Lady and the Tramp

Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske,

Overview

Lady and the Tramp represented two "firsts" for Disney: It was the studio's first Cinemascope animated feature, and it was their first full-length cartoon based on an original story rather than an established "classic." Lady is the pampered female dog belonging to Jim Dear and Darling. When her human masters bring a baby into the house, Lady feels she's being eased out; and when Darling's insufferable Aunt Sarah introduces her nasty twin Siamese cats into the fold, Lady is certain that she's no longer welcome. The cats wreak all manner of havoc, for which Lady is blamed. After the poor dog is fitted with a muzzle, Lady escapes from the house, only to run across the path of the Tramp, a raffish male dog from the "wrong" side of town. The Tramp helps Lady remove her muzzle, then takes her out on a night on the town, culminating in a romantic spaghetti dinner, courtesy of a pair of dog-loving Italian waiters. After their idyllic evening together, Lady decides that it's her duty to protect Darling's baby from those duplicitous Siamese felines. On her way home, Lady is captured and thrown in the dog pound. Here she learns from a loose-living mutt named Peg that The Tramp is a canine rake. Disillusioned, Lady is more than happy to be returned to her humans, even though it means that she'll be chained up at the insistence of Aunt Sarah. Tramp comes into Lady's yard to apologize, but she wants no part of him. Suddenly, a huge, vicious rat breaks into the house, threatening the baby. Lady breaks loose, and together with Tramp, runs into the house to protect the infant. When the dust settles, it appears to Aunt Sarah that Tramp has tried to attack the child. That's when Lady's faithful friends Jock the bloodhound and Trusty the scottie swing into action, rescuing Tramp from the dogcatcher. Once Jim Dear and Darling are convinced that Tramp is a hero, he is invited to stay...and come next Christmas, there's a whole flock of little Ladies and Tramps gathered around the family. Beyond the usual excellent animation and visual effects, the principal selling card of Lady and the Tramp is its music. Many of the songs were performed and co-written by Peggy Lee, who years after the film's 1955 theatrical issue, successfully sued Disney for her fair share of residuals from the videocassette release.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/22/2018
UPC:	0786936856743
Original Release:	1955
Rating:	G
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Sales rank:	5,526

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Peggy Lee	Peg,Si,Am,Darling
Barbara Luddy	Lady
Larry Roberts	Tramp
Bill Thompson	Bull,Dachsie,Jock
Stan Freberg	Beaver
Verna Felton	Aunt Sarah
Alan Reed	Boris
George Givot	Tony
Dal McKennon	Toughy/Professor
Lee Millar	Jim Dear
Mello Men	Voice Only

Technical Credits

Don DaGradi

Erdman Penner

Joe Rinaldi

Ralph Wright

Clyde Geronimi	Director
Wilfred Jackson	Director
Hamilton Luske	Director
Sonny Burke	Songwriter
Clark	Animator
Don DaGradi	Screenwriter
Walt Disney	Producer
Donald Halliday	Editor
Milt Kahl	Animator
Hal King	Animator
Eric Larson	Animator
Peggy Lee	Songwriter
John Lounsbery	Animator
Erdman Penner	Associate Producer,Screenwriter
Wolfgang Reitherman	Animator
Joe Rinaldi	Screenwriter
Frank Thomas	Animator
Oliver Wallace	Score Composer
Ralph Wright	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

What’s your favorite moment from Lady and the Tramp? Is it the mischievous song of the scheming Siamese cats? Is it Peggy Lee’s scruffy and saucy dog-pound classic, “He’s a Tramp?” Or is it Tramp and Lady’s back-alley spaghetti dinner -- one of the screen’s most romantic scenes? Unleashed for the first time on DVD, Lady and the Tramp is one of Disney’s most fetching animated features. Told from a dog’s point of view, it introduces Lady, a cocker spaniel whose pampered life with Jim Dear and his wife, Darling, is upended by a baby’s arrival. Lady's friends Jock, a small black Scottie, and Trusty, a bloodhound with a fading sense of smell, try to reassure her that it will all work out; but Tramp, a “footloose and leash-free” mutt, warns her, “When a baby moves in, the dog moves out.” The mismatched couple cross paths again after Lady runs away from home and the street-savvy Tramp comes to her rescue, setting the stage for an unforgettable “Bella Notte.” Presented in an all-new pristine digital restoration, Lady and the Tramp can be viewed in its original (and preferred) CinemaScope version or in full screen. This two-disc DVD throws a bone to Disney buffs with its extensive archival features, including reconstructed abandoned scenes, a “pitch” version of the film comprising the original storyboards, and a thorough chronicle of the film’s production that somewhat compensates for the absence of audio commentary.

Barnes & Noble - Donald Liebenson

Lady and the Tramp is one of Disney's most beloved films. It also represents something of a departure for the studio. Whereas previous animated features had tended toward the fantastic fairy tale setting of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp is set in a recognizable everyday world, although one where one can understand what animals say to each other. The pacing and tone are also somewhat more leisurely than in previous efforts. While there is plenty of action and adventure, the entire film is slightly more relaxed. Some of this is due to the amount of time spent on characterization -- Lady and Tramp's relationship is more fully developed than in earlier cartoons. Indeed, their first date (in an alley behind an Italian restaurant) is one of the most romantic and enchanting moments in film. As usual, the animation is top-notch, whether on big scenes like the chase after the dogcatcher or on small moments like Lady's humiliation at being slapped. A big plus is Peggy Lee's distinctive score, especially the jazzy "He's a Tramp" and the catchy "Siamese Cat Song." Lee does double duty by providing voices for several of the characters, and Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, and Bill Thompson's vocal interpretations are also invaluable. Six years later, some of the same talent would work on another classic dog tale, 101 Dalmations.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler