LASSIE Episode Guide: Season 9 1962-1963

When the Timmy episodes were initially syndicated in the mid-sixties, all of the episodes filmed were not added to the syndication package. The Leachman/Shepodd episodes didn't make the cut, and the 1963-1964 season was left out as well. Oddly enough, however, half of the 1962-1963 episodes were added to the package and half were left out. They weren't seen in reruns, along with the final Timmy season and the Leachman/Shepodd episodes, until the early seventies.

"Fine Feathered Friend" (09/30/62):

At a magic show, Lassie becomes concerned over the fate of Cleo, the magician's disappearing pigeon, so she kidnaps the bird. But after picking up the pigeon on his hurried way to another engagement, the magician is trapped in his car after he drives off the road after being distracted. Luckily Cleo is unhurt and he can use her to affect a rescue. Mr. Magico: Vito Scotti.
   • Trivia: The magic show is given at Adams Department Store.
   • Note: Well, here was Lassie warning against distracted driving thirty years before the cell phone. :-) A really rare sight here: the door between the kitchen and the parlor (which you never see in the kitchen) is sitting open as Mr. Magico performs his trick for the Martins.

"Quick Brown Fox" (10/07/62):

Timmy and Lassie care for a pair of orphaned fox cubs after dogs belonging to a new neighbor, Ed Bates, a dog trainer who trains tracking hounds, kills their mother. Paul is fine with Timmy caring for the cubs until they are weaned, but when he catches Lassie feeding them meat, Paul insists they must go back to the wild. Lassie, however, keeps dropping by to feed them—and then the hunter returns. How can they save the cubs? Ed Bates: Jim Davis.

"Desperate Search" (10/14/62):

Timmy has promised his friend Andy Brown that he'll care for his pregnant dog Sybil overnight, but as he takes her into town to pick up Lassie at Doc Weaver's clinic, Sybil is struck by a speeding truck and runs off to bear her puppies in a crumbling, deserted mine shaft while Timmy, Lassie, and Ruth search for her. One by one Lassie manages to get the puppies out of the mine. Andy Brown: Donald Losby. Mr. Brown: Herbert Patterson. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. (The fisherman is uncredited.)
   • Trivia: Andy is going away for the weekend to collect a prize; he won an essay contest with Sybil as the subject; the essay will even be published.
   • Note: Paul is away again.

"Home Within a Home" (10/21/62):

Timmy helps Cully evacuate his barn when the old man learns he cannot stop a new gas line that will require demoliton of the structure. But no matter how many times they evacuate all the animals—including the wild ones who have made their home there as well—the creatures all come back to the barn. Spurred by Miss Hazlit telling the class that any citizen has the right to try and change a law, Timmy takes photos of the animals and contacts the Calverton Times. Wayne Harrison: Bill Henry. Miss Hazlit: Sally Bliss. Bill Dixon: Olan Soule. Surveyor: Nelson Olmstead. (The other surveyor and Susan, the girl who speaks up in class, are uncredited.)
   • Note: Paul is away again. Ruth says he'll be back on Sunday. They go through newspaper companies fast in Calverton. The Calverton Sentinel and the Calverton Chronicle seem to have been succeeded again.

"Deadly Goats" (10/28/62):

Paul orders Timmy to keep an eye on the five remaining goats he has pastured in a canyon after the sixth one dies from anthrax, but Timmy ties the goats' corral up with vine and goes nearby to pick berries for his mother, with the result that the goats escape. If the Martins, county agent Les Sims, and Doc Weaver can't round them all before sunset and prove they haven't left the canyon, the vet will have to quarantine the county, destroying the harvest season. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Sims: Russell Thorson.
   • Trivia: The county vet's name is Scoble.
   • Note: You have a veritable tour of the Vasquez Rocks area here, including one pass that is very familiar to anyone who's watched The Lone Ranger. It's a pity than this episode had to revolve around an incident that makes Timmy look stupid; a real farm boy would have known goats might chew through the vine.

