So call your sweetheart over and let's watch this Disney classic one more time....
~LADY AND THE TRAMP~
"In the whole history of the world there is but one thing that money can not buy... to wit - the wag of a dog's tail." Josh Billings
Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 animated feature film produced by Walt Disney, and originally released to theaters on June 22, 1955 by Buena Vista Distribution. The fifteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen film process. The story pairs a female American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a prosperous, upper middle-class family, and a male stray mutt named Tramp.
A self-sufficient, freedom-loving guy from the wrong side of the tracks falls for a pretty girl from "Snob Hill," and after some tribulations and misunderstandings, love conquers all and they marry and live happily ever after. A familiar plot, but it is given a twist by Disney when the guy is actually a floppy-eared mutt and the girl a dainty Cocker spaniel.
Lady and the Tramp is one of Disney's best-loved movies, and deservedly so. Technically, the animation, artwork, and character design are nothing short of beautiful. The script and story are simple but charming. The movie has plenty of warmth and heart, action, and humor, as well as sweet romance. And the under-rated soundtrack is graced by the songs of the team of Peggy Lee and Sonny Burke (Ms. Lee sang and did many of the voices as well).
Lady is a naive young dog who has a loving home and kindly neighbors (Jock and Trusty). Her apprehension about a baby being born to her owners is fueled by an intruder, The Tramp, but Jim Dear and Darling make her a canine aunt for the newcomer. However, when her owners go on a trip, leaving the baby in the care of Darling's Aunt Sarah, a series of accidents and misunderstandings throws Lady out into the streets, in danger, and under the protection of The Tramp. They fall in love, but they part because, despite how she's been treated, Lady won't leave her family and go into the wide world with him. A last romp, however, ends up with The Tramp's care falling short and Lady in the pound, where she meets some of his friends and gets a broader view of life. This view doesn't make her any happier with him, but when a rat sneaks into the baby's room and Lady is chained and unable to stop it, The Tramp risks his freedom and his life to help her.
Whenever I list my favorite movies, Lady and the Tramp is always there. Many movies have been made which you might argue are better, but none that hold so special a place in my heart. Every frame is a delight, and I adore the characters, especially the two title characters. A few years ago I was lucky enough to find all the characters in the Disney Beanie type toys.
I have Lady, Tramp, Jock and Trusty! I also have the figurines of Lady and the Tramp and several Christmas ornaments that I have collected of these two Disney stars.
There is a fairy-tale beauty to the movie which is unrealistic and yet completely convincing, so that it takes you into a world better than our own, as do all the best animated films. I defy anyone to watch this movie and not cheer for this rugged anti-hero, or smile at the blonde Peg when she sings the classic "He's a Tramp", or get teary-eyed when Jock mourns for his old friend Trusty. From beginning to end, this film's a charmer and deserves to be called a classic. This movie might not only bring out the kid in you but the softer side as well...go ahead pass the kleenex!
Until next time........ I'll continue to Stroll Down Memory Lane....
