Barking at the Big Screen: Lady and the Tramp still the definitive classic

What’s better than a Disney classic? Read our Lady and the Tramp review.

With the launch of Disney Plus on Tuesday, November 12, it seemed high time for a Lady and the Tramp review as part of our “Barking at the Big Screen” series.

Released in June 16, 1955, Lady and the Tramp was based on a short story by Ward Greene, and stars Lady, a Cocker Spaniel, which makes sense, as they reigned as the most popular breed throughout much of the 1940s and 1950s.

Storyline

Set in an unidentified city in the early twentieth century, a well-to-do young married man called Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a Christmas present of a puppy, which they name Lady (Barbara Luddy).

Using her adorable puppy cuteness, Lady finangles her way up the stairs and into the foot of the bed, where she soon makes a habit of sleeping.

About six months later, Lady has a brand-new sky-blue collar and license, which she proudly shows off to her elderly friends Jacques the Scottie (Bill Thompson) and Trusty the scent-blind Bloodhound (Bill Baucom).

She also has a set morning routine: Scare the birds away, fetch the newspaper, and nibble on a doughnut and coffee alongside Jim Dear and Darling.

Meanwhile down by the railroad tracks, Tramp (Larry Roberts), a Schnauzer mix, goes about his morning routine: waking up in an old shipping crate, then surveying the various restaurants for breakfast, settling on Tony’s.

After breakfast, he springs his friends Bull the Bulldog and Peg the Pekingese (Peggy Lee) out of the dogcatcher’s wagon, then embarks on a merry chase that takes him into the fancy part of town.

That’s where he meets Lady, who is telling Jacques and Trusty about something Darling was talking about called a “baby” that’s on the way.

Tramp prophesies that the humans will spend all their time worrying about the baby’s health,which will leave Lady eating leftover baby food in a leaky doghouse out in the yard.

The baby is born the next April, and Lady is somewhat forgotten about in all the excitement. Jim Dear’s Aunt Sarah comes to take care of the baby while he and Darling go on a trip, and Aunt Sarah’s Siamese cats come along, too.

They sing the “Siamese Cat Song” and generally wreak havoc, banishing Lady into the indignity of wearing a muzzle, where she runs away from the pet shop, after which Tramp rescues her.

They go to the City Zoo, where they meet the Beaver (Stan Freberg), who obligingly chomps off the offending muzzle.

As they walk Lady back home that night, Tramp tells her of his lifestyle and there is the famous spaghetti scene at Tony’s.

The next morning Tramp unsuccessfully tries to talk Lady into embracing life as a stray, but her devotion to guarding the baby is too strong. Undeterred, he instead introduces her to the joy of chasing chickens.

Lady is caught by the dogcatcher and taken to the pound, where she meets Peg, Bull, a sheepdog named Toughy, Pedro the Chihuahua, Dachsie the Dachshund, and Boris the Russian Wolfhound, and learns about Tramp’s free-wheeling ways through Peg’s song “He’s a Tramp.”.

Lady is picked up quickly, but then when Tramp tries to apologize, she won’t listen.

A rat then tries to sneak into the baby’s room, which Tramp then defends, earning the respect of Jim Dear and Darling. But Aunt Sarah, not understanding, has Tramp hauled off to the pound, while Jacques and Trusty then break him loose.

Several months afterward, it’s Christmastime again, and Lady and the Tramp have four rambunctious puppies of their own.

Trusty and Jacques come visit and retell all the old stories, and it seems they all live happily ever after.

Our thoughts

In a nutshell, this is our Lady and the Tramp review: This is one of the greatest Disney animated classics ever, and it will never get old.

The detail of the backgrounds, the timelessness of the love story…it’s a perfect movie.

We were surprised, however, that Jim Dear and Darling’s faces can be briefly seen – hers is visible in three shots and his in two.

Lady and the Tramp is available to stream on Disney Plus, as is its live-action remake. Please be sure to read our 2019 Lady and the Tramp review as well.