Lassie - Opening

[Ogmios1987]

It's all about the high, haunting whistle.

It just sounds so poignant and forlorn. I have not heard this tune since I was a kid, but I'll never forget it...

[acolvin2010]

Haven't seen this since I was a kid, when it was original. Wow. God bless the Internet.

[desolategrey]

kick ass lassie memorized this as a child starring june lockhart hugh riley jon probost as timmy and of course lassie ......dodge must have been a spnsor cause the dad always had a new dodge truck

[Theshark15z]

Lassie reminds me of my dog. I miss her a lot. :(

[PandaComment]

Save the pandas!

[DeathByBlunderbuss]

What's that girl? Timmy's gone to Occupy Wall Street?

[CornersFive]

I grew up watching this as a child. Just the theme music makes me cry.

[stevemichiganman]

@CornersFive...I hear you my friend. This relic from my childhood will always be a memorable, but sad theme.

[RosesareAllie]

my favorite episode of lassie was the rocking chair...

[CommonSenceMafia]

@RosesareAllie easily one of the most memorable episodes

[califlover49]

When Lassie puts her paw up to end the show I would melt...it was fun being a kid back then...

[littlebit19801]

I remember watching this and Dennis the Menace every Sat morning.

[thegmanofEAP]

Now listening to this, the theme is really creepy!

[littlebit19801]

@thegmanofEAP OMG I'm I think I see what you mean. I'm glad I'm not the only one. For some reason this opening theme just sounds eerie to me for some reason. I love this show, but the theme gave me chills for SOME reason lol

[portchesterkid]

It was on at 7:00 pm sunday evenings. Whenever I hear this theme or even think about it I get sick to my stomach at the thought of school the next day...

[cheerbear703]

I would love to see this classic & wonderful show back on the air.

[wackyben86]

When I was a kid this song popped into my head one time and for some reason it made me cry. I guess it was the whistling. Good show on Nickelodeon and I miss those days.

[xrawrxcookiex26]

I was 5 years old the first & last time I seen this, when it was on Nickelodeon.

[dudeitsjoe]

This show aired on Nickelodeon in like the late 80s - early 90s...which is how I remember it. Memories...man...memories..

[JSTONE9352]

Saw June Lockhart on an episode of "Full House" where she played a

school teacher. Not sure how old she was then but she still looked great.

[WSenator1]

Three points: I remember watching "Lassie" on Sunday evenings when I was a boy. We used to make fun of the boys in elementary school who would come in checked shirts - we'd called them "Timmy and Lassie" shirts! We also used to refer to June Lockhart as "Lassie's mom." Maybe we meant she was the mom on "Lassie." Of course, with some of the guys I went to school with. . .

[curtisjones400]

@WSenator1 i remember watching Lassie on Sunday evenings also back in the 1960's-life was so simple back then-black and white TV-

[ThatViralVideo]

@megalc10

The music is depressing.

[marsJOHNYmars]

I love you lassie I love you ...

[TylerTime955]

United States is so weird. A show about a boy and his hyper intelligent dog.

[Joemamma69000]

And, of course, Chuck Norris.

[GarthanSaal444]

This show ran for 17 years, so any baby boomer will remember it for sure.

[bobviously]

I know a woman who was named after Lassie.

[356butch]

I never saw a dog that could find more trouble...

[TURTLE0047]

Befor Lassie there was the other doc called "RINTINTIN", it was also great !!!.

[ccdg1066]

@TURTLE0047 There was an earlier Lassie - it starred Tommy Rettig as Jeff Miller, Jan Clayton as his mother and George Cleveland as Gramps. I liked Rin Tin Tin, too; and I prefered the earliest Lassie series.

[3Mudbone1]

The true Collie is of course a Border Collie.

[annabelle2ful]

When "Timmy" Jon Provost didn't renew his contract, they had the family moving to Australia, leaving Lassie. Never happy with that.

[HipHopHaterRock4ever]

If I ever get a female collie i know what to name her lol

[Sandguy99]

Wow! As kids this show so often reduced us to tears!

[wrestlingwomanfan]

@Sandguy99 this and dennis mennace!

[4933juju]

Lassie always just jumped out of the window ... they had no screens! I always thought that was cool, but then they must have been chewed up by mosquitoes! And how else could she sneak out?

[4933juju]

Timmy's still alive and can be found here on youtube, along with Wally, Jeff, and little Ricky ... 1950s tv kids reunion.

[Jsd8675]

@4933juju The mom is alive too



[pylgrym]

Jon Provost: forever and always our Timmy . . . OH the emotions when I hear that whistle!

