Lady and the Tramp (1955) Poster

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7/10
Simple and often lovely
moonspinner552 June 2002
Fairy tale about the romance between two dogs from opposite sides of the tracks gets colorful, warm, old-fashioned Disney treatment. Cinemascope cartoon unfolds with valentine-like flair, all the ribbons and bows are in place, yet the requisite cutesy flourishes and manipulation inevitably turn up (one dog, thought to have been killed, shows up LIMPING in the next scene!). Yet, it's hard to complain when the rest of the pieces fall into place so snugly. The plot is, by turns, comfortably predictable and still pleasingly reassuring, though a bit heavy with incidental chatter. The Peggy Lee music is delightful, and the "Bella Notte" sequence alone, with the spaghetti, breadsticks and the drippy candle, is simply superb. *** from ****
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8/10
A CLASSIC
grahamsj314 December 2003
If this film isn't a classic, I don't know what is! This is a great story about two dogs who fall in love, although they're from different sides of the railroad tracks, so to speak. These dogs act more human than many humans do. It's heartwarming, humorous and just plain clean family entertainment! This is a film that has stood the test of time and passed with flying colors. This is one to BUY and keep! So what are you waiting for? Go buy it!
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8/10
Cute/Romantic Canine Film
rebeljenn23 October 2005
Lady and the Tramp, one of my favourite childhood movies, goes down as a classic animation and one that I am sure is enjoyed by children today. Who doesn't like watching cute animals with large, kind eyes? Lady and the Tramp is about love and sacrifice, bringing together a posh female dog with a homeless stray, who is sexy in his own right. Also included are the memorable Siamese trouble-making cats (Peggy Lee) and the wonderful candle-lit scene where are lovable heros enjoy spaghetti. This film should be enjoyed and treasured for years to come. It's gone down in Disney and film history. Although made for children, there isn't any reason why adults cannot enjoy this film.
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One of the Greats
neophoenix19 March 2001
I grew up watching this movie. I consider it a wonderful movie for both children and adults to watch. While many of today's animated Disney movies are aimed at kids, this movie is from a time where adults were primarily the target audience. This movie lacks the 'kiddie' humor and tells a wonderful tale of genuine emotion and compassion. The love story between two non-human characters removes most bias that we automatically impose upon human characters. I feel that few movies will ever match this one in quality.
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7/10
Just the right pedigree. Disney classic.
michaelRokeefe8 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
LADY and the TRAMP is one of the most underrated, but endearing Walt Disney animated features. Memorable music and purebred fun. A high-bred and pampered cocker spaniel, Lady(Barbara Luddy), learns to be adventurous and carefree when she meets Tramp(Larry Roberts), a raffish mutt from across the tracks. Spending the night on a hill overlooking town; begging for bones; sneaking into the zoo; running from the dog catcher and that memorable spaghetti and meatball dinner. Other characters in this fantasy are: Trusty and Jock, Darling, Si and Am. Lush backgrounds and "He's A Tramp" sung by Peggy Lee help make this film one to be enjoyed by the whole family. Others lending voices to characters are Bill Thompson, Stan Freberg, Bill Baucom and Miss Lee.
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10/10
The Life and Loves of our Best Friends
RobertCartland22 January 2000
There is nothing as wonderful as the wag of a dog's tale. The writers, actors and animators, together with Disney magic, capture the unique and limitless variety of personalities that exist in the canine world. This film takes these wonderful canine characters and shows the world from their perspective. The adorable footage of Lady as a puppy reminds me of the behavior of my own hounds when they were pups. The beautiful "Park Avenue" Lady grows up and falls for the happy-go-lucky, vagabond, Tramp. Add a dog-hating aunt, a baby, some cats, some rats and the adventure is complete. The songs sung from the dog pound together with those sung by the wicked Siamese cats are the most purely fun of any Disney animation. The song sung at the lover's romantic Italian dinner brings a tear to the eye. Finally, Lady and the Tramp share a spaghetti noodle that leads to one of the most memorable kisses in Hollywood history. This is a wonderful film that will be enjoyed for generations.
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6/10
Very enjoyable, if unmemorable, Disney effort
C22Man4 February 2014
During the early 1950s Disney was making some excellent animated features with 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Peter Pan', Lady and the Tramp followed those films and proved to be another good film from the studio. After the very large and fantasy orientated feel of those two films, Lady and the Tramp moves towards a much more grounded style which benefits the film as well as Disney's output by adding a little more variety to their work at the time. I don't think it is quite as good in Disney terms as some of their other features.