"Fawn Patrol" (11/04/62):

Timmy and Lassie lend a hand to Forest Service biologist Mark Adams, who's tagging fawns for a conservation project, and find the deer endangered by traps set by a grumpy farmer intent on catching "varmints." Then the man is caught in one of his own traps as a puma stalks him, and his rescue changes the Fawn Patrol—and his life. Mark Adams: Russell Johnson. Trube Cato: Harry Shannon.
   • Trivia: Adams is operating out of the West Fork Ranger Station. His "fawn patrol" is weighing and tagging the fawns.
   • Note: Jon Provost does a really good job portraying a tired-out Timmy in this episode! One wonders if the "Lassie joins the forest service" idea was percolating this early: Timmy seems very proud of Lassie working for the Federal government and Cato even hints that Lassie would make a good forest ranger! Trube Cato also looks like a dry run for the Matt Krebs character that will show up in "Lady from Nevada." Paul is away again.

"Gentle Savage" (11/11/62):

A wild stallion who has already made his escape from one captor takes a nasty tumble down a cliff, and when Timmy and Lassie bring him home, the horse is miraculously tame. But neither Lassie nor her new friend take it well when the horse must be returned to the man who was attempting to tame him. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Mr. Madden: Denver Pyle.

"The Nest" (11/18/62):

Timmy and Lassie, having befriended a mallard duck Timmy is convinced saved Lassie from a trap, discover she's laid her eggs on the track of a soon-to-be-opened railroad spur line; Lassie then tries to hold off the track-cleaning crew until the eggs have hatched. Abner: Karl Swenson. Mr. Hibbs: William Keene. (Miss Dodson, Abner's assistant, and the Congressman are uncredited.)
   • Trivia: Mr. Hibbs is the head of the local produce market.
   • Note: A little bit of the music from the Jeff episodes is used at the end. Cully's dog Sam appears briefly; he is killed later in the season.

"Lassie's Ordeal" (11/25/62):

Lassie is trapped on a crumbling ledge at a freeway construction site while trying to help a trapped fawn, and the construction workers band together to try to rescue the two of them. Olympic champion Rafer Johnson plays Pete, one of the construction workers, in one of the few early 1960s roles for black actors that wasn't a servant or a Pullman porter. Hammond: Garry Walberg. (The helicopter pilot and the mustached construction worker are uncredited.)
   • Note: Paul is quite the hero in this episode: he is lowered on a rope from both the side of the cliff and from a helicopter.

"Howling Hero" (12/02/62):

Smokey, the new fire dog (the puppy Lassie rescues the end of "Lassie Adopts the Fire Chief"), has never taken to the role, and is afraid of the sirens, the noise, and even riding in the fire engine. Timmy and Lassie try training him by conditioning him to noise and using treats to get him in the fire engine, but at his first fire he runs away and then bites Timmy in fear. But a fire in which Ed himself is endangered proves Smoky's mettle when he has to negotiate a narrow ledge to help his owner. Ed Washburne: Dick Foran.
   • Note: Washburne needs to cite a farmer for unsafe conditions; the barn on fire in this episode is the same one as in "Lassie Adopts the Fire Chief"!
I wonder if, when making his decision in "The Wayfarers," Timmy thought back to his conversation with Ed Washburne, where the man discusses giving Smoky away to a quiet home.
Timmy: "Well, I wouldn't give away Lassie for anything."
Ed: "Sure you would, if it were best for her, because we can't be selfish about the things that we love."
Very eerie foreshadowing.

"A Career for Lassie" (12/16/62):

Timmy's new friend Danny, son of a retired clown who has settled on a local farm to fulfill a promise to his late wife, is homesick for the carny life, and talks Timmy into running away to join the carnival after Lassie shows promise as a performer. After dark, Timmy decides to turn back in the morning. Danny Fuller: Teddy Rooney (Mickey Rooney's son). Dan Fuller: Kenneth Tobey.
   • Trivia: The Fullers have bought the Benson farm. The llama Danny rides is named "Ferdinand," and the black pony he lends to Timmy is "Hercules." Another animal is named "Jody"; Dan Fuller calls to it in the opening scene. Along with the pony and llama, the Fullers have a goat, a sun bear, and two sheep.
   • Note: Tobey previously appeared as helicopter pilot Chuck Martin in "The Rescue."

