DOGGED DEVOTION `LASSIE' RETURNS TO THE SCREEN AS PROOF OF BELOVED COLLIE'S TIMELESS APPEAL.

Byline: Evan Henerson Staff Writer

That face. That shiny hair. That indomitable spirit. She's been a screen star since the 1940s and still looks good when she plays the title role in her own motion pictures.

Opening Friday is the 11th cinematic incarnation of that beloved collie named Lassie. Filmed in England and Ireland, Charles Sturridge's new ``Lassie'' adapts Eric Knight's 1940 novel, ``Lassie Come Home.''

In pre-war England, a mining family (Samantha Morton, John Lynch and newcomer Jonathan Mason) is forced into selling its dog to a wealthy duke (Peter O'Toole), but our heroine escapes and journeys from Scotland to England to return to her original owners. On Christmas Eve, no less.

The 1943 film of the same title featured Roddy McDowall and a then-11-year-old Elizabeth Taylor receiving her first on-screen kiss -- from Lassie.

And 63 years later, filmmakers are banking on the fact that the story of a boy and his faithful -- and very recognizable -- dog can still tug heartstrings and sell tickets.

``I get asked all the time, `Do you think Lassie will survive in this day and age when kids are into so many different things?''' says Cathy Schmidt of Woodland Hills, co-owner of the biggest fan site on the Web (lassie.net) whose Colliewoode Productions promotes the character and the sale of Lassie merchandise. ``They've already embraced Lassie. If I go to any appearance and walk my collies down the street, kids will point and say, `Lassie! Lassie!' That dog is magic. That's all I can say. Sheer magic.''

To mark the occasion of film No. 11, we've consulted archives, Web sites, historians, filmmakers, everyone but the lady herself (well, actually a lord, but we'll get to that later) to supply you with a whole lotta Lassie lore. Bone up on these facts, and you should be good and ready should any trivia hound challenge you to a Lass-off.

A Pal's lineage: We're in the ninth generation of Lassies, each a direct descendent of Pal, the collie owned by Hollywood animal trainers Rudd and Frank Weatherwax. Pal starred in the Lassie films of the '40s and '50s. There are, of course, stunt and action doubles who step in for the star to execute various Lassie behaviors.

Hey Hey, aren't you ...?: Yes, the collie known as Hey Hey, trained by Carol Riggins, is indeed the dog who is currently making most of Lassie's personal appearances around the country. And yes, Hey Hey is a distant great-grand-pup of Pal. This is the second descendent named Hey Hey. The first appeared in the syndicated version of the Lassie television show in the '70s. He lived to be 18.

A break with tradition: That's actually not a Lassie descendent playing the namesake in the new film. Except for Hey Hey's brief cameo as one of the duke's (Peter O'Toole) favorite dogs, Lassie is played by a couple of non-Pal descendents named Mason and Dakota. Appropriate paperwork couldn't be obtained in time to get the real Lassie into the United Kingdom, where the movie was filmed.

What's that, girl? Er, I mean, fella: Although the original story was about a female dog named Lassie, all 10 dogs that have played Lassie (from nine generations, starting with Pal) have been male. A female was originally hired to play the lead in the first ``Lassie Come Home,'' but the dog got spooked when asked to jump into the rapids, and Pal took over. Males have been used because they look larger and more heroic-looking (females are typically 10 to 15 pounds lighter) and summer shedding takes less of a visual toll on the males.

About that title, Mr. Provost: Over the course of his seven years on TV's ``Lassie,'' danger-prone Timmy Martin (played by Jon Provost) never once fell down a well. Lassie did once rescue Timmy's father from a well. An undaunted Provost is still working on his autobiography, titled, ``Timmy's in the Well.''

If this one's not true, it sure oughta be,

Pilgrim: Ace Collins, author of ``Lassie: A Dog's Life'' reports that Rudd Weatherwax once overestimated the value of his cards in a poker game with Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. He ended up wagering Pal/Lassie, and lost the hand to the Duke. Wayne graciously declined to take the winnings, but it didn't stop him from calling Weatherwax from time to time to gloat, ``Rudd, how's my dog doing?''