The plot centres on Lady who is a pampered Cocker Spaniel adored by her owners. Things start to change for her when the couple have a baby and she begins to fall out of favour in the household. At the same time she comes across a mongrel named Tramp, despite not getting along at firs the two build up a strong bond and he shows her what life would be like if they lived free. The story is about as straight forward as it gets. I think that takes some of the impact out of the story as you kind of know where it is going to go and how things are going to end up. But in fairness I like how laid-back the story was, it wasn't trying to do anything but tell a charming story and it succeeds in doing that to be fair.

There is a lot of good things about the film. The animation for a start is fantastic, as you would expect from Disney. The film has a very soft look and uses very bright colours that give the upper class housing areas a rich gleam. It a good choice as this fits the films aims more than some of the more vivid animation that Disney had been using prior to it. The softer colours also work for the night scenes in making some beautiful looking scenery.

The characters are very enjoyable. I was worried that Lady would be presented as being too full of herself, but they do a good job in making her likable. Her plight is something that is understandable and you begin to feel for her, her soft and sensitive nature really does win you over quickly. Tramp comes off well as more of a lovable rogue type. He has all the great features needed for a good lead seeing as he's caring, witty and has the right amount of street smarts. Jock is very amusing, he's excellently voiced by veteran Bill Thompson doing a great Scottish accent and him constantly calling Lady 'Lassie' is quite funny. Trusty was another very fun supporting role, always forgetting what he is talking about and reciting stories of old. He comes off as a reassuring elderly figure and that makes him quite endearing. Jim and Darling were okay, but nothing special but then again they aren't the focus.

The film does contain some differences to the formula that make it enjoyable. I really like the fact that Lady and Tramp don't get along straight away, it gets rid of the clichés like love at first sight and it is nicely more real in how they spend more time together before deciding they're meant to be with each other. I also think that having these things from the dogs perspective is very smart, like the fact Lady thinks her owners are 'Jim Dear' and 'Darling as that's what they call each other or her confusion at how worked up Jim is getting over the birth of the baby. There were some exciting scenes too, Tramp's fight with a rat and the climax itself are very well done pieces.

As noted I do like the more laid-back tone as it allows for more time to be invested into the characters and makes sure that the story itself isn't rushed. I think this made the characters more engaging and made you want to know what was going to happen. The music is also very good. The 'We Are Siamese' song is known by everyone and rightly so as it is a fun tune. The song 'Bella Notte' in particular is very pleasant, and of course the image of Lady and Tramp eating the Spaghetti accompanying it is now seen as iconic.

I think that the films biggest weakness is the fact that it lacks anything that memorable. As said the story is somewhat obvious, even if it makes changes to the norm, and there isn't really anything that you haven't seen before. Although I do like the more laid-back tone, at times you can feel that the film is affected by the lack of a villain and the lack of any big set-pieces taking place which takes any edge of proceedings. I think that the film can come off as a series of moments due to the way it is told and though most of it is interesting, it isn't as gripping as say the moments in 'Alice in Wonderland' so it's more liable to become a little dull in some areas.

On the whole I'd say Lady and the Tramp is another entertaining film from Disney. It does have a lot of charm to it and the story is told in a fairly smart fashion in that it at least tries to make a rather tried idea fresh. As usual there are plenty of amusing pieces, the characters are very fun and the animation looks fantastic. There are certain areas where it lacks somewhat, but never enough to harm the overall quality of the film too much. It isn't a Disney film that I will be watching over and over, but taken for what it is worth and it is an effortlessly enjoyable film.
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10/10
Two dogs in love
dee.reid28 February 2006
But it's a lot more than that. For 56 years now, "Lady and the Tramp" has won a devoted following based on a love story that could have worked out just as well with live-action and a romance, but here we have it with two dogs - a pampered cocker spaniel and a street-wise mutt. "Lady and the Tramp" contains the kind of innocence and love story that is unfamiliar with our times today, and it is good to see a masterwork from a bygone era.

I was only a kid when I first saw "Lady and the Tramp" but I still remember that famous kiss scene, you know the one where the two leads are having a beautifully romantic spaghetti dinner and they take hold of a single string of pasta and consume it, unknowingly bringing their faces together in an unwitting kiss. It's remained with me up until now.

