Original subtitles

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starring tommy rettig as jeff miller

jan clayton as his mother ellen

george cleveland as gramps

and of course

lassie

you know mr miller

nobody ever got rich working the land

the big money's in buying and selling it

now here's my proposition

i've got a client a millionaire who

breeds beef cattle as a hobby black

angus

he's looking for some good pasture land

right in this part of the country and

he'll pay top dollar mr miller top

dollar he needs at least 200 acres

hold on you asked me to sell my farm

for top dollar mr miller cash in the

bank

i get poster cut and wire string

now believe me mr miller this is the

opportunity of a lifetime for both of us

now i just think you don't quite

understand

you're the one that don't understand

emmett i was born on this land and

married on it i raised a family on it

and moreover i aim to die on it

no my farm ain't for sale

what's his name domino

that's a dopey name what kind of a horse

is he he's not a horse yet he's a

yearling

can you ride him nope why not

because he's not big enough baloney i've

been pony smarter than him that's

different domino's not saddle broke yet

what are you a chicken

i'll put a saddle on him and ride him

no you won't says who look if you go in

there you're gonna get your head kicked

off he's skittish oh yeah

come here domino

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oh

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[Applause]

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foreign get up here

now what's this all about he started it

is that true jeff he was getting a

domino with a stick that's a dirty lie

oh now wait a minute never mind

just look at you ed you tuck your shirt

back in jeff you go into the house and

change good mom please jeff

no laughing you stay here

come on domino

nothing's gonna hurt you

hush uh don't you be afraid son you just

tell me the truth

dad

that's what happened lassie bit me

that dog is a dangerous animal

she's vicious

lassie vicious why she ain't got a mean

boner body i'll tell you one thing

she'll never bite anyone again come on

you mark my words miller i'll have that

animal destroyed if it's the last thing

i ever do

come on

but it's my duty to serve you with this

you mean to tell me that emmett carey

actually swore out a warrant against

lassie

her willful and

vicious unmotivated assault and attack

on the body of the complainant's

minor child edgar kerry

i don't believe it

well if you don't believe it here it is

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what do you make of it

it might be serious

what do you mean serious kevin

lassy goes on trial tomorrow morning at

10 o'clock

on trial

in plain language jeff it means that

if lassie is found guilty

court blowed her destroyed

mom what is it what's the matter they're

going to kill lassie oh of all the

nonsensical things now who said that

there's no sense of hiding things ellen

the dog bit the boy she did not laughs

and never bit anybody stop this stop it

both of you if this case has to be tried

we'll do it in court not here

now stop crying jeff

i'm sorry clay

well that's all right ellen but

there's just one more thing

what

i have to take lassie into custody

into what why

orders ellen

i'm supposed to take her with me now and

deliver her to court tomorrow morning

you can't have her

it won't be necessary clay lassie will

be in court in the morning

i give you my word

well that's good enough for me

did

he actually hit the cold with a stick he

tried but i stopped him

now just one more question but this is

most important

lassie ever bitten anyone before

no

absolutely not

good

then i don't think we've got anything to

worry about

what do you mean

that's a latin word george scienter

s-c-i-e-n-t-e-r

means foreknowledge being aware of

something beforehand

i don't follow you

well the courts have held that a dog in

a manner of speaking is allowed one bite

now unless they can prove that lassie

has attacked and bitten someone before

this time

they've got no case

are you sure of that

well george the law isn't like milking a

cow you know you can never be sure

you

you mean they still might kill lassie

anything can happen in court yet

but

i'll do my best

come on george

having business in this court drawn here

give your attention and ye shall be

heard his honor henry wheatley judge of

the county court of preston presiding be

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case of the seated against george miller