[xjpl84]

RIP Lassie

[Idoljunky32]

OMG! I remember back in the late 70's and thru the 80's getting up early Sunday morning and watching these old Lassie reruns! Great classic show! I wonder if this series is on DVD? I'd buy it!

[kcarvell]

@Idoljunky32 There are a few episode collections... but no seasons, yet.

[shawbros]

@Idoljunky32

There's a few episodes on DVD in the $5.00 bargain bin at Walmart.

[Victory1981]

@Idoljunky32 yeah I think it went into the early 90's as well, I watched these reruns when I was a little kid.

[keydet72]

June was a major babe!

[titanicpiano14]

Check out my rendition of the 1967 lassie theme!

[JustBrianMusic]

and of course lassie

[kswampboi]

my favorite childhood show

[natureperson420]

is timmy still alive

[tvjeff53]

This show and theme song really brings back memories, I used to watch Lassie when I was a kid.

[jpjones46]

i loved this show when i was 3 i use 2 cry when it went off lol

[groovyman11]

I love lassie =) in every opening, lassie must drink alot of water.

[RebaGleba]

I have a collie.

When I want her to come I whistle this song.

[JAYDED]

I love this show and the intro brings a tear to my eye. I was born in the 80's and used to watch the re-runs in the late 80's-90's on tv all the time.

[collielover19854]

Lassie rocks

[vanhaneggan500]

Maravillosa simpleza la realizacion de este intro de la serie de antaña, a mi modo de ver la mas querida. Luego vendria la serie a color con el guardabosque Corie, pero esta que vemos aqui con un rubio timmy, segun el, años mas tarde cambiaria su vida para bien , gracias a la perrita lllamada LASSIE.

[IMaximusDMI]

Lassie was such a great dog.

[massenga]

lassie web org

[massenga]

Yes it was on Sunday nights at 6 pm in Chicago and was followed by Ed Sullivan.

[massenga]

This is a terrific site with all of the opening/closing Lassie themes and title cards for the entire 20 year run of the show as well as what happened to all of the people who acted in the various Lassies. See also Jon Provost's website which a tremendous fount of information.

[massenga]

look for lassie at

lassie

web

org

[massenga]

Hi PaperMoon, the Tommy Rettig Lassie ran 1954-57, Jon Provost 57-64. Jon and Tom were good friends until Tom passed suddenly in 1996. The Rettig Lassie ran in syndication under the title "Jeff's Collie," perhaps most recently on Discovery Kids. You can pick up a DVD with four Rettig Lassies under the title "Jeff's Collie" also. Sadly, only a few episodes of the show are on DVD, not the entire series.

[PaperMoon2010]

I used to love the Lassies from the 70's & 80's then I saw this original black & white version on TV Land and loved this one too. :)

[fromthesidelines]

Campbell Soup Company was the sole sponsor during the Jon Provost era. Usually, the announcer would add at the end, "Brought to you by Campbell Soup Company- makers of 21 kinds of Campbell's Soups, three kinds of Franco-American Spaghetti, and Campbell's Pork & Beans".

[macdoug12]

What Lassie? timmy's in the well.

[massenga]

I never liked the Jon Provost "Lassie" as much as as the Tommy Rettig version that preceded it. Same with the theme music - "Secret of the Silent Hills" was preferable to the "Whistle" theme IMHO.

[PaperMoon2010]

I like this version of Lassie I used to watch it all the time on TVLand. I don't think I ever saw the earlier version, I thought this was the earliest one.

[Juliaflo]

You may find this difficult to believe, but on March 12, Jon Provost will be........60!.

[mikefastener]

I hear that Jon has had some issues (yes, I know I could go on Wikipedia to find out). I am having some computer problems with slow internet access.

I remember watching, "Lassie" in the sixities--Sunday night I believe!

(Boy....am I old!)

[Juliaflo]

It was Sunday evening, and I watched it in some form or fashion, first with Jan Clayton, then Cloris Leachman, and then, of course, June Lockharr.

When it comes to classic television, you will never get old.

(Uh-uh, don't figure out my age, LOLOL).

[kingman1245]

I wanna see a Rap cover remix of this just like annie's hard knock life

[schs1977]

I remember watching this many years ago on TV Land. TV Land once had great shows from the '50's, '60's and '70's. Now it has worthless shows like Roseann, Married With Children and etc. If ou get Retrovision (or RTV) it is GREAT!!!

[PaperMoon2010]

Yeah TV Land used to be much better than it is now.