I'm a sucker for love stories and "Lady and the Tramp" works, despite its animal characters and Walt Disney family-friendly touch. Lady is the cocker spaniel, who is a gift to a woman from her husband. Lady adores her surroundings and receives the requited love of her owners and a nice home. Six months later, that love hasn't diminished and she is a newly licensed pet. But it's misplaced when she learns that her owners are expecting a child, and suddenly Lady has been unwittingly pushed aside to make room for a new bundle of joy.

From the wrong side of the tracks, it's the street-wise Tramp, a known lady-killer who wins Lady's heart after saving her from other common street dogs. They really hit it off, climaxing with the aforementioned romantic dinner and a wonderful animated shot of the moon from a lover's point. Along for the ride are Trusty, a hound dog with a busted sniffer; Jock, a Scottish terrier; and Si and Am, the two sneaky Siamese cats belonging to the husband's snooty aunt.

Directed by Clyde Geronimi and Wilfred Jackson and featuring the voices of Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy and Larry Roberts, the newly restored DVD version with the Platinum Series is the one to get and cherish. I got mine at a Best Buy store today to take advantage of this limited release, and to win a free Tramp plush toy.

I would guess that time has been good to "Lady and the Tramp," if a love story of this pedigree is truly worth the praise due to it. I would recommend this Disney classic to any possible female romantic interest as part of our date... if I could land one.

10/10
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7/10
Disney magic
studioAT9 April 2011
Lady and the Tramp sums up what Disney can do so well. When they are good they are very good and that is why this film lives on as a classic.

With classic characters, great musical numbers and a strong sense of story this film appeals to both adults and kids equally. There is a warmth and high quality nature to this film that I feel many of these new animated films lack.The combination of pencil drawn animation and fantastic vocal work more than beats the now routine 3D work that film studios force down our necks.

This film is one of Disney's best and although the belated sequel is passable it is not a patch on this beloved Disney tale.
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10/10
The most memorable of the 50s Disneys, before Sleeping Beauty!
TheLittleSongbird10 March 2009
This is a beautiful film, and one of Disney's finest. It isn't as heart-rending as Bambi, or as entertaining as the Jungle Book, but Lady and the Tramp is solid in both those departments. The animation is lovely, and so are the songs. The Bella Notte scene, is not only the highlight of the film, but it was one of the most romantic scenes in animation history. The only scene that surpasses this, is the Ballroom sequence in Beauty and the Beast, which is one of the finest pieces of artistry I have ever seen on film. The voice talents are a delight too, most notably Peggy Lee, who was the voice of Peggy, Darling, and those diabolical(in a good way) Siemese cats. Barbara Luddy was wonderful also as Lady, a highly convincing animal protagonist. Also worth noting are vocals by Bill Thompson and Verna Felton. And I mustn't forget the really sinister rat, who never speaks, but you really feel angry when it wants to kill the baby, so I felt a great deal of pleasure when Tramp kills it. The glowing eyes did it for me. All in all, a stunning film that is a must-see! 10/10 Bethany Cox
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7/10
A Real Iconic And Tremendous Romantic Disney Film
RECB32 September 2023
This is really a classic and iconic Disney film. I enjoyed watching it. This is a film for any viewer who is a true fan of dog films. Watching dog films always reminds me of a couple of dogs that were in my family. The cast really committed to the film and to the storyline. The storyline of this film was wonderful. It reveals the true nature of the life of a dog and what they are truly made of. This film also reveals to viewers the reality of love and friendship that anyone could possibly have. My whole life has always been a real struggle. I have been always bullied and never had friends. Never having friends has been a real dark part of my life. I am sure that I am not the only one who has life struggles. These kind of films can help and guide everyone who watches and enjoys this film.
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10/10
The Disney classic that will wake up your inner adult ...
ElMaruecan8217 June 2013
"Lady and the Tramp" opens with the following quotation: "In the whole history of the world there is but one thing that money can not buy… to wit" And no, for once it's not about love we're talking, the 'one thing' that is so priceless, is simply 'the wag of a dog's tail'. And if you happen to disagree with that statement, watching "Lady and the Tramp" is the most likely experience to prove you wrong, for there is probably nothing more sincere than the secular relationship between man and his best friend: dog.

