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Lassie: Inheritance
*** Eleven year old Jeff Miller is bequeathed a collie named Lassie. The collie however refuses to leave her dead master's house.
Screencap right: At the reading of Homer Carey's will, Jeff receives Lassie as a bequest and is overcome with joy. Tommy Rettig as Jeff and Pal as Lassie. Pal had played Lassie in several MGM films through the 1940s. He was older and near retirement when the television series went into production. He played Lassie in only this episode and in "The Well." The role was then passed to his son Junior.
Screencap right: At the reading of Homer Carey's will, Jeff receives Lassie as a bequest and is overcome with joy. Tommy Rettig as Jeff and Pal as Lassie. Pal had played Lassie in several MGM films through the 1940s. He was older and near retirement when the television series went into production. He played Lassie in only this episode and in "The Well." The role was then passed to his son Junior.
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 1x1 Airdate: Sunday September 12th, 1954 |
Main Cast
Recap
In the kitchen of the Miller farmhouse, Ellen and her son Jeff are preparing to attend the reading of neighbor Homer Carey's will. Jeff complains about having to dress for the event. Ellen sends Jeff to his room for a tie. When Jeff leaves the room, Gramps asks Ellen if Jeff "suspects anything." Ellen wishes Jeff entertained some suspicions about the reading of the will -- thinking such suspicions would make his behavior less disagreeable. Jeff returns. Gramps tells Jeff that later in the day they'll go fishing on the lake. Ellen notices Jeff is carrying something bulky in his pocket and she insists he reveal it. It's a jar of ants! Gramps takes charge of the ants; Ellen and Jeff leave...Read the full recap
Episode Notes
This is one of the very few episodes in which the front of the Miller farmhouse is seen.
Ellen Miller is a widow raising her 11 year old son Jeff on a farm. Lassie was one of the first series in television history to present a single parent household.
Rudd Weatherwax owned and trained Pal, the collie that appeared in MGM's Lassie films. After 6 films, Weatherwax received all rights to the Lassie trademark in exchange for back pay MGM owed him. Weatherwax toured with Pal for two years. TV producer Robert Maxwell saw Pal's performance and convinced Weatherwax that "Lassie" could be the star of a television series. Lassie went into production and debuted in September 1954. The show was an immediate success. Lassie was played in the first episode ("The Inheritance") by Pal, the beloved Lassie of the MGM movies. In subsequent episodes, Lassie was played by Pal's son, Junior, and by other descendants. In all, there were 6 dogs who played Lassie over the course of the show's 19 year run.
Capitol City is first mentioned in this episode. In another episode, we learn it's 50 miles from the farm.
Uncredited roles: Mr. Finch, Mrs. Finch, Emmett Carey, Mrs. Carey, and the mail carrier.
Lassie was played in this episode by Pal, the Lassie of the MGM films. Pal appeared in one other episode "The Well." Both episodes are believed to have been prepared as pilots. Lassie would be played in future episodes by Lassie, Jr. (Junior), Pal's son. Both dogs were owned and trained by Rudd Weatherwax. All Lassies were played by male dogs owned and trained by Weatherwax.
Jeff gives Edgar Carey a bloody nose.
Episode Quotes
Caleb Brown: (reading Homer Carey's will) ... to young Jeff Miller I leave the best thing I've got: my dog ... Lassie.
Jeff: (surprised, his eyes filling with happy tears) To me?
Caleb Brown: (with warmth) She's all yours, son.
(Jeff looks at Lassie, then to his mother. Ellen smiles. Jeff crosses the room as all watch his progress. He stands at the edge of the hearth gazing down upon Lassie. The boy can barely contain his happiness. He falls to his knees, throws his arms around Lassie's neck, and buries his face in her ruff.)
Jeff: (with the greatest joy) Lassie!
Jeff: (surprised, his eyes filling with happy tears) To me?
Caleb Brown: (with warmth) She's all yours, son.
(Jeff looks at Lassie, then to his mother. Ellen smiles. Jeff crosses the room as all watch his progress. He stands at the edge of the hearth gazing down upon Lassie. The boy can barely contain his happiness. He falls to his knees, throws his arms around Lassie's neck, and buries his face in her ruff.)
Jeff: (with the greatest joy) Lassie!
Jeff: Gramps! She's my dog now, isn't she, Gramps!
Gramps: Yes, boy, she's all yours now. She done her deciding.
Gramps: Yes, boy, she's all yours now. She done her deciding.
Cultural References
Edgar: (indicating Lassie) "I'll give ya a Mickey Mantle if she'll do a trick."
Jeff: "What's that?"
Edgar: "A baseball card, stupid."
New York Yankee baseball player Mickey Charles Mantle (1931--1995) is regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.
Jeff: "What's that?"
Edgar: "A baseball card, stupid."
New York Yankee baseball player Mickey Charles Mantle (1931--1995) is regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time.
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