The Courage of Lassie
The Courage of Lassie takes us back more than half-a-century and still manages to highlight a very contemporary issue namely the exploitation of so-called “dumb animals” to fulfill the various needs of their human, but not necessarily humane, masters.
This movie follows the adventures of an adorable puppy that is eventually trained to assist soldiers on the war front and finally returns home as a psychotic killer, provoking emotional reactions from the viewers, whether dog-lovers or otherwise.
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The movie The Courage of Lassie begins with wide-eyed innocence as the young puppy named Bill, a Collie, romps through the woods. Then in an accident, Bill was shot and was about to be put to sleep in the name of mercy, when a young girl saves it. After that the movie takes Bill to the war front as a trained K-9 member where it saves a patrol under fire. On returning home, Bill becomes a killer and is saved again, in the nick of time, by the young girl. Very good timing, both times, courtesy of the original screenplay writer, Lionel Houser, and director, Fred M. Wilcox.
The Lassie movie was a success when it was released in 1946 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was a time for war movies and Lassie was already a marketable commodity although in the movie, the canine star was called Bill. Elizabeth Taylor, as the young girl, was definitely eclipsed by Pal, the dog who played Bill. The “saved in the nick of time’ technique was already an established feature of films at that time. Whether the movie would have succeeded if it was named “The Courage of Bill” is a moot point. Advertising copywriters re-define poetic license every time they put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, as the case might be.
Looking at the movie in the context of the ethics of the exploitation of animals for the benefit of mankind raises many relevant issues.
The main issue would be whether it is at all necessary to use animals. The training of dogs to help man in times of need has got a very long history. For example, Saint Bernards are bred specifically to locate and help people lost in snow storms. Their huge size, full of very much needed warmth, and totally amicable character make them perfect for the task. Fortunately Saint Bernards are not terminated when age retires them from active duty.
Dogs trained to sniff out drugs are not so lucky. These dogs are fed with the drugs to train them to seek out the drugs. After some time, these canine drug detectors become so addicted to the drugs that their services are terminated with extermination. Not exactly a fair reward for services rendered.
Dogs are not “dumb animals”. Far from it. Every dog has it’s own unique character. And dogs are better companions to man than many of the same species. A dog will love it’s master, no matter what. It does not care whether it’s master is rich or poor. Or well-perfumed or one of the great unwashed. Any dog-lover would willingly attest to that fact. Songs like “Love me, love my dog” express this sentiment very well. I, myself, am very happy to have a dog in my bedroom. And I am not talking about the little woman.
So watching the The Courage of Lassie DVD gives us a lot of food for thought. We should really re-think the way we treat those that stand by us through thick and thin. And I am not talking about other human beings. By the way, did I mention that the movie is very entertaining? In spite of the young girl, some might say.
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