But "Lady and the Tramp" is definitely not a human-centered movie; it mostly focuses on the relationships within the dog's world, starting with the iconic romance between Lady, the sweet and timid Cocker spaniel and the Tramp, the free-spirited and happy-go-lucky stray mutt. What's so fascinating in "Lady and the Tramp" is that it transplants all the characteristics of the human world, such as class barriers, love, intolerance or ethnic differences, into the animal world. Still, the only reason we don't end up believing that animals behave like humans is because humans remain present nonetheless, and dogs are either depicted as helpers or victims of humans.

The story opens with Lady, a cute little puppy offered as a Christmas gift to 'Darling' by her husband Jim 'Dear'. The owners' names, besides the fact that their faces are rarely shown, accentuate the impression that we're watching the film from the dogs' perspectives, and in Lady's case, she's such a significant part of the family that she refers to her Masters by using their endearments. The film starts by showing Lady acting like a real dog through the irresistible silent sequence where she tries to get herself in her masters' bed, pushing the door, howling in despair, before finally triumphing over the stairs, and getting in the bed for just 'one' night, which the subsequent ellipse cleverly contradicts.

Lady is then 1-year old, she got a new expensive collar she proudly shows to her two neighbors and friends, Jock, a Scottish terrier with a fitting accent, and Trusty, an old bloodhound, who lost his sense of smell. Rather than obligatory supporting characters, Jock and Trusty are treated with depth and substance, behaving with a honorable protective instinct toward their young neighbor. Meanwhile, we also meet the Tramp, who starts behaving like a dog, begging for scraps from his old friend the restaurant owner Tony and then releasing two friends from the dog pound's truck. "Lady and the Tramp" is the cohabitation between two universes, dogs from human perspective and vice versa.

This device leads to the fundamental basis that would drive the whole film's narrative: misunderstanding. Lady fears she's coldly treated by her owners because she did something wrong, she's finally comforted by Jock and Trusty who understand that the owners are simply waiting for a baby. Tramp makes his entrance, preparing Lady for the worse: "when the baby moves in, the dog moves out" but after a fantastic pregnancy-montage, Lady finally grows fond of the baby and understands she still has a place in the family. Sadly, the second misunderstanding causes the annoying Aunt Sarah to believe that Lady, who just clashed with her trouble-making Siamese cats, is a threat for the baby, and buy her a muzzle.

It's a sad thing that only a human with a capability to love dogs can understand the meaning of a dog's bark. But it's much worse for Tramp who's treated like a dangerous animal, while only a dog's perspective can show his true nature, gentle and sensitive. Ironically, when at the end, Trusty and Jock understood that Tramp never meant harm; Jock says "we mistreated him", as if they were so alienated by their human upbringing they became as flawed and prejudiced as men. Then the two dogs, draining their force and courage from their ancestral instincts, decides to save one of their own, for one of the film's most dramatic moments, characterized by Trusty's poignant howl.

And Jock and Trusty's realization are ours, too. The dog pound is probably one of the most upsetting and disturbing scenes ever, featuring little puppies, howling and weeping dogs behind fences, this sequence alone shows the true measure of human cruelty, in contrast with dog's most defining quality: fidelity and capability for love. And this love, whether for human, babies or dogs, originates one of the most romantic, if not the most, love story in Disney's or Cinema's history, reaching a paroxysm during the iconic Spaghetti-scene. This scene is probably one of Disney's greatest moments and magnificently sums up the film's, not that dogs can behave like humans, but that they can reveal the best of our own humanity.

"Lady and the Tramp" is one of the most endearing Disney classics, hitting a sensitive in any human heart, a film that would inspire to any child the urge to have a dog, and to share with him this genuine complicity. And after watching the film again, after 20 years, I realize how particularly adult and mature it is. It doesn't have a memorable villain, although the rat is pretty terrifying, it doesn't have much of a plot, but rather deals with very sensitive matters such as pregnancy, parenthood, and even some subtle issues you wouldn't find in other Disney movies. And I guess it's mostly due to the fact that the film was based on an original screenplay, deprived from any fairy-tale material, that allowed the writers to make a film, appealing for children, but quite thought-provoking for an adult audience.

The film is dedicated to all dogs, "be they Ladies or Tramps" and in a way, it's an encouragement for us, humans, to realize that humanity doesn't only apply for our relationships and communication with humans, and maybe the wag of dog's tail is the closest expression of 'humanity' a dog would ever show.
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6/10
Dog love story
csagne10 September 2007
Lady and the Tramp is a classic Disney.

