- Robert Bray, Lassie, TV, 1964-1968. Lassie stayed put, but her owners kept changing… First, Broadway singer Jan Clayton and her young son, Tommy Rettig for 117 episodes, 1954-1957. Teenage Tommy soon got bored with playing a mere kid – and Tommy became Timmy when Jon Provost was the adopted son of the Martins: Cloris Leachman and Jon Sheppod, during 1957-1958. Leachman hated her role – and so these Martins were axed for June Lockhart and Hugh Reilly (also from Broadway), during 1958-1964. Soon enough Provost reprised Rettig’s let-me-go plea… after 249 shows. That meant a new change of the humans. And a new rule: Colour in, kids out! Robert Bray became Lassie’s owner, a Texas… no, Forrest Service Ranger. Bray had a booze problem and had to replaced by Jed Allen and Jack De Mave, as the series declined and disappeared up Lassie’s ass in 1971. Over her 366 chapters, Lasssie was played by boy-dogs, Pal and Pal Jr, trained by Rudd Weatherwax.
Birth year: 1915Death year: 1998Other name: Casting Calls: 1