Lassie stars as Shep, a loyal dog who seeks to avenge the death of his murdered master in the wild hills of the American frontier. When prospector Jonathan Harvey strikes gold, he takes on Lin Taylor as his business partner, returning to the hills to mine the claim. As their haul increases, so does Lin's greed. He turns to desperate measures, pushing Jonathan off of a cliff. Although Lin thinks his crime has gone undetected, there is a lone witness to the murder - Jonathan's faithful dog Shep.

Notable for it's impressive shots of scenic landscape, The Painted Hills is the seventh in the MGM Lassie series. - Collie, played by Lassie, avenges gold-miner master.