Welcome back to my series of Classic Disney films! Today we’ll be taking a look at Lady and the Tramp, a film that, in a way, changed animated film forever. No, it doesn’t pertain to the story or characters or message, but this was the first film to be presented in the Cinemascope widescreen orientation! So, generally, this was pretty groundbreaking. And still, to this day, the film looks really good! So, let’s take a look at the film!
This is one of Disney’s weirder films, and it’s not for reasons one might think. But up until this point, pretty much all of Disney’s films were more magical and fairy-tale-y. I’m not saying this film isn’t magical, it is. But it’s magical in the sense of that it’s a heartwarming movie that many absolutely adore. The other Disney films had magic in them. Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan. They all some sort of magical element. Sure, Dumbo didn’t have any aside from the “magic feather”. And Bambi was a completely believable story because of how nature works. That film didn’t have an ounce of magic. But Lady and the Tramp is something completely different from those because of the story.
The writing in Lady and the Tramp is decent, as a lot of the Disney films were around this time. In this film, it mainly serves as filler, because when you think about it, this is a film that could be told without words. I was more invested in the animation than I was in the writing.
Speaking of, the animation is quite good, and considering how normal this film is compared to its predecessors, it works well. The fur on the different dogs looks great (and as a dog lover, I love it). Every alley, environment, object, etc. all look like they took time and it’s clear this film wasn’t rushed.
THE VERDICT
The rest of the film is just fine. The animation is great, but the story and writing, while still good, are not as memorable as others in their category. If you’re looking for a fun film with well-animated dogs and cats, and beautiful backgrounds, then check this out. If you’re looking for something deeper, you probably aren’t going to find it. I’m going to give Lady and the Tramp a B+.
Lady and the Tramp stars Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucom, Verna Felton, George Givot, Lee Millar, Peggy Lee. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske.
