LADY AND THE TRAMP

US, 1955, 76 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronomi, Wilfred Jackson.

Lady and the Tramp has become one of the popular Disney films over the decades. After working with well-known stories such as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, the Disney Studios took a less-known story and worked creatively with it to produce the delightful Lady and the Tramp. This was their first animation feature in Cinemascope - which gave the studios more opportunity to work with characters and movement. There is a pleasing blend of the human and the animal - but things are mostly seen from the dog's point of view.

A great contribution to the film is in Peggy Lee's songs, singing and voice-overs. She takes the part of Darling, Peg, Si and Am. She varies her voice suitably for both acting and singing - but the Peggy Lee style is most evident in the ‘He’s a Tramp' ballad. Another bonus is the voice of Stan Freberg as the comical beaver.

The film capitalises on a range of characters including Scottish terriers and an Italian spaghetti-maker. It also is able to spoof a number of film genres including the gangster film and the prison film.

All in all, a delight for family audiences.

1. The popularity of the film? Disney animation? Animals and humans? Humour, the serious, the frightening? Music? A technical and entertainment accomplishment?

2. The use of colour, background layouts, the use of Cinemascope? The depiction of the humans? The depiction of the animals? Cute, comic, serious? The musical score and the contribution of the songs, 'He's a Tramp', 'La La Lu', 'Siamese Cat Song', 'Peace on Earth' and 'Bella Notte'. The contribution of Peggy Lee? Voice-overs?

3. The title and the focus on the dogs? On romance? on both sides of the tracks and the implications of social difference? Indication of themes?

4. The opening and ending with the New England panorama, the early 20th. century? The humans and the Christmas package, the female puppy? Darling and Jim Dear and their love for Lady? Lady growing up in the household? The finale with the same setting but with the adventures in between?

5. Lady as the heroine of the film: her friends Jock and Trusty, the encounter with Tramp and his being spurned? Lady jealous of the baby in the household? Lady being reconciled with the baby? Aunt Sarah coming and her dislike of Lady, the Siamese cats and their ruining the room, Lady being blamed, muzzled, her breaking loose, lost, chased by the dogs, rescued by Tramp, the visit to the zoo, the beaver loosening the muzzle, Tramp and Lady touring the town, the romance at the spaghetti dinner and the romantic sentiment as they shared the spaghetti? Lady's decision to return home, the baby, Tramp trying to persuade her to stay with him and roam around, the spree in the chicken coop, the dog-catcher, the imprisonment and her meeting the other dogs, her disappointment in hearing of Tramp's reputation? Aunt Sarah claiming Lady, chaining her up, her unwillingness to listen to Tramp? The rat attacking the baby, Lady breaking her chain, rescuing the child, Tramp's fight with the rat, Aunt Sarah's blaming the dogs? The dogcatcher's arrival, Jim and Darling arriving home, the dogs rescuing Lady? The happy resolution? Lady and Tramp marrying and having their own family? The canine characteristics made human?

6. Tramp as the dashing hero from the wrong side of the tracks? His being spurned? Suspicion by the other dogs? Tramp rescuing Lady, the tour of the zoo, the beaver, the spaghetti meal? His trying to persuade her to come with him? His attempts at apology? The fight with the rat, the blame? Vindication and happy ending? The tough but likable hero?

7. The sketch of Jock - and his Scottish style friendship? Trusty and his comedy - without a sense of smell? Their tracking down the dog-catcher's wagon? Trusty being crushed - but only a broken leg? Genial comedy touches?

8. The contrast with the Siamese cats - sinister, wrecking the room, blaming Lady? Their title song? Symbolic of Aunt Sarah? Aunt Sarah's dislike of Lady, blaming her?

9. The rat as villain - the fight, the danger and action?

10. The film's spoofing film conventions: the genteel period family comedy? The gangster touch with the tour about the tough ends of town? The romance in the spaghetti restaurant? The prison films and Lady in the dogcatcher's wagon?

10. The comic touches - especially with the beaver and Stan Freberg's contribution?

11. The humour, the gentleness, the beauty, the sentiment - satisfying Disney entertainment?