Released in the summer of 1955, “Lady and the Tramp” was the 15th Disney animated feature film and, like the beauty and fortitude found with old architecture or a classic car, demonstrates the ability to create something wonderful and perdurable in an era devoid of cheap animation and CGI effects. In fact, it was mere happenstance that I selected this film to watch some 64 years after its release when just a handful of weeks ago, Disney+ released a live-action adaptation of the original. While I haven’t watched the new movie, I feel pretty comfortable stating that it’s simply not as good.
The Disney team excels at quality, and the production value is so strong it’s amazing to image how a handful of people were able to create the characters, in this case, anthropomorphized dogs which, let’s face it, we all love. Just a few minutes in and you’ll actually forget you are watching a cartoon.
“Lady and the Tramp” tells a time-honored tail [sic]of forbidden love, and does so through the animated enjoyment that only Disney can provide. A loving husband presents his wife with a Christmas gift – an adorable puppy named Lady – who is quickly spoiled by her loving owners. Through a series of circumstances, the aristocratic canine is introduced to a street mutt and, in true Billy Joel ‘Uptown Girl’ fashion, the pair fall in love.
Silent film star Barbara Luddy provides the voice for Lady, and it’s a natural fit. Luddy had a fifty-year career that included radio as well, and its proven here with a soft voice that sounds exactly as one would imagine the voice of a sheltered Cocker Spaniel to be. Likewise, comedian and voice actor Larry Roberts captures the sound and characteristics of the mangy Tramp. The main dogs are joined by a Scottish terrier named Jock, and a bloodhound named Trusty (voiced by Bill Thompson and Bill Baucom respectively) who further add to the comedy and light-hearted nature of the story.
“Lady and the Tramp” has a tight running time of 76 minutes and its perfect. In that short span we get fun songs from composer Oliver Wallace, memorable villains including a pair of trouble making Siamese cats and a gruff dog catcher, and a particular scene involving a romantic spaghetti dinner. Never mind the fact that the characters are cartoon dogs. The animation is so on point, one can truly feel the emotion of each one though the simple means of their facial expressions and personalities, which the animators recreated through extensive research and observation of real life dogs.
One interesting note, Walt Disney himself was prepared to cut the dinner scene from the final film believing that dogs eating spaghetti would look silly. The animators crafted it so well, it ultimately remained, and is now one of the most memorable as any love scene in any movie ever.
The American Film Institute ranked “Lady and the Tramp” number 95 out of the “100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time” and with good reason. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable story told in a mesmerizing way that’s great for all ages. Use the Christmas backdrop as an excuse to watch it on a yearly basis, and to appreciate the value of a classic Disney production.
