Gramps becomes despondent and starts talking about selling the farm when rabbits chew off the bark of his apple trees. When Lassie finds an undamaged apple tree in the woods, the Millers work hard to graft new trees.
TRIVIA - this may be the only Lassie episode you'll see Ellen in pants instead of a dress! Also Gramps credits the apple tree Lassie found in the woods as being a Gravenstein planted by Johnny Appleseed (true name: John Chapman 1774-1845). That may well have been the legend in the 1950's, as the Gravenstein was a well known cooking and cider apple, but that apple was principally found abundant only in California (land of Hollywood, movie stars, and TV show production - hint, hint) and in Nova Scotia - not necessarily in the heartland where the Millers lived. According to author Michael Pollan, John ("Johnny Appleseed") Chapman only planted wild, sour apples good for cider, and was said to have refused to plant any grafted apple trees because of some type of religious objection (don't ask me why, just stating the facts). Chapman also planted apple orchards as his business, not a scattering of trees along the way. Pollan states in the opening chapter of his book ' The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World': "Really, what Johnny Appleseed was doing - and the reason he was welcome in every cabin in Ohio and Indiana - was he was bringing the gift of alcohol to the frontier. He was our American Dionysus." Hard (fermented) cider made a very potent alcoholic drink, much prized by the country folk as it was easier to make than corn whiskey, needed no still, left no incriminating evidence, and thus completely evaded the eye of the government "Revenuers"! No wonder Johnny Appleseed was so revered, and his name passed down in our American history so fondly. Who woulda thought! Still, the Johnny Appleseed segment made for a very cute side story in this Lassie episode, setting up a wonderful bonding scene between grandfather and grandson with a bit of American history legend thrown in as well.
NOTE: This recording has been edited to remove commercials and to add titles and descriptions. The re-broadcast has not been stretched or modified in any way from the original film which was distributed for TV viewing in classic black and white early 1950's "square TV screen" format. "Lassie" is copyrighted and owned by Classic Media. The first 4 seasons of "Lassie" were later syndicated as "Jeff's Collie". Recorded from COZI TV in 2013 via free over-the-air antenna TV.
29 май 2014