Classic in the sense that it can be taken as an example of a specific era in Disney history - in fact it represents a time in the development of animation. 1955 is the happy time of Disney - Walt was still alive - and everything in Lady and the Tramp reflects this time. The watercolour backgrounds, the animation, anthropomorphism of characters and the accents used, as well as some clichés and half prejudices. Only half, as Disney was well aware of sensitivities... and that his audience was the American melting pot.

I like Lady and the Tramp because it is also giving a message that value is inside, it has poetic overtones, some scenes (like the spaghetti dish scenes) are just so funny.

This charming story of an "uptown" dog being wooed by a poor but brave dog is really well made. This is the sort of movie made for kids for eternity.
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5/10
Lady and the Tramp; or the battle between freedom and family?
film-critic7 February 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Disney factory (using the word factory is an accurate representation) has been creating childhood favorites since the early 30s – and continue to push the boundaries of animation for children today with partnering with the hugely popular PIXAR as well as their most recent outing, "The Princess and the Frog". There is no child growing up today that doesn't know the name Mickey Mouse in some form or another – and that is an impressive feat for any studio. With that said, Disney's normal focus is animating classic fairy tales like "Pinocchio" or "Cinderella" or "Snow White", but sometimes they take a classic tale and rework it using common household animals. That is the case with "Lady and the Tramp"; my first Disney animated film to review. It is the infamous tale of young rapscallion winning the heart of a wealthy woman, but now instead of people – we have dogs. Made in 1955, this was probably another groundbreaking work for Disney, but watching it now in 2010, it has the feeling of being rushed, underdeveloped, and weak on story. So, I ask again – could Disney have created a film that was merely "mediocre"?

We begin with Lady being given to Darling as a gift one Christmas. She is an obnoxious puppy who desires the attention of her owners. Through years of gift giving and love, she finds comfort in the normality of their life. This is all about to change as our nuclear family decides to add another bundle of joy to the mix. With skepticism abound, Lady learns to love the changes and the new family. It is about this time that Tramp enters the picture. Representing the care-free, baby-less, lifestyle of living without a collar, he demonstrates the power of a small community, but also shows us (the viewers) the darkness surrounding this town. On the run from both the Pound and a sordid past, he eventually runs into Lady and one could say, "…it was love at first sight…". As Darling and Jim Dear embark on a trip, an unknown relative comes to stay with two typecast Siamese cats. Songs, chases, and rats round out this story, that goes from light to bleak to dark again as Disney creates this seemingly dystopian world for the child audience.

I am aware that we all know the story, but the recap was needed to show a point about Disney's use of class and status in this film. As a casual viewer, many will argue that this is just a children's film – leave it be, but these are the images surrounding our children. Lady comes from an upper class family, with no worry of consequence; she and her friends go through the day oblivious to the world around them. Tramp, coming from the other side of the tracks (literally) represents the middle-to-lower class people. He finds friendship in the shop owners and transients of this town. What impressed me about this film was how dark and ill-created the lower part of town was, and Disney isn't afraid to show it. The dirt roads, the black (or darkened) buildings, the fact that a storm arrives just as they head to town; it is night whenever Lady is away from her house. Let's not forget as well, the rat comes out of a hole with a poster for the circus right above. This demonstrates another transient profession that is somehow darkened by this film. The stark use of light and dark in this film is used not only for tone, but also a world outside of the white picket fences and collars.

What is the impression handed to children with this imagery? If you want children or the house with the white picket fence, or safety – you need to be like Lady. While if you want to see the world, experience life without a collar, one would need to live like Tramp. What makes this reality odd is Tramp's choice? To see this point clearer, look at Tramp's "friends". Where are they at the end of the film? Nobody comes to visit, they could be dead (Disney handed us that bleak image near the middle of the film), while the entire time they are speaking of him as a saint and great friend. Nobody came to bail Pedro, Toughy, or Peg out. Was this the happy ending we all wanted?

With the undertones exposed, how was the remainder of the film? While it carried some iconic images, the overall pacing of the film was a bit sloppy. As this is a story with two sets of eyes, we are never quite given a full story on either. Lady's story is further developed, while Tramp just seems to be inserted for merely the "cause and effect" storyline. The voice work was decent in this film. The 76-minute run seemed nothing like a sprint. I think it was because I cared nothing for these dogs. They were beautifully drawn, but more development was needed. The "evil" rat was introduced twice, and represented the darkness creeping into suburbia, but it just wasn't enough to pull Lady and the Tramp together. What did Lady really want in life? My ending question – why was she denied it?

