For nearly two decades most of us can remember tuning in to see the latest adventures of the most famous dog on TV – Lassie.
This much-loved Rough Collie dog and her human companions graced our screens for 17 seasons from 1954 to 1973 and even made the transition from black and white to color in the ’60s.
But who could forget the adorable little boy who joined the show in its fourth season when he and his family adopted Lassie – 7-year-old Timmy Martin.
Now Jon Provost, who played Timmy, has celebrated his 74th birthday and shares the joy he had filming with his four-legged friend and how he was discovered by Hollywood at just 3 years old.
The Los Angeles-born actor said when he was 3 years old he was taken to an audition for a Jane Wyman movie because his mom was a huge fan and hoped to get her autograph. But, out of the 200 kids auditioning for the part, Jon got it.
It was far from evident that Jon would become an actor. His father worked with something completely different – he was an aeronautical engineer.
”My parents weren’t Hollywood people. My father is from Alabama and my mother is from Texas,” Jon said.
At age 4, he landed a role in a Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby movie.
“I didn’t have an agent. I got one and that led to more movies like The Country Girl with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. I did about 12 movies before I started ‘Lassie’”, he told Fox News.
Three different Lassies
Recalling the bonds he formed with the three different male dogs that played the part of the female Lassie, Jon said he developed the biggest bond with the last dog to play Lassie.
“I did the show for seven years, 249 half-hour episodes. I worked with three different Lassies. The last dog I worked with, I worked with him for five years alone,” he told Fox News.
“We grew up together. For five years, we saw each other five days a week and sometimes on weekends.
Revealing how well behaved the dog was he added: “The actors made more mistakes than the dog. They were more of a problem,” he laughed.
After leaving the show at 14 years old he starred alongside the likes of Natalie Wood and Kurt Russell and never fell into the Hollywood child actor trap saying: “My parents let me pretty much do what I wanted to do. I didn’t have to take a job.
“When I left Hollywood, I thought it was good that I did.”
Today Jon lives out of the limelight in Northern California but still gets fan mail from his time in “Lassie”. In 1994, the actor received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Meanwhile, Lassie, the canine character, became so popular that she even had a “Lassie” riveting radio series.
Jon Provost wife
In 1979, Jon Provost tied the knot with Sandy Goosens. Together, they had two children, Ryan and Katie.
After being married for 14 years, the two divorced on December 20, 1993.
In 1999, Jon Provost found love again when he married Laurie Jacobson, a well-known researcher, and author.
I was such a fan of the adventures this sweet duo got up to. And with a moral to every episode, it was the perfect show for kids.
Please share with all the “Lassie” fans you know.
The $1 Bill To Keep An Eye Out For
Consider carefully examining a $1 dollar if you happen to have it in your wallet. Certain $1 bills may not look like much money, but they could be worth much more than their face value.
Right now, money with “fancy” serial numbers is sought after by a website called CoolSerialNumbers.com. Additionally, you might be able to sell one of these notes to the website for hundreds or even thousands of dollars if it has a fancy serial number.
What precisely is a fancy serial number determined by, then? Here are some instances to be aware of:
- Seven consecutive repeating digits: You might have struck gold if you come across a $1 bill with a serial number like 09999999, 18888888, or 19999999.
- Seven in a row: Seek out a banknote bearing a serial number consisting of seven consecutive digits, such 00010000, 00090000, or 90999999.
- Super radars are banknotes having serial numbers, such as 01111110, 10000001, or 80000008, that are the same both forward and backward.
- Super repeaters: Look for banknotes that have a four-digit pattern that repeats, such 67676767.
- Double quads: Seek out banknotes bearing a serial number consisting of two groups of four consecutive digits, such as 11110000, 44440000, or 88880000.
And there’s still more to learn! To see what further serial numbers they are currently seeking, visit the website’s Want List.
Is it really true? Even something as insignificant as a folded $1 note has the potential to be a priceless gem. So, everyone, start looking in your wallets! It could be your fortunate day today.
Leave a Reply