Episode Guide: Season 2 1955-1956

"The Runt" (09/11/55):

All of Lassie's puppies have been given away except for Laddie, the runt, and she hides him in an abandoned mineshaft so he won't be taken away. (Nancy is uncredited.)
   • Trivia: Jeff and Porky's cave was the former Red Hill Lead Mine. Another of the puppies, named Humphrey, is adopted by a little girl named Nancy.

"The Pit" (09/18/55):

When Jeff and Porky see bull terriers, one of whom attacks Lassie, Gramps suspects illegal dogfights are being held in the area. Clay: Richard Garland. Mr. Curran: John Pickard.
   • Note: This is a remarkably modern subject, given the furor existing today about the "ferocity" of pit bulls; at the end, Gramps proves to Jeff that no animal is all bad, and cites the people training the dogs as being the evil ones. Do note that the dogs in this episode, however, are not pit bulls, but bull terriers, a completely different breed.

"The Kittens" (09/25/55):

When Lassie finds a litter of abandoned kittens, Jeff is horrified when Gramps wants to drown them because they will otherwise starve without their mother. Frank Weaver: Arthur Space. Laura Purdy: Madge Blake.
   • Trivia: The Millers used to have a horse—plowhorse, probably—named Old Bess.

"The Dog Show" (10/02/55):

Porky enters Lassie in the Capitol City Dog Show obedience trials without knowing what the procedure is, but Jeff finds out what's involved and trains her. Joe King: Trevor Bardette. Pokey's Master: Don Beddoe.
   • Trivia: The name of the city is alternately spelled "Capitol City" and "Capital City."
   • Note: This episode introduces Porky's basset hound Pokey, AKC registered name "Pokerman III."

"The School" (10/09/55):

The children have been used to their dogs lying underneath their desks during the school day, but now the new teacher forbids pets in the classroom. An angry Woody is determined to do something about it. Miss Vernon: Phyllis Coates (the original Lois Lane of the Superman TV series). Spike (Susan Ames): Judy Nugent. Woody: Eric Neilsen.
   • Trivia: The old teacher was Miss Robins, whom we met in "Arithmetic." Jeff is in seventh grade, Woody is the entire eighth grade.
   • Note: "Sport" looks like the dog who later plays Spot, Butch, and Ruff.

"The Violin" (10/16/55):

Jeff teaches Lassie to howl when he plays the violin, hoping to get out of lessons, but Ellen sees through the scheme. Francis Bridgeman: Lucien Littlefield. Slim Hawkins: Earl Hodgins.

"The Monster": (10/23/55):

The "monster" at the lake turns out to be a seal—which the family adopts and Jeff names "Joe" to Ellen's dismay. When she has friends over one Saturday, the boys and Gramps attempt to get the seal out of the house without them noticing! Clara Parr: Kathryn Shelden. Louise Ross: Almira Sessions. "Nanook's" Owner: Bob Bice.
   • Note: Funny scene with Clara and Louise complaining about each other's shortcomings to Ellen. Clara calls Jeff "Jefferson."

"The Witch" (10/30/55):

The boys suspect that an eccentric old woman is really a witch—and when Lassie is stricken with a mysterious illness, they think she's put a spell on her. Woman: Gertrude Graner.

"The Wild Duck" (11/06/55):

After a storm Jeff finds and nurses a wild duck that he names "Medwick" (after baseball player "Ducky" Medwick), then frees him in a posted marsh, where he and Porky see two men not only killing ducks, but over the limit as well. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Clay: Richard Garland. With John Cliff.
   • Trivia: Mrs. Weaver's name is Nora.
   • Note: Ah, yes, and you, like Ellen, may have a "pie in the oven." <g>

"The Rival" (11/13/55):

Jeff and Gramps are jealous when Clay Horton asks Ellen out on a date, and Ellen is both angry and resentful of their attitude. Clay: Richard Garland. Delivery Boy: Ken Osmond. Janie Taylor: Terry Ann Ross.
   • Note: This is the only episode that focused the obvious attraction between Clay Horton and Ellen. The series later played down this relationship and, indeed, may have even demoted Horton—in several later episodes he is shown running the town garage! And yes, that's the Ken Osmond, the infamous "Eddie Haskell" from Leave It to Beaver. He appears in two more episodes.

"The Newspaper" (11/20/55):

When the boys come into possession of a printing press, Jeff and Porky take out a loan for supplies using Lassie as collateral—but the material they print about possible graft in building a war memorial gets them into hot water. With Leonard Penn and Gregory Gray.

"The Clown" (11/27/55):

A terrier named "Squeaks" leads Lassie to an unconscious man: Tops, a circus clown stranded by his manager. In return for the Millers' hospitality, Tops will entertain at the church carnival with help from Jeff and his friends—but a sullen Higgy, turned down for the ringmaster's job, makes trouble. Tops: Ralph R. Moody. Grace: Dorothy Asher. Higgy: Stuart Torres.
   • Note: The terrier in this episode looks very much like the dog who played "Mike" in the Timmy and Boomer episodes. If I had a name like "Higstrom," I'd probably be a troublemaker, too.

