Lady and the Tramp (1955)

I’m starting to see a pattern develop with Disney animated films. It seems as though the best of Disney’s work up to this point has come from classic fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella. Other literary adaptations have proven successful as well despite the Disney version now being more familiar and influential than the source material (i.e. Bambi). Ever since emerging from the World War II era of package films, it seems that the quality of the Disney product has been see-sawing, taking a step forward with one film and then a step back with the next. Lady and the Tramp very loosely fits into this pattern.

Lady, a cocker spaniel has lived a pampered life with her owners Jim and Darling Dear. She is good friends with other well-to-do dogs in her neighborhood and consults them when her owners’ behavior toward her changes mysteriously. Her friends tell her that the humans are having a baby. In comes The Tramp, a savvy street dog who warns Lady that her life will be drastically different when the baby arrives, implying that babies and dogs don’t mix well in the eyes of human adults.

After the baby is born, there are a few subtle changes but Lady and the little one co-exist quite peacefully. Then the Dear’s go on vacation, leaving the cat-loving and dog-hating Aunt Sarah to watch the child. Sarah’s sly Siamese cats display a knack for causing trouble and laying the blame on Lady. When Sarah tries to muzzle Lady, the frightened dog runs away. The Tramp shows her a few things about life on the street and they fall in love. Their bond becomes critical when Lady returns home and is unable to help in a desperate situation.

This is only the third of Disney’s full-length one-story animated films to be almost exclusively animal driven. Dumbo was a departure from the lush animation style Disney was known for while Bambi was a return to that style. In the build-up toward Lady and the Tramp, Disney produced another detail-rich fairy tale (Cinderella), an experimental piece (Alice in Wonderland), and a fantasy-laden children’s tale (Peter Pan). While the beginning and end of Peter Pan take place in some form of modern times, this is the first Disney picture to keep itself in the ‘real world’ for its entire runtime.

The combination of these two factors makes Lady and the Tramp a real gamble. Going back to animals is the lesser risk here because Disney’s crew of animators has shown time and again that they are adept at replicating the look and movements of animals. It’s the ‘modern’ setting that might prove to be a deal-breaker for some people. After a number of films with exotic and lovely locations, the city streets are hardly what one would expect from Disney. While it does give the animators new territory, colors and shapes to explore, trash and alleyways aren’t all that visually appealing to anyone.

Lady and the Tramp rises above this potential pitfall though because of its high-class-low-class romance. Both Lady and The Tramp have a few things to learn from each other and it’s hard not to find an animal romance cute. The Tramp reminds me of Clark Gable in It Happened One Night. He’s sly, witty and devilishly charming. If not for him, the film would have no fun or soul.

One critical failing of this film, however, is the lack of potent music and songs. Aside from the now politically incorrect “Siamese Cat Song” and a few lines of “He’s a Tramp,” there’s not a memorable tune to be found. Sure, some of the music may be catchy but it’s the action of the dogs meeting in the middle of a spaghetti noodle that is more memorable than the “Bella Notte” song playing throughout the scene.

While most other song-light Disney flicks have managed to bounce back through style and story, Lady and the Tramp isn’t quite capable of a full momentum reversal. It does offer some fantastic animal animation. In fact, the personalities given to each type of dog is marvelous. The problem mainly lies with its lightweight story. Yes, there’s the romance, but what else? A rich dog runs away, falls in love with a poor dog, goes home and the poor dog “saves the day” from something that doesn’t make much sense as a serious threat to begin with.

For an hour and fifteen minutes of entertainment though, Lady and the Tramp fits the bill. The animators nail their subjects perfectly, creating engrossing characters that take your mind off of any quibbles you may have with the film’s urban setting. The high point is the design and execution of the animal characters even though the rest of the animation may not be up to snuff with Disney’s best efforts. It’s quick and to the point. To do so with characters like these makes it something special.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5