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"Lassie"
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Seasons 1-3
"Jeff's Collie" (syndicated title)
(CBS) (12Sept1954 to 1Dec1957)
The Wrather Corporation
for
CBS (Sundays 7:00-7:30pm ET)
Produced by Jack Wrather & Sheldon Leonard
US Family Adventure series
Season 1 b-w 1954-55 26 episodes "Jeff's Collie"
Season 2 b-w 1955-56 38 episodes "Jeff's Collie"
Season 3 b-w 1956-57 39 episodes "Jeff's Collie"
Cast:
Tommy Rettig ...... Jeff Miller
(1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Jan Clayton ....... Ellen Miller
(1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
George Cleveland .... George "Gramps" Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Donald Keeler ........ Sylvester "Porky" Brockway (1954-1957)(seasons
1-3)
Paul Maxey ........ Matt Brockway (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
*
Richard Garland ..... Sheriff Clay Horton (recurring)
Arthur Space ........ Dr. Peter Wilson / Dr. Frank Weaver (vet) (recurring)
Florence Lake ....... Jenny
Stories set on the Miller farm in Calveton
########### Lassie: Jeff's Collie ############
############ season 01 1954-55 ###############
##############################################
CBS Sundays 7:00 PM Eastern (26 episodes b-w)
Regular Cast:
Tommy Rettig as Jeff Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Jan Clayton as Ellen Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
George Cleveland as George "Gramps" Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Semi-Regular Cast:
Donald Keeler as Sylvester "Porky" Brockway (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Richard Garland as Constable Clay Horton
Florence Lake as Jenny the operator
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Of all the "Lassie" series, this is by far the best. It is the original
Lassie and the most relatable of them all.Tommy Rettig (Jeff Miller) is
an outstanding actor who brings such passion and emotion to his character.
This is a series that can and should be seen by all ages, but especially
children. It is what t.v. and movies should try to emulate again.
Thanks to Tommy Rettig, for years of enjoyable entertainment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1.01 "Inheritance" (09/12/54):
Premiere episode. Jeff inherits Lassie from a neighbor, but must convince
her that the Miller farm is now her home.
1.02 "Arithmetic" (09/19/54):
Jeff is failing arithmetic due to his problems with fractions, so Ellen
tells him he may not go to the circus if he doesn't pass his next test.
1.03 "The Colt" (09//26/54):
Directed by Sheldon Leonard
To make up for ignoring Jeff, Gramps brings him home a colt Jeff names
"Domino." Jeff then starts ignoring Lassie in his enthusiasm over having a
horse.
1.04 "The Gun" (10/03/54):
Jeff wants to learn to use his father's gun, but Ellen is terrified of him
being exposed to a firearm, although Gramps thinks he should learn to use
it.
1.05 "Mr. Peabody" (10/10/54):
Gramps hires a tramp to do some odd jobs on the farm, then is jealous when
Jeff starts to idolize the tale-telling old man.
1.06 "The Convict" (10/17/54):
Jeff and Lassie meet an escaped convict in the woods.
1.07 "Feud" (10/24/54):
Gramps quarrels with Matt Brockway and both men forbid their boys to play
with each other. Brockway: Paul Maxey.
1.08 "The Lion" (10/31/54):
With Gramps and Ellen away for the day, Jeff and Porky plan a lazy
day--until an escaped circus lion invades the farm. Worse, no one will
believe them when they call for help.
1.09 "Gramps" (11/07/54):
Directed by Sheldon Leonard
When Gramps has chest pains, the family tries to keep him from exerting
himself.
1.10 "Lassie's Pups" (11/14/54):
Directed by Sheldon Leonard
Jeff thinks Lassie needs a vet when her time comes, but a storm is brewing
and Gramps says dogs can cope. Dr. Wilson: Frank Ferguson. Mrs. Wilson:
Frances Morris.