[massenga]

@PaperMoon2010 I lost interest in TV Land when they dumped "I Love Lucy." They had restored some old title cards, animated sequences done by Hanna and Barbera for the 50th anniversary of the show in 2001. For awhile they also ran "Bewitched" which I liked too. They've moved on to 1980s TV shows now which don't interest me. Boomers aren't the big nostalgia market anymore.

[welder541]

OBOY!!!! You really brought back the memories with this one. Thanx:):):) watched it reverently as a child every week. And have probably seen every weekly episode they ever made.

[debtansey89]

Me, too!!! It sure does bring back many memories.

[mimiherman12]

The announcer on this is my grandfather! Thanks so much for putting this up.

[BROOKLYNBRENDA]

@mimiherman12 YOUR GRANDFATHER'S VOICE CONJURES UP A LOT OF OLD LOVING MEMORIES -  THANKS!

[roon41]

@mimiherman12 ..Announcers at that time were polished pros who didn't yell like they do today..

[RahXIII]

@mimiherman12

gay

[DanGaryTwins]

@mimiherman12 Your grandfather wasn't Howard Culver, was he?

[Nascarock4824]

would be nice too see this old show back on nick at nite beside those show are whole alot better then the show are today

[kcarvell]

Actually... I'm launching Icon Television (name subject to change) -- a new online and free-on-demand (via digital cable VOD) classic television network this summer. And Lassie will be a part of that. It will be online for sure by the time we launch... and we're trying to get clearance for the series for our on-demand version as well.

And guess who will be the face of Icon? None other than Timmy himself... Jon Provost.

[Nascarock4824]

the would be great too see those old show again

[massenga]

@kcarvell Hi is this up and running? Do you have the whole series? Thanks.

[kcarvell]

@massenga Not yet.  Was to launch this Summer. Now has been pushed back to either Fall of this year or January 2011.

[massenga]

@kcarvell Please keep us posted on developments. Some of us are great Lassie fans and thank you for your efforts. This sounds terrific and I wish you the best with it.

[kcarvell]

@massenga I will try to remember to post something here. Updates can also be found at WatchIcon(dot)com. We plan to launch a newsletter there soon, too.

Thanks for your interest and support!

[massenga]

@kcarvell I'll keep up with your endeavors, what a great thing to do. Thanks so much.

[kcarvell]

@massenga Thanks! I thought it would not only be a great way to preserve the legacy of classic television, but to also use these next gen platforms to help bring it to this an generations to come. Also a great way to connect fans and their favorite classic TV stars.

[1952kid]

First aired in 1954 , A wonderful childhood memory .

[petite471]

I use to wait in front of the tv on Sundays just to see Lassie!

[luvthoseclips]

I remember this show airing on Sunday nights many years ago on CBS.....& I can still recall they had 2 sponsors, "Campbell's Soup" & "Swanson TV Dinners".

[bearguy10]

I agree with the comments about the sad theme. It almost kills me to hear it. I can remember being with my folks and some friends at the Varsity, in Atlanta, when I was about 4 and Lassie being on television.

[BaronvonCase]

Ah, am I the only 23-year-old who has childhood memories of this? Thanks Nick at Nite. ;)

[Lucy4everdarling]

I'm 25 and own a majority of the old VHS tapes.

[Wheeloffortunefan999]

in my case it's thank u nickelodeon!

[MotorsportStud]

@BaronvonCase No you arent the only one. I am a bit older than you though (29), and totally remember watching this on Nick at Nite.

[PaperMoon2010]

Yeah it is cool for someone young to have a childhood memory of seeing this show. LOL! They should bring back all of these good old shows. :)

[DominiqueAleak]

YES i watched this on Nick as well, makes me nostalgic :(

[dtd655]

This theme absolutely tears me up every time I hear it, but Lassie was a part of

my childhood memories. Some things don't change.

[mooky9669]

I always watched this on Nickelodeon..aaaah memories

[jean111984]

That is the saddest theme song I ever heard in my life..... even next to "Good Times"

[glugsy]

Wife and I met June Lockhart on Santa Monica Pier in 2006. She was do nice and friendly. Even let us take a photo.

Glugsy

[yourimageunreels]

The show got boring after Timmy left the show.

[Juliaflo]

It's called 'growing up'.

[mooky9669]

I agree

[johnrunion]

i love this show. it brings back memories of my childhood...of the early 70's.

[chasebizzy]

It's funny how the opening of a show from the fifties makes me nostalgic for my childhood in the eighties.

[kcarvell]

I know exactly what you mean.