"Show Dog" (12/30/62):

After a promotion at the local store, Ch. Shannon of Kilkenny, an overworked Irish setter, stows away in the Martin truck, and learns the joy of being free in the country from Lassie. Back in the hands of his strict master, Shannon escapes once again when he's not allowed to keep Lassie's gift bone. Captain Shawn Kennedy: Sean McClory. Mr. Pike: William Bennett.
   • Note: Shannon is promoting the fictional Award dog food, perhaps a gentle rib at the Lassie radio show, which was sponsored by Red Heart. The Calverton Produce Mart, seen in "The Nest," is visible again. The general store, run by Mr. Pike, looks like a redress of the store which is the candy store in the "The Christmas Story" from 1960. There is also a store in downtown Calverton called "Plain Jane," presumably a dress shop or a milliner. There is a nice sequence with the dogs jumping a gap in a cliff that makes use of a matte painting; I didn't realize until I was older that it was artificially done to cause no danger to the dogs.

"Decision" (01/06/63):

Since after two weeks no one claims the little lost terrier he found, Timmy gives him to his homesick friend Ricky, who has just moved in with relatives after his father died. But when a pet store owner then claims "Bozo," as Ricky named him, boy and dog flee and are caught in the currents of a rapidly moving river. Ricky: Philippe Chapelle. Mr. Lattimer: Robert Gibbons.
   • Note: There's a very odd sequence in this episode: either something previously filmed didn't work or they needed an extra scene, for there is a sequence with Timmy, depressed, at the supper table, while Paul and Ruth try to cheer him with small talk. It's the identical supper-table scene as in "The Odyssey," except shots of Lassie lying under the stove have been intercut, and the names "Jack Wales" and "Berington" have been dubbed over "Jed West" and "Berenson"! There's also a scene of Timmy saying his prayers that is from an earlier episode, for the dog looks like Spook and Timmy is definitely younger!

"A Specialist for Lassie" (01/13/63):

A hunter's bullet lodges near a nerve center in Lassie's neck after she pushes Cully out of the way of the shot and Doc Weaver is afraid to operate; if the bullet moves, Lassie may be paralyzed. Cully: Andy Clyde. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space. Mr. Farnham: Stuart Randall. Dr. Harvey: Ed Prentiss.
   • Note: You see a cut from "The Cat Who Came to Dinner" when a cat meows at Lassie. Randall had already appeared in the series as farmer Al Livermore in "Eager Beaver," and in the tenth season becomes somewhat of a semi-regular as Livermore. Paul is away again.

"Lassie's Lonely Burden" (01/20/63):

"Lassie's" pigeon Goldwing loses a flight feather on his final test run before a 100-mile race and cannot fly, but his sister, Timmy's bird Ladybird, is still able to compete. Lassie's apparent jealousy angers Timmy—but what she nor Ladybird can tell him is that a hawk lurks just outside the farm. Race Official: Hal K. Dawson. Chuck: Don Beddoe.
   • Note: What happened to Timmy's other homer, Bright Eyes? Are these her children? By the number of pigeons you can see, it looks as if Timmy now has a thriving dovecote.

"Swimmers" (01/27/63):

Timmy and Lassie, having befriended the Andersons, father and son who raise Labrador retrievers, try to convince Mr. Anderson not to have Kevin's dog Jet destroyed after a leap he's not ready for injures his spine. But when Anderson is determined to have the dog put to sleep, Kevin takes him and runs away. Kevin Anderson: Ronnie Dapo. Russ Anderson: John Anderson.
   • Note: The Labradors were trained by Mike Kelly. Paul is away in this episode.

"Lassie's Fish Story" (02/03/63):

Timmy regrets mentioning Lassie's fish-finding abilities to contentious Joe Bly, who's in first place in the Volunteer Fire Department tournament, after the boy volunteers to help Ed Washburne raise his score: Joe contends that Lassie "pointing fish" for Ed Washburne disqualifies him (and his denying Lassie did it makes him a liar). Bly then insists Timmy prove Lassie can indeed find fish for him and for newspaper reporters who think they have found a hot human-interest story. Ed Washburne: Dick Foran. Joe Bly: Charles Watts. Reporter: William Tracy.
   • Trivia: The tournament entries and places: Joe Bly first, Harry Nelson second, Pat Bishop third, following are Lou Zell, Ed Washburne (spelled "Washburn" in this go-around), Tom Avant, Sam Jones. Bob Brain (sp?), and Lou Martin.
   • Note: Paul is away in this episode. Continuity problem: Joe says he's known Timmy since he was "a baby," but Timmy nor the Martins have lived in Calverton since he was a baby, according to the original series storyline.

