Lady and the Tramp

Much like 101 Dalmatians, Lady and the Tramp was one of those 'rare' and elusive films from the Disney canon while I was growing up. Having had little exposure to it in the past, I don't really feel the same nostalgic connection with it as I do other films.


Lady and the Tramp is almost an oddity in the canon. Sure it has talking dogs, and a few good songs, but it has a certain.... sophistication to it in comparison to other talking animal films, especially ones made in the last few years, and almost comes across as a much more mature entry into the canon. This more mature feel to the film, and the older American setting really make this film stand out in a good way. The story itself is fairly straightforward as our hero, Lady, interacts with her world and experiences changes that come with a baby while also exploring how other dogs live. Things have a very laid back pace to it, there isn't a constant need for action or characters bursting into big performances every so often. While this suits the more sophisticated feel, it also makes it a little bit harder to really stay focused with such a calmer flow to the things that unfold, and the parts that have action seem to come at just the right moments.

The music isn't really a strong point for Lady and the Tramp, the majority of the song lyrics were written by Peggy Lee, who also voiced four of the characters, and aside from two songs they won't really stick around in your head for days on end. The strongest point is Bella Notte, of course, which is also one of highlights of the film itself. While "He's a Tramp" is the second of the more memorable songs, growing up I did have the "We Are Siamese" song on a vhs of Sing Alongs so, for myself, this song was actually more memorable than the former.

The films strongest point, ultimately, would be the characters themselves. Jock and Trusty are fun, without being overbearing, and when she's around Peg is also quite enjoyable as well to watch. For our human characters we get Jim Dear and Darling who play more of supporting roles are quite comforting to Lady, as are Tony and Joe the friendly Italian restaurant owners who feed Lady and Tramp their famous plate of spaghetti. Rounding out the humans is Aunt Sarah who enables most of the minor conflict in the film's second half. Since they are our main characters, both Lady and Tramp are given the most personality and make for a  very likeable pair both on their own and when they are on-screen together.

With some really great animation, and strong characters Lady and the Tramp is still a fairly enjoyable entry into the Disney canon even if the pace isn't quite as brisk as what we seem to get these days from films.

4/5