La Belle et le Clochard

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 ****

Yet another winner from Disney about an upper-class dog who falls for a mutt from the streets. The timeless love story works just as well on a feature-length cartoon as it does with live-action fare. The animation is first-rate, the characters are fun and the songs will stick with you long after the movie is seen. Great entertainment for all ages. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

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.

Peggy Lee was a national treasure. What an amazing thing that she wrote most of the music for this movie, but only in old age did she receive credit. I agree that issues of class seem merely consistent with the era, but consider that the flavor of the day was vanilla. So in those days going out for Italian was a walk on the wild side (unless you grew up in Brooklyn)! Then an upper-crust girl marries a boy of mixed race origins?! And it's clear from the dog pound scene that Peg "got around" (just look at her hair!), nevertheless, she was valued and respected among the dogs. Yes, the film is hokey. But rats are evil. And the soundtrack is outstanding.

"Lady and the Tramp" is indeed one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. I just love every single bit of it! The story, the characters, the music, the stunning animation style...everything is amazingly done!

This is exactly what today's Disney flicks have been lacking- they don't recapture the spirit and magic of the original Disney masterpieces like this movie and the other Disney classics such as "Bambi", "The Aristocats", and "The Fox and the Hound", except for contemporaries like "The Lion King", "Toy Story", "Tarzan", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Mulan", which are still well-set up.

Okay, back to "Lady and the Tramp". This movie deserves ten out of ten stars, and those of you who haven't seen it yet have gotta watch it. It's not presented only for the youngsters, but also for those who are young at heart. If you really enjoy it as much as I do, don't miss the astounding follow-up to the original in the delightful "Scamp's Adventure"!