"Cully's Revenge" (02/10/63):

Timmy is chilled when, after Cully's hound Sam is gored by a maverick steer and lies seriously injured, a distant and distraught Cully, the consummate animal lover, takes down and starts cleaning his rifle. planning on gunning down the steer. Lassie seems to know instinctively that Sam has died and leads Timmy to Cully's house, where the horrified boy finds his friend taking potshots at tin targets and runs home in fear. But Lassie remains with him as the vengeful man strikes out after the steer. Cully: Andy Clyde. Doc Weaver: Arthur Space.
   • Note: Paul is away in this episode. An excellent performance by Andy Clyde as a Cully drawn to violence by grief.

"The Journey" part 1 (02/17/63):

Timmy and Lassie make the acquaintance of Jake Hodges, who, with the balloon the colorful flyer has nicknamed "Annabelle," has been announcing the upcoming county fair. But in trying to save "Annabelle" from flying away, Timmy is trapped inside; before the basket completely leaves the ground, Lassie leaps inside, starting boy and dog on an unexpected flight. Jake: Patrick Westwood. Radio Announcer: Lloyd Nelson.
Bonita Granville Wrather's narration from the end of part 1

"The Journey" part 2 (02/24/63):

The balloon carrying Timmy and Lassie is caught in the tall branches of fir trees in the Canadian wilderness. Knowing no one can find them up in the trees, Timmy devises a way for himself and Lassie to get down from their perch. But now they must survive, and their first goal is to find water. Pilot: Patrick Waltz. Control Tower Operator: Walter Stocker. R-386 Pilot's Voice: Lloyd Nelson.
Bonita Granville Wrather's narration from the opening of part 2 and the end of part 2

"The Journey" part 3 (03/03/63):

Timmy uses Scout survival skills to find them a drink, make a fire, and construct a bow to feed them—but he's tested when Lassie is attacked by a wild boar. Ranger Henty: Leo Needham. Constable MacDonald: Will J. White. Sergeant Sprague: Robert Howard.
   • Note: In a nice in-joke, the commander of the Canadian Mounty group helping the Martins search for Timmy is played by Richard Simmons—no, not the exercise guy. <g>—who for several years in the 1950s played the heroic Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, originally the radio series Challenge of the Yukon.

"The Journey" part 4 (03/10/63):

Having found water, which helps cure Lassie's fever, Timmy believes the river will lead them downstream to people and builds a raft. Meanwhile the Martins arrive in the village of Loon Lake, Canada, and the Mounties begin their search for the lost pair. Sgt. Major Hardwick: Richard Simmons. Ranger Henty: Leo Needham. Constable MacDonald: Will J. White. Sergeant Sprague: Robert Howard.

"The Journey" part 5 (03/17/63):

Separated from Timmy when their raft is lost in the rapids, Lassie works her way back to her boy, who is being cared for by a deaf-mute Indian who lost his family in an epidemic. Chinook Pete: Richard Kiel. Ranger Henty: Leo Needham. Constable MacDonald: Will J. White. Sergeant Sprague: Robert Howard.

Notes on "The Journey":

For years I believed this multi-part story to be only four parts. The limited research material I had access to for my episode guide (the Providence Journal television section and the film books from my college library) indicated that this was true and I had a memory of only four parts. However, as more material appeared on Lassie, I noted that there were a couple of sources saying the story was five parts.

I thought these were in error for the simple reason that the movie Lassie's Great Adventure, which was culled from this multi-part story, had a 104 minute running time. Dividing 104 by four parts gave me 26 minutes which, without the titles and the credits, would have been the length of a half-hour television series back then in the early 1960s.

In October 2000 I heard from Mike Cline, who had seen my site and filled me in on what really happened! So the revision of the episode descriptions above are thanks to him.

When I asked Mike what was missing from Lassie's Great Adventure to cut it down to a 104 minute running time, here was his reply:

      "There are a number of shots here and there that were dropped for the feature, such as more flying time in the balloon, the CAP pilots looking for them, etc. Jake the balloon man has more footage in part one that wasn't used in the feature.
      "The feature begins with Timmy & Lassie fishing. This doesn't come in Part One until about seven minutes in.
      "The biggest scene not in the feature goes like this: All of the footage used under the feature credits are in the first of part one, but longer. When Paul and Timmy are looking up at the balloon, from there they go to unloading the pick-up truck, wherein Paul explains to Timmy the history of hot-air balloons going back 200 years, how they are/were used for weather experiments, etc. There is a scene at the dinner table where Paul, Ruth, and Timmy talk about his going to the carnival. Then there is a scene where Ruth puts Timmy to bed, and he's excited about the carnival, and can't get to sleep. None of this was used in the feature. Then it goes to them fishing.
      "A special color opening featuring only Lassie was shot for the 5 episodes. The commercials remained in black & white. The closing was the usual Lassie in the woods closing, except it was tinted sepia. Parts 1-4 had previews to next week's episodes (narrated by Bonita [Granville] Wrather), and Parts 2-5 opened with a re-cap of the previous episode (also narrated by Bonita) before the special Lassie opening.
      "Richard Simmons appeared as the RCMP officer because Jack Wrather also owned the Sgt.Preston of the Yukon series."