Overall, this wasn't a bad Disney movie; it just wasn't one of the greatest. I felt the symbolism was overbearing as well as the choices made to be a bit misleading for children. The characters of Lady and Tramp seemed one dimensional at times, lacking in the ability to pull me back into a second viewing. The songs were low-key and outside of the Siamese cats' duet, forgotten.

Grade: *** out of *****
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Charm, humor, songs, great animation...what more do you need?
Doylenf26 April 2001
One of the few Disney cartoons at this period not based on a famous piece of literature--so at least no one can complain that it doesn't do justice to the original! It's an unpretentious little gem, told from the viewpoint of the animals and against interesting backgrounds with superb animation and vocal work. Cat lovers may find it painful to watch how sinister the two Siamese cats are depicted--but not if they have a sense of humor. Actually, the 'Siamese Cat Song' is one of the highlights of Peggy Lee's novelty numbers. 'Bella Notte' and other simple melodies are integrated nicely into the plot with satisfying results. This was the first Disney cartoon made in Cinemascope so the artists had to fill a broader landscape for the camera to photograph. And yet, the transfer to video on VHS format is extremely well handled--you don't feel you're missing anything. I believe the film is also available in letterbox but I find the VHS print I own to be more than satisfactory. Delightful Disney classic for young and old alike.
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7/10
Very 1950s (I Think)
BabelAlexandria18 January 2021
Beautiful animation but sub-par songs and plot make this perhaps my least favorite among the older Disney animated classics. The idea of a mixed-breed animal romance is definitely interesting, but the primary crux of the story is class: will the blue-blood Lady run away with the Tramp or tame his wilder instincts so that they can live together in her upscale home? This is also a story of loneliness, given the sudden loss of interest in her from her owners as they prepare for a baby. The picture-perfect image of small-town America (and evidently in a small Midwestern town or city), as seen from the 1950s, is also very interesting. I couldn't help but notice the "Yale" flag that hangs in the home of "Jim Dear." Maybe a little too much?

Sienna enjoyed this when she watched it at around 4 years old; Sebastian saw it in previews and was "excited to learn about the characters" but didn't enjoy it enough to finish it when we watched it in January 2021 (while Sienna was staying overnight in DesMoines for a gymnastics meet).
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10/10
What's-a the matter-a for you, Joe?! I break-a you face-a!"
snoozejonc28 July 2020
Romantic tale of a family dog who falls for a stray and the resulting adventures.

Looking back at when I first watched this as a child into action, comedy and spectacle I remember being determined not to like Lady And The Tramp. When I was made to watch it I sat there with this my arms folded and a scowl on my face. There was no way I would admit that I was quite taken by the story and characters.

Watching it now with my daughter I realise how good it is and how much I was deluding myself at the time.

The animation is absolutely staggering considering it was hand drawn in 1955. The scenes with the rat in the thunderstorm are so beautiful and atmospheric. Everything from the flashes of lightning, to the silhouetted action and the reflection of the wet ground have so much detail. Also brilliant are the transitions, which blend each scene beautifully into the next.

Complimenting the technical side of things is a good story full of clever observation of family life and how pets fit into it, particularly when a child comes along. Add to this several memorable scenes like the famous spaghetti sequence and the hilarious siamese cats.

My second daughter was not even two years old and it held her from start to finish. This is one the whole family can enjoy together.

For me it's a 9.5/10 but I round upwards.
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7/10
"Puppy Love" That's Worth Barking About
StrictlyConfidential27 June 2020
Yep. It's a dog-lover's delight!

Originally released back in 1955 - "Lady and the Tramp" is certainly one of the sweetest animated tales from the Disney canon, ever. This fantasy tale concerns a high-bred spaniel (Lady) and the adventures she has with a raffish, mongrel stray (The Tramp).

Since Disney Studios had originally released the film in wide-screen "CinemaScope", more attention was given to the lush backgrounds. It was singer, Peggy Lee who co-wrote the songs and provided the voices of the Siamese cats in one of this film's best-known musical numbers.

