MovieChat Forums > Son of Lassie (1945) Discussion > abrupt ending (possible spoiler)

abrupt ending (possible spoiler)

posted 9 years ago by erinthelass
5 replies | jump to latest

(SPOILER ALERT: Read no further if you haven't seen the film and intend to.)

When I watched this film recently on TCM, I found the ending to be extremely abrupt. Toward the end of the movie, when Peter Lawford is washed ashore during his escape from the Nazis, he spots a cabin atop a bank, which we assume he is going to for help. Then the scene quickly switches to June Lockhart and Donald Crisp back home in England and merrily chatting in the presence of Lassie, when suddenly here comes Lawford, in full uniform, running up the path toward Lockhart and Crisp and with Laddie by his side. Huh? Did someone omit a reel when they showed this? What happened at the cabin? How did he come to regain his complete uniform? How did he find Laddie when the two became separated in the raging current? I suppose we can fill in these details with our imagination, but it certainly would have been nice to see them depicted, however briefly, in the film!

[–] cincy-2 9 years ago

It had been explained earlier in the film that Joe was going to rendezvous with a British submarine off the coast at midnight. After he and Laddie escaped from the pursuing soldiers, he returned to that house (where his Resistance helpers lived), got into the boat and left. We can assume that his rescue was successful.

[–] erinthelass 9 years ago

Yes, you're right about the early details, but even with that early exposition, the ending seems awfully rushed. It would have been more satisfying to see at least a quick series of scenes that tied together the whole cabin-reached/Laddie-found/both-rescued storyline before switching to the final scene with Lockhart and Crisp. Once it's established that he spots the cabin while still in the rushing waters, we never see Lawford finding Laddie, making it to the cabin together, reuniting with the Resistance, getting into a boat, and being rescued by the submarine. An awful lot to be left to the imagination.

[Edited to correct a typo.]

[–] firkle 8 years ago

Just saw this on TCM. I agree this was an abrupt ending but you might have seen an edited version. Joe and Laddie washed ashore together, they weren't separated in the raging water. They waited until night fall and crawled into the boat while the Resistance woman distracted the Nazi guard by inviting him into the cabin for some food.

[–] waltereckland 8 years ago

They should have shown them meeting the submarine. It is silly not to show that. They could very easily have traded one of the many escapes scenes to help bridge that gapping hole in the movie.

[–] erinthelass 8 years ago

Wow, you're right, that MUST have been an edited movie on TCM based on the scenes you described in your response to my posting. Thanks for filling in the details, but now I'm even sorrier that TCM didn't show the WHOLE movie. It would have been very satisfying to see the scenes you described.