Since we'll probably never see "The Journey" intact ever again, thanks to Mike for all this great information on the original story!

Here, transcribed, is that missing opening to the story from part one:

Opening scenes show Jake in the balloon basket, with the music playing, flying over Calverton. Scene cuts to the Martin kitchen, where they are eating a meal. At the sound of the music, Timmy looks up, and Lassie whines from her place under the stove.

Timmy: It's the balloon!

Lassie whines and goes to the door. Timmy begins gobbling his food.

Ruth: Yes, it's the balloon and that's your lunch. It's meant to be eaten slowly, not swallowed whole.

Timmy: I'm trying, Mom.

Ruth, exasperated, notices Paul also gobbling his food. Lassie whines again, barks.

Paul: Let's go, Timmy.

Paul gulps his coffee, Timmy wipes his mouth, they run for the door. Timmy is out and Paul in the doorway when Ruth reproves,

I declare, every time that silly balloon goes over you act younger than Timmy!

Paul (grins): That's what you get for robbing the cradle.

She giggles; he joins Timmy outside.

Timmy (looking up): There it is!

Paul: Yeah.

They run out to the gate (scene seen under the credits in Lassie's Great Adventure)

Timmy: Wonder what it looks like from up there.

Paul: Yeah.

Ruth can't resist—she also comes to the door to watch the balloon—and her family—for a minute before going back inside.

Paul: Well, son, we'd better get started on our work. (Backs up reluctantly)

Timmy is mesmerized looking up at the balloon.

Paul: C'mon, let's go!

Timmy ("waking"): Oh. Sure, Dad. C'mon, Lassie.

They walk over to the truck and unload it as they continue talking.

Paul: You know, seeing that balloon go over today reminds me of county fairs when I was your age.

Timmy: Were they much different then than they are today?

Paul: No, not much. (Boosts Timmy in truck bed.) Okay, in you go. You know, they always had a balloon ascension. Some acrobat in spangled tights would hang by his heels from a trapeze—it was pretty exciting for us kids.

Timmy: Dad, did you ever go up in a balloon?

Paul: No. Not that I wouldn't have liked to! You know, there was a Professor Picard who made an ascension nearly 10 miles all the way into the stratosphere. He did it twice.

Timmy: Gosh!

Paul: That balloon that went over today was probably filled with helium. It's safer, but it's more expensive than hydrogen.

Timmy: Why did the professor go so high?

Paul: Oh, probably to study cosmic rays, things like that. And y'know, his flights then were considered almost as important as the astronauts flying around the earth today.

Timmy: Gosh! Did you hear that, Lassie?

She barks.

Scene fades to a moonlit night, then to Timmy's bedroom where Ruth kisses him goodnight.

Ruth: Good night, dear.

Timmy: Night, Mom. (As she moves away) Mom-

Ruth: Yes, dear?

Timmy: Did you know people have been flying in balloons for more than 150 years?

Ruth: Well, if I didn't know it, I know it now. Go to sleep!

Timmy (as she walks to the door): And did you know George Washington sent the first air-mail letter by balloon?

Ruth: My recollections of George Washington are that he couldn't tell a lie, he chopped down a cherry tree, and he was the Father of Our Country. (Timmy stirs sleepily.) Now, if there's anything else I should learn about him I'd be glad to hear about it in the morning!

Timmy (continues unabated): And a 13-year-old boy was the first person to fly in a balloon in America? Dad said he didn't go very high. But he was the first!

Ruth: Well, that's very fascinating. Now go to sleep! Good night! (She shuts off the light decisively.)

Timmy: Night, Mom. (She leaves.)

