Lady and the Tramp

There is nothing as wonderful as the wag of a dog's tale. The writers, actors and animators, together with Disney magic, capture the unique and limitless variety of personalities that exist in the canine world. This film takes these wonderful canine characters and shows the world from their perspective. The adorable footage of Lady as a puppy reminds me of the behavior of my own hounds when they were pups. The beautiful "Park Avenue" Lady grows up and falls for the happy-go-lucky, vagabond, Tramp. Add a dog-hating aunt, a baby, some cats, some rats and the adventure is complete. The songs sung from the dog pound together with those sung by the wicked Siamese cats are the most purely fun of any Disney animation. The song sung at the lover's romantic Italian dinner brings a tear to the eye. Finally, Lady and the Tramp share a spaghetti noodle that leads to one of the most memorable kisses in Hollywood history. This is a wonderful film that will be enjoyed for generations.

Peggy Lee was a national treasure. What an amazing thing that she wrote most of the music for this movie, but only in old age did she receive credit. I agree that issues of class seem merely consistent with the era, but consider that the flavor of the day was vanilla. So in those days going out for Italian was a walk on the wild side (unless you grew up in Brooklyn)! Then an upper-crust girl marries a boy of mixed race origins?! And it's clear from the dog pound scene that Peg "got around" (just look at her hair!), nevertheless, she was valued and respected among the dogs. Yes, the film is hokey. But rats are evil. And the soundtrack is outstanding.

Fairy tale about the romance between two dogs from opposite sides of the tracks gets colorful, warm, old-fashioned Disney treatment. Cinemascope cartoon unfolds with valentine-like flair, all the ribbons and bows are in place, yet the requisite cutesy flourishes and manipulation inevitably turn up (one dog, thought to have been killed, shows up LIMPING in the next scene!). Yet, it's hard to complain when the rest of the pieces fall into place so snugly. The plot is, by turns, comfortably predictable and still pleasingly reassuring, though a bit heavy with incidental chatter. The Peggy Lee music is delightful, and the "Bella Notte" sequence alone, with the spaghetti, breadsticks and the drippy candle, is simply superb. *** from ****

One of the few Disney cartoons at this period not based on a famous piece of literature--so at least no one can complain that it doesn't do justice to the original! It's an unpretentious little gem, told from the viewpoint of the animals and against interesting backgrounds with superb animation and vocal work. Cat lovers may find it painful to watch how sinister the two Siamese cats are depicted--but not if they have a sense of humor. Actually, the 'Siamese Cat Song' is one of the highlights of Peggy Lee's novelty numbers. 'Bella Notte' and other simple melodies are integrated nicely into the plot with satisfying results. This was the first Disney cartoon made in Cinemascope so the artists had to fill a broader landscape for the camera to photograph. And yet, the transfer to video on VHS format is extremely well handled--you don't feel you're missing anything. I believe the film is also available in letterbox but I find the VHS print I own to be more than satisfactory. Delightful Disney classic for young and old alike.

"Lady and the Tramp" is indeed one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. I just love every single bit of it! The story, the characters, the music, the stunning animation style...everything is amazingly done!

This is exactly what today's Disney flicks have been lacking- they don't recapture the spirit and magic of the original Disney masterpieces like this movie and the other Disney classics such as "Bambi", "The Aristocats", and "The Fox and the Hound", except for contemporaries like "The Lion King", "Toy Story", "Tarzan", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Mulan", which are still well-set up.

Okay, back to "Lady and the Tramp". This movie deserves ten out of ten stars, and those of you who haven't seen it yet have gotta watch it. It's not presented only for the youngsters, but also for those who are young at heart. If you really enjoy it as much as I do, don't miss the astounding follow-up to the original in the delightful "Scamp's Adventure"!