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The Sun Comes Up Review: Fans of the Lassie series will not be disappointed by The Sun Comes Up, although fans of star Jeanette MacDonald might be. Not that MacDonald herself is in any way disappointing, mind you. The legendary operetta star is still in tremendous voice in Sun, treating her audience to a few arias in the course of the film that demonstrate that she could still produce the same glorious sounds as always. She's also in fine form as an actress, giving a lovely performance throughout. No, the problem is simply that this is a Lassie film, even if MacDonald has more screen time; this means that the script not only has to pull focus to the adorable canine at times but that it also will have a number of maudlin scenes that are not exactly high drama. That said, they're also scenes that are hard to resist, even as one is aware of how blatantly one is being manipulated. Sun also has the plus of a fine juvenile performance from Claude Jarman, Jr., as well as welcome and able support from Lloyd Nolan, Percy Kilbride and Margaret Hamilton. Richard Thorpe's direction doesn't win any awards, but it more than gets the job done, and Andre Previn's score is an asset. Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

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