little, script supervisor
- Mariano Tomasino, property master
- Mercy Weireter, script supervisor
- Monica Collingwood, film editor
- Raoul Kraushaar, musical supervisor
- Robert Golden, producer
- Ruby Felker, hair stylist
- Ryder Sound Services
- Sid Sidney, music editor
- Wallace D. Nogle, sound
- Westrex Recording System
- William Beaudine, director
- William Beaudine, Jr., production supervisor
Music
"The Odyssey" stands apart from the rest of the eighth season by using little of the usual series music. Some of the musical themes are Raoul Kraushaar's, reused from the Jeff episodes while others are new compositions.
Miscellanea
- Glycerin was used to create Timmy's tears.
- Baby was named after Jean Harlow, whose nickname was "Baby".
- "The Odyssey" was the first mini-series on television.
- The show's sponsor, Campbell's Soup, opposed the idea of a three part story on the series, believing viewers would not like having to wait to find out what happens.
- "The Odyssey" is Jon Provost's favorite production from the series.
- The popularity of "The Odyssey" helped pave the way for Lassie leaving the farm and joining the United States Forestry Service in 1964.
DVD release
"The Odyssey" was released on DVD Classic Media/Sony Wonder Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection, 2004. (ISBN 0738929360).
See also
- Child actors
- Lassie
- Lassie (1954 TV series)
- Paul Martin (television character)
- Ruth Martin (television character)
- Timmy Martin (television character)
References
- Collins, Ace. Lassie: a dog's life. Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-023183-8.
- Lassie Web
- Lassie: 50th Anniversary Collection. Sony Wonder/Classic Media, 2004. ISBN 0738929360.
- Provost, Jon. Timmy's in the Well: the Jon Provost story. Cumberland House, 2007. (ISBN 9781581826197).