1.11 "The Job" (11/21/54):
A radio producer hears Ellen singing at church and offers her a job singing
on radio--but she and Jeff must take an apartment in the city and leave
Lassie with Gramps to do it.
1.12 "The Carnival" (11/28/54):
Directed by Sidney Salkow
Jeff shows a dog trainer at the fair Lassie's tricks--and thinking she can
be a headliner for them, the man and his partner steal her. Clay: Richard
Garland.
1.13 "Sale of Lassie" 12/05/54):
Jeff overhears the wrong conversation, and, thinking Gramps needs an
expensive operation, attempts to sell Lassie to raise the money.
1.14 "The Rustlers" 12/12/54):
The calf Jeff is raising for the county fair vanishes the same night Lassie
comes home injured and covered with mud--then she mysteriously starts
chasing Ellen's car. Jenkins: Bill Phipps.
1.15 "The Fighter" (12/19/54):
Jeff doesn't understand why a famous prizefighter doesn't want to box any
longer and pegs him as a coward.
1.16 "The Contest" 12/26/54):
While Jeff prepares for the county fair, a spoiled little girl visits the
farm and continually tries to hurt Lassie.
1.17 "Runaways" (01/02/55):
After Lassie is suspected of having rabies, she's about to be taken to the
pound--but Jeff runs away with her. Clay: Richard Garland. Brockway: Paul
Maxey.
1.18 "The Brat" (01/09/55):
Ellen offers the boys a special treat if they will babysit a boy while she
is called out on an errand. But the kid turns out to be more than Jeff and
Porky can handle.
1.19 "Father" (01/16/55):
The church is holding a father-son event and Jeff doesn't want Gramps to
fill in for his dad. Jeff is then even more embarrassed when Ellen decides
to accompany him instead. Brockway: Paul Maxey.
1.20 "The Fawn" (01/23/55):
Jeff wants to adopt an orphan fawn, but Gramps says there is no place for
wild animals on a farm.
1.21 "Blind Soldier" (01/30/55):
The parents of a blind veteran try to buy Lassie--the young man's own collie
Lassie has died and they do not want to tell him the truth, fearing he will
slip into depression again.
1.22 "The Cave" (02/06/55):
Jeff and Lassie are trapped in a cave shown to them by a malicious
classmate.
1.23 "The Injury" (02/13/55):
An injured man, hurt in a car accident, is brought to the farm. He mutters
something about hitting a collie with his car--and Lassie is acting
strangely. Dr. Stuart: Dayton Lummis.
1.24 "The Well" (02/20/55):
A snoopy inspector from the water department insists on seeing the Miller
well. Mr. Saunders: Hugh Beaumont. Mr. Hazlitt: Tristam Coffin.
1.25 "The Snake" (02/27/55):
Jeff is bitten by a rattlesnake and Gramps and Ellen rush to get him to a
doctor. Clay: Richard Garland. Dr. Stuart: Dayton Lummis.
1.26 "The Bear" (03/06/55):
Jeff and Porky's campout is ruined by a persistent bear.
########### Lassie: Jeff's Collie ############
############ season 02 1955-56 ###############
##############################################
CBS Sundays 7:00-7:30 PM Eastern (38 episodes b-w)
Regular Cast:
Tommy Rettig as Jeff Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Jan Clayton as Ellen Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
George Cleveland as George "Gramps" Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Semi-Regular Cast:
Donald Keeler as Sylvester "Porky" Brockway (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Richard Garland as Constable Clay Horton
Florence Lake as Jenny the operator
2.01 "The Runt" (09/11/55):
All of Lassie's pups have been given away except for Laddie, the runt, and
she hides him in an abandoned mineshaft to keep him with her.
2.02 "The Pit" (09/18/55):
When Jeff and Porky see pit bull terriers, Gramps suspects illegal dogfights
are being held in the area.