"The Twister" (12/04/55):

When Jenny telephones warning the neighboring area of an approaching storm, the Millers batten down the hatches. But odd noises and news of a downed power line send Gramps out into the thick of the fury.
   • Trivia: Twin Forks and Medford are two towns near Calverton.

"Gramps' Birthday" (12/11/55)

Gramps seems to have forgotten his birthday, so Jeff and Ellen keep silent while secretly planning a surprise party—but Jeff and Porky's efforts to help Gramps while keeping him away from party plans only frustrate the older man when they keep doing everything wrong. Clay: Richard Garland. Matt Brockway: Paul Maxey.

"The Gypsies" (12/18/55):

Tina, a gypsy girl, and her family camp on the Miller farm; Ellen says they may stay while Gramps blusters—and then Jeff's colt Domino disappears and, after being returned by Tina, becomes seriously ill. Tina: Reba Waters. Tina's Mother: Gloria Saunders.
   • Note: Jan Clayton sings a little in this episode, a song called "Marushka"; Clayton was an accomplished musical actress and originated the role of Julie Jordan in Rogers and Hammerstein's Carousel.

"The Gift" (12/25/55):

After Gramps lectures Jeff on wasting time after he finds a stereopticon set in the barn, a television set meant for the Brockways is delivered to the Millers. Gramps, secretly intrigued by the contraption, turns it on when Ellen and Jeff are away, and the screen image excites Lassie, causing her to jump at the set and break it. Cal Hubbard: Hal K. Dawson. Repairman: Paul Wexler.
   • Trivia: Matt Brockway's brother lives in Creston. Birdie Brockway's family lives in Victor Falls. The television station Gramps tunes in is WWCR, which indicates that Calverton is located east of the Mississippi River.
   • Note: This was the only time you saw a television on one of the farm episodes; it was implied that the Millers bought a set, but you never saw it again. Despite being telecast on Christmas day, this was not a Christmas episode.

"The Stamp Album" (01/01/56):

When the boys spend too much time with a new stamp album, especially when they think they may have a $200 stamp, a neglected Lassie makes off with the book. Ed Higgins: William Challee.

"The Dog Catcher" (01/08/56):

After Lassie is caught by the Capitol City dog catcher, friendly Joe Hofstedder, Jeff discovers that fifteen dogs are due to be put to sleep soon—so he tells Joe to bring them to the farm where he can find homes for them. Joe: Oliver Blake. Pet Store Proprietor: Joan Sudlow. Pound Secretary: Terry Lee Blake.

"Pokey" (01/15/56):

Matt Brockway says Pokey is useless and tells Porky he is going to give the dog away and get Porky a "real dog" unless the boys can teach him something. Brockway: Paul Maxey.

"The Trial" (01/22/56):

When Gramps refuses to sell the farm to nasty Emmett Carey (the nephew of the man who left Lassie to Jeff), young 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. Emmett Carey: Everett Glass. Edgar Carey: David Kasday. District Attorney: Robert Cornthwaite. Clay: Richard Garland. Caleb Brown: Will Wright. Henry Wheatley: John Harmon. Spike: Judy Nugent.
   • Note: Lassie is tried in Creston.

"The Hawk" (01/29/56):

Ellen is suspicious at Jeff and Porky's secrecy, especially when Porky asks for raw meat. It turns out they have been treating and training King, an injured red-tailed hawk that Lassie found. Against Gramps' objections, Ellen allows him to keep the hawk as long as certain precautions are taken. Then a chicken is attacked in the barn.
   • Note: This is an episode that pulls no punches. In a later episode it might be found out that the actual chicken killer was a weasel, or the hawk might get taken to a sanctuary (today, that's what would happen). In the fifties, however, for the farmer this was the only realistic answer.

"The Tree House" (02/05/56):

Jeff and Porky quarrel after Pokey starts howling at the moon during their first campout in their new treehouse, and Jeff throws his best friend out. When Jeff comes back to the treehouse, he finds it a shambles and blames Porky, who vowed revenge. Brockway: Paul Maxey.

"The Visitor" (02/12/56):

The Millers welcome Haru, a Japanese exchange student, only to run into bigotry from the neighbors, especially the fathers of two boys whom Haru fought with after they attacked him. Haru Yamaguchi: Warren Nagata. (The two fathers and two boys are uncredited.)

"The Raft" (02/19/56):

The boys sail their newly-built raft to a local island where pirate treasure is supposedly buried (in reality, Gramps made the map so the boys could have an adventure). But a fierce thunderstorm turns the imaginary adventure into an all-too-real one.

