The Painted Hills

Plots: An intrepid dog comes to the rescue when a boy’s life is put at risk by the greed inflamed by a gold strike. A Lassie movie. After years of prospecting, Jonathan finally strikes gold. He returns to town only to discover that his partner has since died and left Tommy fatherless. He decides to leave Shep (played by Lassie) with Tommy to cheer him up. Meanwhile, Jonathan’s new partner, Lin, isn’t interested in sharing the gold, and lures Jonathan to his death. Lassie immediately deduces what’s happened, so Lin poisons Lassie. Lassie barely pulls through and pursues Lin to a climactic confrontation where, due to an off-screen accident with some liquid nitrogen, Lin’s gun jams. Having worked his fingers to the bone looking for gold in the rich mountains of California, resilient prospector Jonathan Harvey finally strikes gold. However, when he and his loyal collie, Shep, return to town, he discovers that his partner Frank Blake has died of pneumonia, leaving a widow and an orphaned young son, Tommy. And before long, greed and paranoia possess Jonathan’s new partner, Lin Taylor, an unscrupulous, ruthless man hell-bent on having the treasure all to himself. But not if Shep can help it. Can the brave dog thwart Lin’s sinister plans? Will justice prevail?