THE PAINTED HILLS
US, 1951, 70 minutes, Colour.
Paul Kelly, Ann Doran.
Directed by Harold F. Kress.
The Painted Hills was one of several features of the late '40s which capitalised on the popularity of Lassie. After Lassie Come Home and its various sequels (Son of Lassie, Courage of Lassie, Challenge to Lassie), M.G.M. made such entertainments as The Hills of Home, The Sun Comes Up.
This film has a brief running time. It is set in the goldfields of the 1870s. The story is quite strong, a variation on the lust for gold. The hero is killed and there is a rather cruel villain. However, the film is still geared for the family audience with Lassie as Shep and a boy as the central character.
Quite effective of its kind and a strong film for family audiences.
1. The popularity of Lassie? Lassie in the original films of the '40s? Subsequent films and television series? The continued appeal of the dog, the collie., relating to humans, fidelity?
2. Production values: location photography, the atmosphere of the mountains and mines of the 1870s, the western town? The use of the scenery? Effective for the plot? Dramatic musical score?
3. Audience familiarity with mining stories, the frontier, the cruelty of the West? The pioneers and their difficulties? The fidelity of dog companions? How well were these themes used?
4. The basic situation of the search for gold, lust for gold, cruelty and murder? Vengeance? The importance of Preacher Pete and his comments about gold and its value for eternal life, with Scripture quotations?
5. The portrait of Jonathan? the old man, the enthusiast, his work, friendship with Tommy and his mother and father, distressed at the father's death. the partnership with Taylor, wanting to console Tommy and giving him Shep, Shep's sensing that Jonathan was sick? Jonathan's shrewdness in summing up Taylor? The friendship with Preacher Pete and saving him from Taylor? His plan for the ownership of the find and claim? The sadness of his death and Shep's reaction?
6. Tommy ? his grief for his father, the gift of Shep relationship with his mother, taking Shep out to Jonathan, working with him, distrust of Taylor, the confrontation, trying to persuade Preacher Pete of the truth?
7. Taylor and his presence in the town, friendship with Martha, seemingly nice ? but suspicious? His going out with Jonathan? His being affected by the gold, hiding the gold bags, thinking that people were hiding in the night, his violent reaction to Preacher Pete, using his gun and Jonathan taunting him saying that he was too weak to use it, his plan for the killing of Jonathan and his executing it, his lies to Tommy, the confrontation with Shep, out in the snow, the gun frozen to his hand, Shep pushing him over the cliff ? poetic justice?
8. Lassie as Shep? A story of friendship and fidelity, working with Jonathan, friendship with Tommy, work at the mine, distress at Jonathan's death, the confrontation with Taylor, the seemingly human wreaking of vengeance and causing Taylor's death?
9. Preacher Pete - the Scripture quotations, the counterbalance to the greed for gold?
10. Themes of pioneering, hardships, the gold fever, the changing of human nature and bringing out weaknesses and cruelty? Themes of the dog as a human's best friend?