"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 the hospital in Capitol City to find the doctor that can restore her sight. Dr. Elwood Mason: Paul Cavanaugh. Secretary: Ann O'Neal. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.

"The Vet" (03/04/56):

Jeff, practicing to be a veterinarian, hides the fact that one of his ministrations frightened the family cow enough to make her not give milk. Then he compounds his error by trying to cure his medical meddling. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.

"Lassie's Double" (03/11/56):

Ellen accidentally brings home a valuable champion collie named Chester from a church bazaar rather than Lassie—and the people caring for the dog consider the Millers responsible when the dog wanders away. Birdie Brockway: Marjorie Bennett. Harry Houston: Milton Frome. Ida Houston: Vera Marshe.

"The Child" (03/18/56):

Jeff has agreed to babysit little Janie Taylor, forgetting that he and Porky were offered a ride on some road construction equipment. When the boys leave her in the care of Gramps, Janie runs after the boys and into the path of the equipment. Janie: Terry Ann Ross. Ken Hubbard: Frank Gerstle.

"The Leash" (03/25/56):

Gramps and Ellen return home to find Lassie leashed in the barn and Jeff nowhere to be seen. When the upset boy returns home, Ellen does some detective work and discovers that the mother of Jeff's friend Billy Watson was badly injured in a car accident—and now Jeff is terrified something will happen to members of his family. Jenny: Florence Lake.

"Sunday School" (04/10/56):

The Sunday school pupils vie among themselves to earn money to help young flood victims, but a classmate is deresive when Jeff says he earned two dollars, but lost it. Diane: Gay Goodwin.
   • Note: Harry Connors is one of Jeff's classmates that appears in the two Jeff Whitman novels—but he's a lot nicer in the books! There is a girl named Diane in the Sunday school class, but chronologically the Diane character isn't introduced until the last episode of the season. Evidently this was filmed after "Diane."
   • Additional Note: What a hard-hitting episode! When Jeff caves into Harry's taunts and accepts his bet that unless he can earn another two dollars to replace the money he "supposedly" lost, Harry gets to keep Lassie, Ellen won't loan Jeff the money to get Lassie back! She insists he learn his lesson about taking dares, lets Harry keep Lassie for a week while Jeff does chores for money, and only offers him the remainder of the cash he needs to make the two dollars when it looks like he really will lose her.

"The Deer Hunter" (04/08/56):

Jeff feels bad for a new classmate who is lame, and whose father lost their farm and mother is sick, but grows uneasy when he suspects the boy's father is jacklighting deer. Jim Correy: Scott Correll. Mr. Correy: Robert Wilke. Clay: Richard Garland.

"Domino" (04/15/56):

A disreputable horse breaker tells Gramps that Domino is vicious, even though Jeff has secretly ridden the colt twice, and offers to swap him for a gentled mare. When Gramps decides to take him up on the offer, Jeff hides Domino in the woods. Clem Wyatt: Francis McDonald. Clay: Richard Garland.

"The Marauder" (04/22/56):

One of Lassie's puppies, Comet, given to a family in Creston who abandoned him and who was then abused by a caretaker, has returned to the Calverton area, wild and killing local farmers' stock. When the Millers try to rehabilitate him, Jeff is sorely disappointed. Lem Boots: Strother Martin. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.

"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. With Steve Darrell and Alan Reynolds.
   • Note: There's a nice scene of time passing here; they evidently get the calf in late summer/early fall, since you see a montage of leafless trees, snow-covered hills, the thaw, and then growing corn.

"The Crop Duster" (05/06/56):

Gramps blames Lassie's son Laddie's sudden and serious illness on the spray used by a local crop duster, who insists the insecticide was not the cause. When the real poison is found, Gramps' gopher poison, Steve must rush Laddie to a vet via his plane. Steve Talbot: Ross Elliot.

"War Dog" (05/13/56):

Jeff persuades a neighbor to buy Yank, a Doberman Pinscher, a rehabilitated war dog, only to have the dog exhibit aggressive behavior to its new owner. Joe Brown: James Griffith.
   • Trivia: Joe Hofstedder, the Capitol City dogcatcher in "The Dog Catcher" is referenced in this episode as having sent the dog.

"The Haircut" (05/20/56):

When the Millers are invited to a relative's wedding, Ellen has to wangle with Jeff and Gramps to go. When Ellen finally convinces them, she next has to fight over a trip to the barber shop. With Isabel Withers and Clarence Strait.

"Diane" (05/27/56):

Ellen's plan to introduce Jeff and Porky to a new girl in town backfires when the manipulative child flirts with Porky until he and Jeff fight. Diane Carroll: Gay Goodwin. Birdie Brockway: Marjorie Bennett. Mrs. Carroll: Alene Towne.
   • Note: Towne plays Miss Vernon in a third season episode.

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