Timmy (undeterred, he continues to Lassie): Lassie, I bet it would be more fun to fly in a balloon than to go up in a jet plane. Cause planes go so fast you can only see where you're going and where you've been, never where you are. And astronauts, all they see are oceans and continents. (Sleepily) A balloon just drifts along. You look down on people and trees, houses...you don't have to look up all the time...I'd...like that...wouldn't you...girl?

Lassie whines.

Timmy (slower): Looking down...

He's asleep. She yawns and lies down.

Cut to opening scene of Lassie's Great Adventure

Part one of "The Journey" and the similar parts of Lassie's Great Adventure are also cut a little differently from each other.

Paul and Jake have seen Annabelle flying above. Jake mentions the record player is going; Paul realizes not only is someone in the balloon, but it might be Timmy.

Lassie's Great Adventure:

Paul leaves Jake in the farmyard, goes to call the sheriff, tells Ruth about the balloon. She says: "He'll be terrified."

Timmy is cold and puts on his hat, gloves, says to Lassie they are going higher all the time. There is no dialog about the two cords that Jake mentioned to him earlier.

Paul is pacing up and down and Ruth sits at the table. The sheriff calls. Paul then explains that they won't be found right away because of the fog, but everyone is searching for them. He says they must have some faith and suggests Ruth make supper in case they are found soon and come home hungry.

Timmy discovers they are flying over the water and the balloon is descending rapidly. He dumps some of the ballast and they go back up.

The scene then cuts to a radio report about Timmy and Lassie, which Paul shuts off, saying he is going to Civil Air Patrol headquarters to see what he can find out.

The movie then cuts to the balloon sailing over ridges and farmland and Timmy puts the music back on.

The water/ballast scene must come from part two, as it is not a scene in the first part, as noted below.

"The Journey," part 1:

Paul leaves Jake in the farmyard, goes to call the sheriff, tells Ruth about the balloon. She says: "He'll be terrified."

Timmy and Lassie rise from their seats in the basket and look down. They are in a bank of clouds and Timmy says, "Gosh, Lassie, I can't see a thing." She whines and he hugs her and they get back into the shelter of the basket.

Paul is pacing up and down and Ruth sits at the table. The sheriff calls. Paul then explains that they won't be found right away because of the fog, but everyone is searching for them. He says they must have some faith and suggests Ruth make supper in case they are found soon and come home hungry.

Timmy is cold and puts on his hat, gloves, says to Lassie they are going higher all the time. He adds that Mr. Hodges said the balloon had two ropes to let you down, one opening a valve to let the gas out slowly, the other a ripcord that takes it down fast (and dangerously). But which, he wonders, is the correct cord?

The scene then cuts to the radio report about Timmy and Lassie, which Paul shuts off, saying he is going to Civil Air Patrol headquarters to see what he can find out.

The last scene cuts from the balloon in the air, Timmy hugging Lassie, back to the balloon drifting as the credits for part one begin.

Preview for Next Episode

Bonita Granville Wrather: "A frightened boy and his courageous dog, adrift in endless space, with all chances of a quick rescue stacked against them."

Scenes of Timmy and Lassie in the swaying balloon, crashing into the trees; then Timmy lowering Lassie down in the basket.

Bonita Granville Wrather: "I know you'll want to be with us next week to see how Timmy and Lassie make their escape from their airborne prison, only to encounter more dangerous predicaments. Remember, next week, the exciting part two of 'The Journey.'"

"Project Bluebirds" (03/24/63):

Timmy begins building birdhouses when he discovers that the bluebird population is declining due to lack of nesting places. His plan succeeds—until starlings invade the neighborhood, forcing the local farmers to use desperate measures: dynamite! But this endangers Lassie's special bluebird, who has already lost nestlings. George Watts: Charles Thompson.
   • Note: This episode seems to indicate that, among her other talents, Lassie can count. She barks as many times as there are bluebird eggs in a nest.

"The Twister" (03/31/63):

Cully is the object of the scorn of the neighbors when, after observing the odd habits of the wild animals, he predicts a killer frost that doesn't come—then he realizes something more deadly is headed for the valley. Les Sims: Russell Thorson. Ed: Willard Sage.
   • Note: There are times when it becomes very obvious that the woods set in use from the early Jeff episodes is an interior set, and this episode is one of them: you can clearly hear the echo off the sides of the soundstage when Timmy calls Lassie. In a creepy scene that can still make me shiver even after 30 years, we see Cully, Timmy, and Lassie wondering why wild animals are taking to their heels in fright. There's no birdsong or background forest noise, only ominous music, deer, doves, and a bear fleeing, and the sound of Lassie whining—then dead silence. The sense of impending doom is excellently done.

