This article, written by Hal Humphrey, was published in vol. 6 no. 20, May 16-22, 1965 issue of TV Times.
It is © 1969 TV Times, Los Angles Times.
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How is Lassie adjusting to her new master, that big forest ranger? Does she miss little Jon Provost, or is she just a fickle, faithless collie who'll follow the last hand that pets her?
Naturally nobody consulted Lassie last fall when the producers retired the Martin family — Mom (June Lockhart), Dad (Hugh Reilly) and Timmy {Jon Provost).
Any anxiety spent by the producers over the switch was for the TV fans and how they'd react to this abrupt change in format after 10 years.
Robert Bray (on the cover), the actor who plays the ranger, Corey Stuart, was worried. He had passed muster with Bonita Granville, associate producer, who is married to Jack Wrather, who owns the series. But he knew that if Lassie didn't take to him, a new career was over before it started.
"It was a pretty rough deal for Bob Bray," says Rudd Weatherwax, trainer and owner of Lassie. "He came to me and asked, 'What can I do to make Lassie my friend?' I told him the best thing was to move into my house awhile, become a member of the household, sleep with the dog."
Acting jobs being what they are, which is scarce, Bray decided there were worse things than sleeping with a collie. He joined the Weatherwax household.
A slight complication was the almost regular weekend visits Jon Provost stili makes to the Weatherwax home to visit Lassie, but the dog doesn't seem disturbed by being a part of a triangle.
"Bray takes the dog with him when he goes on horseback rides, and Lassie loves that. Also," Weatherwax adds, "he has one of Lassie's sons and is training him."
Life for Weatherwax is less complicated now. Bray has learned to work Lassie, giving the commands for the TV cameras, thus saving Weatherwax and the editors from the tedious business of blanking out the trainer's voice from the film later.
"There was always a problem when we went on location with the kid, because his schooling couldn't be interrupted," says Weatherwax. "Of course, some ways I'm working harder. They've got me chasing Lassie up mountains and through snow. I'm beginning to feel like a mountain goat. It keeps me young, though."
The 58-year-old Weatherwax and his brothers started their own kennel in 1942, three years after Weatherwax and his Lassie made "Lassie Come Home" at MGM.
Next month Weatherwax and the present Lassie begin the 12th year of the TV Lassie. The present Lassie has been on the show four years, and started as a 1-year-old pup. They've all been males, and Weatherwax is especially high on this one.
"We're going to be in color next year, and wait till you see this collie on color film. He's got a golden-brown coloring just like his greatgrandfather — beautiful!" says his proud owner.
There'll always be a Lassie — and probably on TV, too.