Lady and the Tramp is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year! This classic animated Disney film was originally released on June 22, in 1955, during a popular time for animated films. The 1950’s era of Disney movies undeniably holds some of the most iconic moments and characters that fans hold dear to their heart in today’s world. Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Sleeping Beauty are all films that were released within this decade. Not only are these movies filled with magic and innovation, continuing an era of animation, but they’ve only become more popular over time. This, of course, includes Lady and the Tramp. Even if someone hasn’t watched the film, they’ll know exactly where cinema’s famous spaghetti-meatball kiss scene comes from. This scene alone makes Lady and the Tramp one of Disney’s most iconic movies. Turn back time and re-immerse into the lives of Lady, Tramp, Darling, and Jim Dear to celebrate 70!
Returning to the Magic
Lady and the Tramp follows the story of the Darling family. One of the great aspects of this movie is that it truly is from the perspective of a dog. Case and point, the nicknames “Jim Dear” and “Darling”. Lady, a pampered cocker spaniel living with the pair, only refers to the two based on the sweetheart nicknames they’ve given each other over their relationship. It’s a sweet addition to the story and their characters, even if the audience never directly sees their faces. Jim Dear gives Lady as a Christmas present to Darling. Living as a part of a higher society, Lady gets to live a privileged lifestyle with Darling and Jim.
Across town and away from the upper society, Tramp, a stray terrier, spends his time living on his own schedule and causing havoc for the locals. Lady and Tramp meet as he wanders into her neighborhood, but their first impression is less than desirable as Tramp lays out some harsh truths. Lady discovers that Darling is pregnant, and while initially excited, becomes forlorn at the notion that she will become forgotten in the wake of a baby. To her surprise, Jim and Darling introduce Lady to the baby, and she forms a protective bond.
In an unfortunate occurrence, Jim and Lady leave town and leave the baby and Lady in the care of the very mean and dog-hating Aunt Sarah. To her utter dismay, Lady is muzzled, and panics, running away from home. She runs into Tramp, who chooses to take matters in his own hands and shows Lady what life outside of a home looks like. In this time, the two grow closer, going on walks in the park and sharing the famous spaghetti dinner. While Lady likes Tramp and all of their adventures, she decides to go back home so she can watch over the baby. As they two walk together, Lady is captured by the dogcatcher and taken to the pound, where she meets many of Tramp’s friends and hears of his several previous girlfriends.
Aunt Sarah takes Lady home from the pound, chaining her in the backyard. Dismissing her friends who try to help, Lady is miserable. When Tramp comes to visit, she pushes him away too, accusing him about all of his past lovers. As Tramp leaves, Lady notices a rat sneaking its way into the baby’s room. Calling for Tramp and asking for help, Tramp finds a way to sneak into the house and fights the rat. Lady, who is able to break away from her chain, joins the fight and together the two are able to kill the rat. In the fight, however, the baby’s crib is knocked over and Sarah comes running, believing it to be Tramp and Lady’s fault. Lady is thrown and locked in the cellar, and Tramp is taken to the pound where he is to be cruelly euthanized.
As the Darlings return home and realize in horror what has happened, Lady leads the family to the pound to save Tramp, with the help of her friends, Trusty and Jock. In a dramatic cliffhanger for a children’s Disney film, the dogcatcher wagon topples over, releasing Tramp, but falling onto Trusty. The next scene reveals a future where Tramp and Lady are together, living with Jim and Darling and their four pups. Trusty is seen alive and well, coming to the house with Jock to celebrate the holidays. The movie ends on a good note with all family, friends, dogs, and children living together in happiness and peace.
Sequels and Live Action Re-Makes
Lady and the Tramp was popular enough that Disney decided to produce a sequel to the film called Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure. This animated movie was released in 2001, and follows the adventures of Lady and Tramp’s son, Scamp, who has a desire to move away from posh lifestyle and become a wild dog. This movie follows a similar story as its predecessor, wherein Scamp becomes integrated into a world not originally his own, and falls in love while there.
In 2019, Lady and the Tramp was chosen in a line of many Disney movies, and was re-made from its initial animated style into a live action film. Similar to the films that went through the same process, the movie received mixed reviews. Storylines were changed, some scenes the fans enjoyed were not present in this re-make, and overall reviews believe that the charm of the original just wasn’t there. The decision to make the film live-action as well is one that’s still constantly debated over today. Some believe that the animated medium should stay that way, and others think it’s fun to branch out and make classics into someone more relatable. Regardless of one’s opinion, it goes to show that the original Lady and the Tramp remains the classic for a reason, and what was captured in the 50s is hard to recapture in today’s world.
A Happy Ending
While magical and whimsical, Lady and the Tramp does dive into darker themes for a children’s movie. The film doesn’t stray away from showing a realistic look into the lower class—the world that Tramp lives in before meeting Lady. The audience can visually see the signs of struggles people are facing in this time through Tramp’s POV. The film also portrays evil in a way that could be scary for children, in the characters of the rat that tries to get into the baby’s room and the dogcatcher. The scenes in which Lady and Tramp are in the pound sheds a light on the darker parts of the dog-world, including all the moments where Tramp is threatened to be euthanized. All of these moments work together to create a narrative that is diverse, realistic, and a little hair-raising, especially for a children’s audience.
However, Lady and the Tramp is also fun, bright, and comedic. It showcases a perspective that wasn’t seen before, from furry friends that an audience can love. The amount of times that Lady and the Tramp has been referenced throughout pop culture is almost too much to add up. Other Disney movies, sitcoms, TV shows, commercials, video games—you name the medium, and you can probably find a spaghetti reference somewhere in there. Lady and the Tramp was the start, reference, and influence for many films to come in the Disney videography, and established, among others, how animated movies can have cinematic moments that defy time.
This year, re-watch and celebrate a classic film. Lady and the Tramp is streaming now on Disney+.
