LASSIE (personality)

Lassie is the fictional female Collie, created in a short story by Eric Knight in 1938. In 1943, MGM made a movie of this story, which had been expanded into a novel, called "Lassie Come Home", and the movie starred Pal, a male 3 year old Collie. Ironically, Pal was not the first choice, not only because he was male, but because it was thought he did not look right. A show dog that was female and "looked" right was cast in the lead, and Pal was intended to be its stunt double. However, Pal proved to be so talented that it was decided that he would get the part! He starred in six more Lassie films and then also in the two pilots for the TV show in 1954, and then retired and passed away in 1958 at the age of 18. His descendants played future Lassies in the many TV shows and movies that followed!