60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
9/6/64 - After seven seasons, the lead human characters were written off the television series “Lassie.”
In the story line, Timmy Martin (Jon Provost) and his adoptive parents Ruth (June Lockhart) and Paul (Hugh Reilly) depart for Australia, but Lassie cannnot go with them because of quarantine laws.
Prior to this incarnation of the classic television series, Tommy Rettig (as Jeff Miller) portrayed Lassie’s owner, beginning in 1957. After four seasons, Provost and The Martins became the collie’s new owner.
In syndication for decades, the shows with Provost would be shown as “Timmy and Lassie,” while those with Rettig were shown as “Jeff’s Collie.”
Speaking of dogs, also on 9/6/64, “Checkers,” the Nixon’s dog made famous in Nixon’s “Checkers Speech,” died.
Also on 9/6, Actress Rosie Perez is born