2.03 "The Kittens" (09/25/55):
Jeff and Lassie find a litter of abandoned kittens and are horrified when
Gramps says to leave them alone; that they can't be saved and will probably
starve.
2.04 "The Dog Show" (10/02/55):
Porky enters Lassie in a dog show, where he becomes involved with an abused
basset hound. Joe King: Trevor Bardette. Pokey's Master: Don Beddoe.
2.05 "The School" (10/09/55):
Te new teacher at school forbids pets in the classroom. Miss Vernon: Phyllis
Coates, Spike: Judy Nugent.
2.06 "The Violin" (10/16/55):
Jeff is forced to take violin lessons and tries all sorts of schemes to get
out of them.
2.07 "The Monster": (10/23/55):
There is a weird "monster" in the lake making unearthly noises--but it turns
out to be a displaced seal, which Jeff promptly tries to adopt!
2.08 "The Witch" (10/30/55):
The boys suspect that an eccentric old woman is really a witch.
2.09 "The Wild Duck" (11/06/55):
Jeff finds and nurses a wild duck that he names "Medwick," shot by poachers
on posted land.
2.10 "The Rival" (11/13/55):
Jeff and Gramps are jealous when Clay Horton takes Ellen out on a date.
Clay: Richard Garland. Delivery Boy: Ken Osmond.
2.11 "The Newspaper" (11/20/55):
The boys start printing a newspaper to make themselves some pocket
money--but the material they print gets them into hot water instead.
2.12 "The Clown" (11/27/55):
After an itinerant clown and his dog entertain at a church carnival, the man
is accused of robbing a neighbor.
2.13 "The Twister" (12/04/55):
The Millers batten down the hatches as a severe storm approaches.
2.14 "Gramps' Birthday" (12/11/55):
Jeff and Ellen plan a surprise party for Gramps so well that Gramps feels
neglected on his birthday and "runs away."
2.15 "The Gypsies" (12/18/55):
A gypsy girl and her family camp on the Miller farm, despite neighbors'
reports of thievery.
2.16 "The Gift" (12/25/55):
A television set meant for the Brockways is delivered to the Millers.
2.17 "The Stamp Album" (01/01/56):
In a quest for a valuable stamp, the boys begin quarreling with each other.
2.18 "The Dog Catcher" (01/08/56):
Jeff is horrified at the conditions at the local dog pound and tells the dog
catcher to leave the dogs at the Miller farm until he can find homes for
them.
2.19 "Pokey" (01/15/56):
Matt Brockway says Pokey is useless and tells Porky he is going to give the
dog away. Brockway: Paul Maxey.
2.20 "The Trial" (01/22/56):
When Gramps refuses to sell the farm to nasty Emmet Carey, Edgar Carey
pretends that a barbed wire scratch he got in the barn is Lassie's bite,
figuring the Millers will give up the farm before giving up Lassie. District
Attorney: Robert Cornthwaite. Clay: Richard Garland.
2.21 "The Hawk" (01/29/56):
Jeff and Porky horrify Gramps by trying to tame a red-tailed hawk as a
hunting falcon.
2.22 "The Tree House" (02/05/56):
The boys quarrel over Pokey being able to sleep in their new tree house.
2.23 "The Visitor" (02/12/56):
The Millers welcome a Japanese exchange student--and run into bigotry from a
neighbor who has never gotten over World War II.
2.24 "The Raft" (02/19/56):
The boys' journey on their new raft is hampered by the fact that Porky can't
swim.
2.25 "The Journey" (02/26/56):
When Gramps and Ellen tell him that Lassie is going blind, Jeff takes the
dog on a long journey to find the doctor that can restore her sight.
2.26 "The Vet" (03/04/56):
Jeff decides he wants to be a veterinarian, and his first patient is the
Miller cow.
2.27 "Lassie's Double" (03/11/56):
Ellen accidentally brings home a valuable champion collie from a dog show
rather than Lassie--and is accused of theft!
