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It's still one of the sweetest kisses onscreen, up there with Bergman and Grant, Bogey and Bacall: the moment when pampered purebred Lady and streetwise mongrel Tramp, sharing a moonlit plate of spaghetti in an alley behind an Italian café, unknowingly slurp the same strand, and suddenly find their mouths meeting in surprise and tenderness. Ah, puppy love.
Lady and the Tramp is a delight of animation and surprisingly deep character development, given that the stars are all dogs. Lady, an adorable Cocker Spaniel, feels neglected when her owners become distracted by the pending birth of a baby. But the last straw is clueless Aunt Sarah's appearance with her conniving Siamese cats (among Disney's most creatively evil villains), who wreak havoc on Lady's blissful home life. Soon Lady is off on an adventure in the streets, where the savvy Tramp takes her under his paw. The lessons of friendship and loyalty, of integrity--not to mention trusting in the kindness of strangers--ring true to delighted children and adults alike. And unlike many Disney films, there's no real violence, only challenges that smart dogs (including a tough-talking vamp named Peg, voiced sublimely by Peggy Lee, who also wrote the songs), banding together, can tackle. The animation is terrific; the scene where we first meet Tramp shows him rinsing off under a pipe, and his subsequent shaking-off of the water follows the detailed rippling up and down his back that any dog lover will recognize. And is there any song more romantic than "Bella Notte"? Bellissima!
--A.T. Hurley
Review
Lady and the Tramp is one of Disney's most beloved films. It also represents something of a departure for the studio. Whereas previous animated features had tended toward the fantastic fairy tale setting of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp is set in a recognizable everyday world, although one where one can understand what animals say to each other. The pacing and tone are also somewhat more leisurely than in previous efforts. While there is plenty of action and adventure, the entire film is slightly more relaxed. Some of this is due to the amount of time spent on characterization -- Lady and Tramp's relationship is more fully developed than in earlier cartoons. Indeed, their first date (in an alley behind an Italian restaurant) is one of the most romantic and enchanting moments in film. As usual, the animation is top-notch, whether on big scenes like the chase after the dogcatcher or on small moments like Lady's humiliation at being slapped. A big plus is Peggy Lee's distinctive score, especially the jazzy "He's a Tramp" and the catchy "Siamese Cat Song." Lee does double duty by providing voices for several of the characters, and Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, and Bill Thompson's vocal interpretations are also invaluable. Six years later, some of the same talent would work on another classic dog tale, 101 Dalmations. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