And if you'd like a trip down my very full television Memory Lane, you'll have to check out my TV Time Machine playlist. You'll find it on my YouTube profile page or in the form of a player on my MySpace page.

If you're looking for nostalgia only, pay no attention to the previews of my upcoming projects and music videos near the beginning of the playlist. They serve another purpose.

Enjoy!

[PaperMoon2010]

Exactly! Timeless good TV! :)

[JAYDED]

@chasebizzy because this show was still being aired in the 80's, I get you on the nostalgic thing. I was born in the 80's and grew up in the 90's and I remember very fondly loving this show and the intro makes me so nostalgic.

[wrestlingwomanfan]

@chasebizzy exactly what I was going to say!

[CommonSence2008]

Isn't this entire series of Lassie on DVD.  I use to watch it when its reruns aired on Nickelodeon back in the 80s and 90s.

[kcarvell]

Sadly, no. And if you see something up on eBay somewhere, claiming to be the complete series, buyer beware. It was likely recorded from TV.

Only select episodes have been released in sort of "best of" collections.

[massenga]

@CommonSence2008 Sadly, no. There is a 50th anniversary collection of episodes from the different eras, but no one has released the entire 20 year series. I suspect there are a number of copyright issues and perhaps a sense that it wouldn't justify the expense.

[WdnUlik2no]

June Lockhart was so hot. I remember watching this show on Nickelodian as a kid.

[jenzeppelin]

lmao

[JohnnyBeQuickOrDead]

Man this takes me back to the 60s In my country, New Zealand, the theme was slightly different

[Prizm4]

I wish someone would make a trance mix of this theme!

[davidh0187dc]

Lassie was too intense for some kids i knew, and how many mountain lions got shot at the end??

[Taveren22]

Wow June Lockheart was hot. I never noticed.

[Shows42nite]

I loved this time where there were no high tech machines for animal abuse.Ah, the good ol' animal hollywood days.Now animals get into Hollywood to live.

[satweavers]

"What is it, Lassie?"

"Bark... Bark, Bark... Bark!"

"Penny fell down the well?"

"Bark, Bark... Bark!"

"Go tell Doc Whitherspoon to tell the Sheriff, then come get this log off my leg before the Forrest fire reaches me."

"Bark! Bark!"

"'At A Girl, Lassie... Get help fast!"

[voterpromoter]

yes I remember that episode too.

had quite a "Luke and R2D2" feel to it

[smautomat]

So many people seem to think that the theme music for Lassie was "Greensleeves". Although the music is, admittedly, somewhat evocative of "Greensleeves, it is clearly different.

[kneejerker]

It WAS Greensleeves. There was more than one theme used.

[satweavers]

NOT Greensleeves.

[PaperMoon2010]

Yeah it was Greensleeves and I remember learning to play it on the piano. I loved that tune.

[massenga]

@kneejerker see lassie web org "theme music."

[unclebobunclebob]

June Lockhart was very underrated in the sex appeal department

[BlitzKriegAngry]

she was always a great space mother on Lost in Space!

[lfitomshi]

Right. Tommy Retting was the original boy in the series, but as I recall he outgrew the part, although there might have been more to it than that. George Cleveland who played "Gramps" in the original TV cast died in real life, which also necessitated a change. I think the theme song also changed around this time.

[massenga]

@lfitomshi Yes. The original music in the Rettig series was originally used in a movie and is called "Secret of the Silent Hills." I much prefer it to the "Whistle Theme" that is much beloved and best-remembered. The Rettig closing, with him walking down the hillside with Lassie, who scatters a herd of sheep, is very affecting and I've forgotten it. Every 50s child's dream to live on such a farm!

[shaamex]

This the intro I remember, wow it was so long ago. Jon Provost was the only Timmy I knew . For my sister who is older just a few years there was a different one but I can't recall the name.

[kcarvell]

Actually, before my friend Jon played Timmy, Lassie had another boy named Jeff... played by the late Tommy Rettig. On the series, a few seasons in, Jeff moves on and decides Timmy needs Lassie more than he does.

[hamshow]

Do you have the ending? They had it up before but they took it down. I don't know why. When I was a kid i shook Lassie's hand at the end and had my daughter do the same in the reruns.

[massenga]

@kcarvell That's correct. Jeff Miller (Tom Rettig) and his mother Ellen (Jan Clayton) adopt orphan Timmy, this in 1957. Gramps dies (George Cleveland) in real life, and the writers decided a change was needed since Tom had tired of the show anyway. In the series, Ellen sells the farm to the Martins who also adopt Timmy. Clayton and Rettig leave the show to the Martins.

[gman14618]

This show brings back memories.