"Lassie and the Rustler" (04/07/63):

Timmy hopes to earn the $25 reward for finding a thief stealing Mr. Haynes' young turkeys, but when Lassie leads him to the nest of the huge owl doing the damage, Timmy instead sees a camping stranger plucking one of the poults (which the owl caught but had fallen out of the nest). Mr. Haynes: Jim Bannon. Drifter: Edward Faulkner.
   • Note: Paul is away in this episode. A real turkey farm evidently was used in this filming. By the way, I hope either Ruth or Haynes gave that poor guy a ride into Capitol City after making him miss his train!

"Lady from Nevada" (04/14/63):

An excited Cully begs Paul to lend him $25 to enter a wild burro race; he wants to use the winning fee of $175 to purchase a parcel of land between his farm and his neighbor Matt Krebs. But Krebs, understanding Lassie could be an asset to Cully and his obstreperous entry, Queenie, locks her in his barn. Cully: Andy Clyde. Krebs: Eddy Waller. Mr. Banner: Hal Smith.
   • Trivia: The burro race is part of the Calverton Centennial celebration (meaning, apparently, Calvertion was founded in 1863). Ruth keeps her rainy day money in a sugar bowl in the breakfront. Krebs' entry is named "Oswald."
   • Note: Eddy Waller had been seen in the series for several years as Henry Enders (and at least once in another role); suddenly midseries he shifted characters to play cranky farmer Matt Krebs, Cully's neighbor and nemesis. Andy Clyde does another piece of mime business in the hilarious scene where he asks to borrow the money. You know, Lassie does cheat at the end!

"Operation Woodland" (04/21/63):

Assigned to collect unopened pine cones for the children's reforestation project, Timmy "trades" with a squirrel for his capacious cache, but then a torrential rain washes the bags of cones—and possibly the squirrel—away. Miss Hazlit: Sally Bliss. Ranger Allen: Russell Johnson.
   • Note: Although Johnson shows up a second time as a forest ranger, he does not play "Fawn Patrol's" Mark Adams.

"Weasel Warfare" (04/28/63):

Lassie leads Timmy to Cully, passed out on a tractor after suffering a heart attack. To get him to rest after the ordeal, Timmy volunteers to care for his farm—and begins a battle against gophers after Cully's prize melons. When poison and traps don't work, Timmy figures a weasel might. Cully: Andy Clyde. Dr Temple: John Zaremba. Miss Hazlit: Sally Bliss.
   • Trivia: Timmy can take a pulse and knows how to determine if someone is alive. (Probably something he learned in first aid in Scouts.)
   • Note: How times have changed! Can you imagine a parent today entrusting a twelve-year-old with cyanide pellets?

"Silver Soldier" (05/05/63):

Lassie, who's been whiling away her time watching King, an Army war dog retraining as a sentry, brings the German shepherd home after one of his handlers is hurt. There King attacks John Givens, one of the Martins' neighbors, and traps Timmy in the barn. Simons: Patrick Waltz. With Gene Pinkerton, William Foster, and Ken Mayer.

"A Matter of Pride" (05/12/63):

The first race of the Calverton Pigeon Club may be its last: none of the pigeons show up after two hours. Timmy, who organized the club, goes searching for the birds, and he and Lassie find their pigeon Goldwing trapped behind an electric fence at a radar station. Rusty Warden: Stephen Barringer. Radarman: Larry Wayne.
   • Note: Apparently the Martin farm is near a small airport. The radar signal disoriented the pigeons. We see "Lassie's pigeon" Goldwing again. Evidently Ladybird didn't race.

"Eagle's Lair" (05/19/63):

Lassie and Timmy rescue a wounded bald eagle and worry about the fate of her babies, but, using her "adopted" goose as a lure, Lassie persuades "Mrs. Eagle" to care for the chicks instead of having a Government ornithologist take them away. Joe Clarke: Charles Meredith.
   • Note: Although Ruth is telling Mr. Clarke the story of Mrs. Eagle and the goose (flashbacks are used), the story is actually narrated by Bonita Granville Wrather as Ruth's "voice." The shot of Lassie defending the goose from a wolf are re-used cuts from "Lassie's Odyssey."

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