The movie was adapted by Hugo Butler from the novel by Eric Knight. It was directed by Fred M. Wilcox.
It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color.
The movie was followed by a sequel, Son of Lassie, in 1945.
This was the first of a long series of movies and television series starring Lassie, a collie dog. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.