Having a bad fur day? Who you gonna call?: Max Factor, who was brought in to create a specialized hairpiece for Pal's grand-pup, Baby. Baby, the dog who worked with Timmy for the bulk of the TV series, eventually died of cancer in 1966.

Speak, girl!: She's been cartoonized (``Lassie's Rescue Rangers'') and placed into commercials (Recipe Dog Food), but Lassie has never been made to talk. When dubbed for the German version of the TV series, however, Lassie's bark was replaced by the bark of a German Shepherd.

A child's best friend is his dog ... eventually: Hester Odgers and Jonathan Mason, who play the Liz Taylor and Roddy McDowall roles in the new ``Lassie,'' took a little bit of time to warm up to the dogs. To put it mildly.

``It took Jonathan about four or five hours before they would even begin to walk around together,'' says director Sturridge. ``The dogs are quite big and they come up to his tummy button. They could put out a paw and knock him over.

``When Hester first met Lassie, I thought she was going to faint with fright. She was completely shaking with nerves,'' the director continues. ``So I picked two people who were very nervous around dogs to be in a dog film. Of course, by the end, you couldn't tear the dogs and the children apart.''

Of pups and their owners: After Provost's first season on ``Lassie,'' Rudd Weatherwax drew him aside and promised him a puppy ``if I didn't bug Lassie, ride him or pull his tail.'' Weatherwax made good on his promise, and Provost became the owner of a puppy he named Rudd.

``He was a good-looking dog and not trained at all, and that was my one and only collie,'' says Provost, who now owns a beagle. ``Collies are high-maintenance. All that grooming and hair. Lassie was constantly being groomed all day long.''

Schmidt, who runs the all-things-Lassie Colliewoode Productions and Web site with Joan L. Neidhardt, also managed to secure a puppy from the Lassie line: Hey Hey's sister, Gina.

Evan Henerson, [phone]

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LASSIE ENTERTAINMENT TIMELINE

1938: Eric Knight's short story ``Lassie Come Home'' appears in the Saturday Evening Post.

1940: Knight expands the story into a novel.

1943: ``Lassie Come Home,'' the film starring Elizabeth Taylor, Roddy McDowall and Lassie, premieres.

1945: ``Son of Lassie,'' the first sequel, stars June Lockhart, who would later play Ruth Martin in the ``Lassie'' TV series.

1946: ``Lassie'' radio series launches. ``Courage of Lassie'' film released.

1948: ``Hills of Home.''

1949: ``The Sun Comes Up'' and ``Challenge to Lassie'' released.

1951: ``The Painted Hills.''

1954: ``Lassie'' TV series premieres with Tom Rettig playing the boy, Jeff Miller; Jan Clayton as his mother; George Cleveland as the grandfather; and Lassie Jr. taking over for his father, Pal, in the starring role. Jon Provost joins the series as Timmy Martin in 1957; the series runs through 1973.

1963: Four-part episode ``The Journey'' airs and is later edited into the film ``Lassie's Greatest Adventure.''

1973: Animated series ``Lassie's Rescue Rangers'' airs on CBS.

1975: TV film, ``Lassie: Adventure of Neeka.''

1978: ``The Magic of Lassie.''

1989: ``The New Lassie'' TV series premieres.

1994: ``Lassie: Best Friends Are Forever.''

1997: ``Lassie'' TV series premieres on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet.

2006: Newest ``Lassie'' film premieres Friday.

-- Courtesy of Classic Media

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) COMING HOME

Lassie returns in a film based on the origional adventure

(2 -- 3 -- color) Newcomer Jonathan Mason stars with the famous dog in the latest adaptation of the 1940s classic novel, ``Lassie Come Home.'' At right, Woodland Hills resident Cathy Schmidt, who runs the biggest Lassie fan Web site, pets her collie Gina, an offspring of the original line of Lassies.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

(4 -- color) Jon Provost, who played Timmy Martin on the ``Lassie'' TV series, and his favorite canine star attend the premiere of the new movie Tuesday at the Egyptian Theatre.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

(5 -- 6 -- color) no caption (Lassie)

Box:

LASSIE ENTERTAINMENT TIMELINE (see text)