2.28 "The Child" (03/18/56):
Jeff and Porky, told to babysit little Janie, leave the child with Lassie
while they run to see construction equipment at work, not knowing Janie is
following them.
2.29 "The Leash" (03/25/56):
After a friend's mother is involved in a serious car accident, Jeff becomes
over protective of Lassie. Jenny: Florence Lake.
2.30 "Sunday School" (04/10/56):
Jeff, in charge of collecting money for Sunday School, loses the
contributions and has no way of replacing them.
2.31 "The Deer Hunter" (04/08/56):
Jeff discovers that a new classmate's father is jacklighting deer.
2.32 "Domino" (04/15/56):
A disreputable horse dealer schemes to buy Jeff's colt cheaply by proving to
Gramps that the horse is vicious.
2.33 "The Maurauder" (04/22/56):
One of Lassie's puppies, Comet, mistreated by its owner, has turned wild.
2.34 "The Calf" (04/29/56):
Jeff and Porky raise a calf they dub "Outboard" in honor of the motor they
plan to buy when they sell it--but they don't count on becoming attached to
the animal.
2.35 "The Crop Duster" (05/06/56):
Gramps' blames Lassie's son Laddie's illness on the spray used by a local
crop duster.
2.36 "War Dog" (05/13/56):
Jeff persuades a neighbor to buy a rehabilitated war dog, only to have the
dog exhibit aggressive behavior. Joe Brown: James Griffith.
2.37 "The Haircut" (05/20/56):
Ellen battles with Jeff to go get a haircut--until the unexpected happens.
2.38 "Diane" (05/27/56):
Jeff and Porky quarrel over a new girl in town, who is happily playing one
boy off another!
########### Lassie: Jeff's Collie ############
############ season 03 1956-57 ###############
##############################################
CBS Sundays 7:00-7:30 PM Eastern (39 episodes b-w)
Regular Cast:
Tommy Rettig as Jeff Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Jan Clayton as Ellen Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
George Cleveland as George "Gramps" Miller (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Semi-Regular Cast:
Donald Keeler as Sylvester "Porky" Brockway (1954-1957)(seasons 1-3)
Richard Garland as Constable Clay Horton
Florence Lake as Jenny the operator
3.01 "Bee Hive" (09/09/56):
The boys try to raise bees to earn money--but suffer several setbacks,
including a hungry bear.
3.02 "Friendship" (09/16/56):
For years, Jeff, Porky and their friends have taken a shortcut across a
field to get to school, but now a cranky farmer forbids them to do so.
3.03 "Quarantine" (09/23/56):
Pokey is quarantined at the Miller's after a hoof-and-mouth scare hits, but
the dog keeps trying to get home.
3.04 "Bone" (09/30/56):
Lassie unearths a bone of particular interest to an archaeologist, but she
refuses to lead the officious man to any more specimens.
3.05 "The Watch" (10/07/56):
Jeff is constantly late, so Ellen promises him he may wear his father's
watch if he becomes more consciencious about time.
3.06 "The Frog That Was a Princess" :
Jeff's jumping frog Henry turns out to be a "Henrietta," and the boys hope
she lays her eggs before the big race. Clay Horton: Richard Garland.
3.07 "Hoax" (10/14/56):
no synopsis listed
3.08 "The Fish Story" (10/21/56):
Jeff and Porky enter a fishing contest to win a new pole, but it's Lassie
that catches the fish!
3.09 "Transfusion" (10/28/56):
After the boys take a dare, Pokey is badly hurt and must have surgery.
3.10 "Local Elections" (11/04/56):
Jeff opposes a man running for animal control officer who hates dogs.
3.11 "Gossip" (11/11/56):
Jeff misunderstands a man who gives him a ride--and the newcomer is branded
as an ex-convict.
3.12 "Fish Conservation" (11/18/56):
Gramps is stymied when the fish he stocked his lake with simply vanish
without a trace.