helen miller jeff miller of miner owners

and custodians of the dull glassy

if the prosecution and defense are ready

we will proceed

your honor

if the court pleases

i move for dismissal of this case on the

grounds of non-scientific

the law clearly states that a

domesticated animal cannot be held for

willful attack

unless prior attack and viciousness can

be proved

your honor it's the prosecution's

intention to prove beyond any reasonable

doubt that this dog has attacked before

and that the owners knew it

that's the consent line

sit down and be quiet also help me i'll

hold you in contempt of court

i will reserve my decision on the

motion for dismissal

you may proceed

if you please the court

just one more point before we proceed

your honor

yes mr prosecutor in view of the fact

that this dog is a dangerous animal

objection no evidence has been so

offered

sustain

please confine your remarks to the

issues your honor i intend to fully

prove my statement

but until such time

i make it the responsibility of this

court for the safety and well-being of

all those present to have this animal

leash to tide during these proceedings

very well if you put it that way the

court has no choice but to comply

really

i call my first witness

jeff miller

jeff miller take the stand

jeff

please come up and take the witness

chair

put your left hand on the bible and

raise your right hand do you solemnly

swear to tell the truth the whole truth

and nothing but the truth so help you

god

yes sir i do be seated

just a few simple questions jeff

where did you get this dog

everybody knows where i got lassie

would your honor please instruct the

witness to answer the question

answer the question jeff

yes sir

mr kerry's uncle he gave me lassie in

the will exactly so obviously you

remember the circumstances well sure

i'll never forget the time i got lassie

then you know not remember a certain

hired hand who was working for mr

kerry's uncle at the time

matt willis good

now i ask you jeff isn't it true that

you were an eyewitness to this dog's

brutal attack upon that same hired man

matt willis but matt stole mr carrie's

money

lassie was just trying to answer the

question did you or did you not witness

the attack of your dog lassie upon matt

willis well i yes or no

let the boy talk

yeah why don't you give him a chance

any further demonstrations

i'll have the court cleared

you may continue

now did you or did you not witness such

an attack yes or no

yes

thank you jeff that's all

your witness mr brown no questions your

honor

no questions

all right jeff

step down

but i don't want to step down he made me

say things that aren't true unless he's

not a bad dog she wouldn't hurt anyone

jeff

you love lassie don't you

sure i do you'd do almost anything to

save her wouldn't you

yes i would you'd say almost anything to

safer wouldn't you

i don't know what you mean i mean maybe

even lie just a little bit you don't

have to answer that

we understand

step down

henry wheatley

you can hold me in contempt if you want

but i'm gonna have my say

i never in all my born days saw a boy

worth a salt that didn't love his dog

but that don't mean that my grandson

jeff would lie

he wouldn't lie for nothing

that pucilla animus pool cat emmett

kerry is taking it out of jeff and

lassie because i wouldn't sell them my

bomb

that's perfectly all right your honor as

long as the old gentleman insists on

making himself heard by all means let's

have him do so

if the court pleases

my next witness george miller george

miller take the stand

raise your right hand

do you solemnly swear to tell the truth

the whole truth and nothing but the

truth so help you god i do

all right fire away

now mr miller we come to the events of

yesterday now refresh your recollection

you and mr kerry were on your way to the

barn

isn't it true that at that time you

heard a terrible scream of pain and fear

uh let me put it this way a simple

question mr miller just answer yes or no

well now now yes or no no

no

would your honor please request the

stenographer to read the last question

and answer read the question

is it not true that at that time you

heard a terrible scream of pain and fear

answer no

mr miller

i remind you

you're under oath

of course i'm under oath i know that

the junior dang devil talk makes me all

up

sure i heard the boy yell what of it

thank you and upon rushing into the barn

you saw the boy edgar carey lying on the

floor with his leg gashed and bleeding

is that not also true well i don't know

yes or no

answer the question george

yes and at the time the dog lassie with

bare teeth was barking and growling over

edgar carey isn't that true her lesson

is just that true

yes

as a matter of fact you had to hold the

dog back is that not all so true well i

didn't have to hold it but you actually

did hold her didn't you yes

thank you you've been most helpful

your witness mr brown no questions

that's all george but i haven't had a

chance to say anything yet step down i

know henry i mean your honor down george

proceed mr prosecutor your honor i call

my last witness

edgar carey

ed got kerry take the stand

put your left hand on the bottom and

raise your right hand you solemnly swear

to tell the truth the whole truth are

nothing but the truth so help you god i

do they say this

son

i'm going to ask you just one question

and i want you like the others to answer

yes or no

your witness mr brown we're in trouble

george

they've proven the prior attack of

jeff's testimony and we've got nothing

to refute this boy's statement but he's

not telling the truth mr brown

i know less he didn't bite him does the

defense wish to cross-examine

yes your honor

uh judging by the way you limped up to

the witness chair edgar that leg of

yours must be paining you some

yeah it's pretty sore um

seems to have gotten considerably worse

since you got into court objection

sustain confine yourself to the issues

mr brown

yes your honor the issues

the most important issue in this case

is that alleged bite on your leg

might we see the bite edgar

just raise your trouser leg let's get it

look at it

do i have to

you say the dog bit you

yes sir

then mr brown has a right to see the

bite

eddie

would you remove the bandage

your honor this boy is suffering intense

pain from a savage dog bite and i do not

think he should be asked to remove the

bandage are you suffering intense pain

edgar

well

it hurts

can you remove the bandage

i guess so then remove it

caleb

caleb

with your honor's permission

edgar

you look like a smart boy to me

one not likely to make a mistake about a

simple fact i haven't made any mistakes

no i'm saying you did son

i just want to be sure

now about this womb

your honor i object this is an

unwarranted invasion of my client's

privacy just a moment

mr brown do you have additional evidence

in relation to this boy's wound the most

important evidence of this case your

honor objection overruled

proceed

now hey duke i'm going to ask you one

question but it's an important question

so you just take your time

think before you answer

are these the marks that were made by

lassie's teeth when she bit you

yes are you sure

yes

classy

give it to me lassie

good girl

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i want everyone to watch this carefully

particularly my honorable colleague the

prosecuting attorney

the handle of this gavel now bears

lassie's teeth marks

so allegedly does uh edgar carey's leg

a full inch difference like i said

before edgar

you look like a smart boy

you can see the marks of lassie's teeth

on the handle of this gavel

you can also see that lassie's teeth

never could have made the marks on your

leg because your teeth are not wide

enough apart

last scene never bit you and you know it

we want the truth boy the truth

i fell into the barbed wire

was scared

my father said lassie baby so i said she

did too

with your honors permission i

i withdraw the complaint very well mr

kerry but i wish to see you and your son

in my chambers immediately

case dismissed

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you