The Painted Hills (1951 Harold F Kress)

The last of the MGM Lassie films, this is an adaptation of Alexander Hull's novel 'Shep of the Painted Hills', written by True Boardman, concerning gold prospecting in the 19th century. 'It's not Treasure of the Sierra Madre' I told Q, but actually she'd hit the nail on the head - the greed for gold turns the wheels of the plot (and as such, Greed can't stop coming to mind). Paul Kelly is the nice prospector who's murdered by Bruce Cowling, who then poisons the dog. It turns into a battle of vengeance between these two, ending in the snow.. I hadn't expected it to be so good - Pal at his most growly...

With Gary Gray as the kid, Art Smith, Ann Doran, Chief Yowlachie. Music by Daniele Amfitheatrof, photographed by Alfred Gilks and Harold Lipstein. We saw a public domain version with very washed out colour. The Roan Group copy is apparently the one to go for. I am told the Digiview 'Digitally Remastered' copy is as bad as all the others.

'Lassie' actually gets top billing!

Harold Kress was of course the editor of The Yearling, later in life Oscar winner for How the West Was Won and The Towering Inferno, which he shared with his son Carl (who actually cut 75% of it). Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Mrs Miniver were other notable credits. This was one of just three features he directed.

According to my old filing card records, I had never seen this one before.