3.13 "Challenge" (11/25/56):
Ellen makes Jeff promise not to take dares--but a classmate calling him a
coward is making him weaken his resolve.
3.14 "Tractor" (12/02/56):
Gramps wins a tractor in a contest, but refuses to learn how to use it.
3.15 "Goats" (12/09/56):
Jeff becomes a goatherd to earn some spending money, but the goats are
"eating up" his profits with their mischief.
3.16 "A Place for Everything" (12/16/56):
Ellen enlists Lassie's help to teach Jeff not to leave things lying around.
3.17 "Party Line" (12/23/56):
Everybody's angry because Jenny the operator is so absent-minded, until they
find out she's unhappy because no one remembers it's her birthday. Jenny:
Florence Lake. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Jim Teal: Ray Teal.
3.18 "Superstition":
no synopsis listed
3.19 "Goodbye Forever" (01/06/57):
When his parents don't believe him although he's telling the truth, Porky
runs away.
3.20 "Lassie's Vanity" (01/13/57):
Lassie wins a beauty treatment at a doggy salon, and all the praise on her
looks goes to her head.
3.21 "Champion" (01/20/57):
Jeff persuades Gramps to enter a turkey shoot, even though Gramps doesn't
think his eyesight is good enough.
3.22 "Vigil" (01/27/57):
A little dog left in Jeff's care pines for his missing master.
3.23 "Chimp" (02/03/57):
A chimpanzee is mistakenly delivered to the Miller farm.
3.24 "Lassie's Day" (02/10/57):
Left alone all day, Lassie and Pokey set out on their own and are involved
in a series of adventures. Al: Jon Shepodd. Deliveryman: Joe Conley.
3.25 "Rock" (02/17/57):
Porky's new baseball is forgotten--except by Porky--when he and Jeff
discover a geode while playing ball.
3.26 "The Artist" (02/24/57):
The boys think Gramps needs a companion his own age, so they matchmake him
with a prissy artist. Madge Blake
3.27 "Survival" (03/03/57):
The boys camp out in the woods with the object of surviving on their own.
3.28 "Bird Watchers" (03/10/57):
Lassie unwillingly nurses a clutch of mallard duck eggs.
3.29 "The Dog House" (03/17/57):
Gramps insists Lassie must sleep outside instead of in Jeff's room when a
fox depredates the Miller henhouse.
3.30 "The Search" (03/24/57):
Gramps, angry after an argument, drives off before a bad storm comes up.
3.31 "Boy's Day" (03/31/57):
Jeff and Porky are sheriffs on the town's annual boy's day, so Gramps cooks
up a fake robbery to give them a little excitement.
3.32 "The Snob" (04/07/57):
After a visit to a rich boy's home, Jeff turns up his nose at the farm.
3.33 "Haunted House" (04/14/57):
Jeff and Porky see ghosts of colonial settlers in an old house, but no one
will believe them.
3.34 "The Nest" (04/21/57):
Gramps needs to use his mower on the crops, but a rare pigeon has laid her
eggs on the machine.
3.35 "Father Ellen" (04/28/57):
Ellen is determined to be more of a pal to Jeff and tries to join in his
games, to his acute embarrassment.
3.36 "Poverty" (05/05/57):
To get rid of a peddler, Gramps tells him a tale of poverty, which gets back
to Jeff as well as the neighbors.
3.37 "The Apple Tree" (05/12/57):
Jeff persuades Gramps to graft the trees in their apple orchard.
3.38 "The Harvesters" (05/19/57):
A migrant boy whose father is helping harvest crops asks Jeff to help him
learn to read.
3.39 "Jeff's Moustache" (05/26/57):
Jeff spies "growth" on his upper lip and requests he be treated as an adult.
So Ellen and Gramps start giving him adult responsibilities.
########### Lassie: Jeff's Collie ############
################ the end ##################
##############################################
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