All-in-all - This movie is great viewing for the entire family.
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10/10
Bella. One Of Cinema's Best Told Love Stories.
johnstonjames14 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
i personally feel Disney's 'Lady and the Tramp' is one of cinema's very best and most memorable love stories. and i'm not alone in that opinion. not only were the online reviews almost 99% positive and enthusiastic, but the film has been voted in numerous polls as having the best screen kiss/favorite romantic screen scene. how often do we see the iconic image of lady and tramp eating the spaghetti dinner at Tony's? it's pretty much the standard image represented in most articles or pieces concerning film and romance.

'Lady and the Tramp' is also one of the best told of cinema's love stories and one of classic Disney's best scripted animated features. there is so much in this story that is so memorable and clever and filled with humor that it seems to lack for anything. it also tells a story that has as much depth to it as romantic sentiment.

it also has a almost startlingly realistic observation of animals and humans and their interactions with each other. yes, the dogs talk and sing, but so much of their behavior is also very well observed canine nuances. anyone who's ever had a dog will tell you how convincing the animals are in this. i personally had a Cocker myself so i can tell you from experience how real and convincing Lady seems.

you can mess up and botch dog illustrations. anyone that's seen the cute, well intentioned but routinely envisioned 'All Doggies Go to Heaven', knows this. no one can pretend that 'All Dogs' even attempted realism.

but it isn't just simply a matter of illustration or graphics that make the animals real. it's often the situations and the way they are done that conveys realism so well. the Siamese kits may look a little cartoony and exaggerated, but anyone who has ever owned a cat can tell you that they act like that. especially when small birds and fish are involved in the scenario. and the relationship between dogs and humans are told through an interesting sense of perspective. you rarely see the human's faces up close but instead constantly view them from the dog's eye level. the birth of Darling's baby resonates great beauty and a sense of the human soul. and anyone that knows young married couples, they often start off with small dogs and work their way up to babies. all of this feels so real and so very human.

as far as a work of animation, this is probably Disney's most polished and flawlessly perfect of all his classics. even in some of Disney's finest classics there can sometimes be flaws or "rough spots" in the animation and illustration. not with 'Lady and the Tramp'. it is probably Disney's most flawlessly executed hand animated feature. not to mention a perfect blend of all elements including story and songs. Peggy Lee's songs are just about Disney's best.

a masterpiece of hand animation, romantic sentiment and of character development, the original 50's Disney classic deserves every bit of love, praise and attention it's been given over the decades.
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6/10
A Real Happy Tail-Wagger
xyzkozak26 June 2014
Bow-Wow-Wow! - And - Arf! Arf! Arf!

You ever heard of "puppy-love"? Well, LADY AND THE TRAMP is the ideal movie for puppy lovers, and dog lovers, alike.

Without any doubt in my mind, this film is definitely one of Disney Studios' most endearing animated features of all. Its story concerns a rakish mongrel named Tramp who heroically helps out a pedigreed canine named Lady who has found herself in a mighty tight jam - And, as these things so often happen, Tramp gallantly dances Lady right into a sweet, little romance that's well-worth barking about.

Throughout the delightful course of LADY AND THE TRAMP, elements of high-adventure and drama are quite masterfully blended together with the sheer joy and amusement of comedy and music.

LADY AND THE TRAMP would be Disney Studios' 15th animated feature film and the first to be produced with the dazzling effects of wide-screen Cinema-Scope.
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8/10
She's from the leash and license set... he's footloose and collar free!
Lady_Targaryen22 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
''Lady and the Tramp'' is one of the most adorable movies from Disney, and until I read in IMDb, I would never guess that it is from 1955! I always imagined it to be from the 70's, I don't know exactly why. Lady is a cute golden cocker spaniel that was a present from '' Dear''(the husband) to '' Darling'(the wife) at Christima's. She was threaded very well since she was a puppy and is an adorable dog that loves to spend her time with her owners. Two of her best friends and neighbors are Jock and Trusty. One day, Tramp, a god without a breed and without a license goes to the wrong side of the town (the rich side) and ends up meeting Lady. She stays scared with his lifestyle, but at the same time she could not avoid fallen in love with the experienced dog. They fall in love at the same time that Lady is having problems at her home ( Darling is pregnant, so, nobody in the home really cares about her as before). But her love with Tramp will have bad consequences, being the first one being caught by the Dog Catcher and knowing more things about Tramp that she actually would like...
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7/10
"Doggone."
classicsoncall18 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I'll be seriously dating myself here when I say that this is the first film I ever saw in a movie theater. Not in some re-release, but the real deal - my parents took me to see this during it's original release back when I was four or five years old. I can even remember where it was, the old Goshen Theater in Goshen, New York. So if you're reading this and know where I'm talking about, it would be cool to say hello.

That was my prime motivation in watching this again, to see my first ever movie experience and share it with my granddaughter who's the same age now as when I first saw it. I can tell the magic works when she sits wide eyed and attentive, and gets a kick out of the same things I used to. It's weird the things you remember after a half century, like the words to the Siamese cat song; how does that work? That and things like The Tramp's pals Jock and Trusty.

But nostalgia carries it only so far. Watching today I could enjoy the animation and vibrant use of color but the story itself seems a bit underdeveloped and simple. The sequence with the killer rat seemed a little too far fetched for me to accept, and the fast forward to Lady and the Tramp having their own family of pups huddled around the Christmas tree was out of synch with the rest of the story. Still it's a fun movie and ideal for the young and the young at heart. Walt Disney would have been proud to know his talent has reached across the generations to entertain one and all for so long after his passing.
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9/10
The ultimate spaghetti dinner movie
Smells_Like_Cheese24 November 2004
God, who doesn't remember the romantic scene of the Lady and the Tramp? Ah, spaghetti has never been as sexy. OK, OK, I know that this is Disney. This is one of my favorites. It's a great one. As far as Disney movies go, I would recommend this. Disney lovers have to watch this. It's very naturally addicting. And the music is so wonderful to listen too, and the characters are so lovable. This is one of the best Disney movies by far. I miss movies like this. Just see this movie. It's just too good to miss. This is for the kids and the adults. I would recommend it for a family night for sure.

9/10
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6/10
Lame Ending
GSmith907219 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is my opinion. There's no such thing as a great film with a terrible ending.This is the reason why "Lady and the Tramp" remains to me one of the worst films ever to ever some out of the Disney animation studios and be considered a "classic". Although I must admit, this film has always been one of those treasured classics of my youth. I thought I'd revisit the magic. An hour into it, I relived the "magic" all the way to the famous spaghetti scene. Disney at its best. I just didn't remember the ending, and now I know why. It was a complete and utter cop out that made no sense. From the beginning, we view Lady growing up from a frisky young pup to a sophisticated "lady" only to be swept off her feat and seduced by a street-wise Tramp. Their courtship lead to the inevitable, and so everything is great until Lady finds out more about her new bo, the obvious. What causes us to buy any redemption in Tramp's character? The big conclusion is, Tramp becomes a hero by defeating a challenging opponent...a rat. Before we know it, the film has cut to Lady draped over her new companion with babies. I have a hard time believing a rat would be considered a big opponent to overpower for a dog, but even if so, it doesn't excuse the lack of development in the characters, which is replaced by some lousy deus ex machina. And so there it is. The conflict is really never resolved. We see no evolution in both of the characters. That abrupt cut at the end defeats the purpose of the whole film. With some charming moments, that I'm now believing to have been motivated by some more dog-like desires, the film is a nothing film due to some bad writing. The rat doesn't help.
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5/10
I Can't Handle how Empty Inside I Felt...
Raptorclaw1553 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It's Disney! How can this possibly happen? How can I come out of one of Disney's most celebrated films with one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history feeling nothing?

Sometimes these things are inexplicable, but if I could say anything about this film to sum it up concisely, it would be that this is the most vanilla 'rich girl and poor boy fall in love' story as it gets. Maybe it's because it's from 1955, but some of the elements and themes of the story raised some questions for me.

This film almost feels like one of those educational films kids in the 1950s used to watch in schools about how to behave in certain situations and how to practice good values etc. This film- I could be wrong- seems to suggest that a man who does not act properly can be fixed by the right woman and reeled back in to a life of secure, domesticity- which is ideal. That is what I got from this film.

The romance didn't seem to really exist, and even the iconic images from the dinner scene wasn't able to save it. This is the first time I've seen this film, mind you, but I've always assumed that the spaghetti scene was supposed to be after the point where they confess their feelings for one another and it's supposed to be the romantic height of the film before the epilogue. Not at all the case, and apparently all it took for Lady to fall in love with Tramp was his displays of violence fighting 3 other dogs? Yes, I know he was defending her but it's simply not believable.

The film gave me nothing and felt incredibly underdeveloped and I guess that's the reason why I left it feeling so empty and disappointed. As a kid I always wanted to see this film, and now that I have, though I'm not a kid anymore, I feel like the kid inside me has been betrayed.
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