LADY AND THE TRAMP

1955
LADY AND THE TRAMP
Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on June 22, 1955, by Buena Vista Distribution. The 15th animated film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen film process. The story centers on a female anthropomorphic American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a refined, upper-middle-class family, and a male stray mutt called the Tramp. A direct-to-video sequel, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, was released in 2001.
On Christmas morning 1909, Jim Dear gives his wife Darling a cocker spaniel puppy that they name Lady. Lady enjoys a happy life with the couple and with a pair of dogs from the neighborhood, a Scottish Terrier named Jock and a bloodhound named Trusty. Meanwhile, across town by the railway, a stray mutt, referred to as The Tramp, lives life from moment to moment, be it begging for scraps from the local Italian restaurant or protecting his fellow strays Peg (a Lhasa Apso) and Bull (an English bulldog) from the local dog catcher.

Later, Lady is saddened after Jim Dear and Darling begin treating her rather coldly. Jock and Trusty visit her, and determine that the change in behavior is due to Darling expecting a baby. While Jock and Trusty try to explain what a baby is, Tramp offers his own thoughts on the matter. Jock and Trusty take an immediate dislike to the stray and order him out of the yard. As Tramp leaves, he reminds Lady that "when the baby moves in, the dog moves out".

Eventually, the baby arrives and Jim Dear and Darling introduce Lady to the infant, to whom Lady grows fond. Soon after, the two decide to go on a trip together, leaving their Aunt Sarah to look after the baby and the house. Aunt Sarah, however, dislikes dogs, refusing to let Lady near the baby. When Lady clashes with Aunt Sarah's two trouble-making Siamese cats, Si and Am, she takes Lady to a pet shop to get a muzzle. Lady flees, but is pursued by some street dogs. After the Tramp rescues Lady, the two visit a local zoo, where Tramp tricks a beaver into removing the muzzle. Later, Tramp shows Lady how he lives "footloose and collar-free", eventually leading into a candlelit Italian dinner. Lady begins to fall in love with Tramp, and the two spend the night together on a hilltop in the park.

As Tramp escorts Lady back home the next day, Tramp stirs up trouble in a chicken coop. As the two dogs flee, Lady is caught by the dog-catcher. At the pound, the other dogs admire Lady's license, as it is her way out of the pound. Soon the dogs reveal the Tramp's many girlfriends and how he is unlikely to ever settle down. Eventually, Lady is collected by Aunt Sarah and is chained to the backyard doghouse. Jock and Trusty visit to comfort her, but when Tramp arrives to apologize, thunder starts to rumble as Lady angrily confronts him about his past girlfriends and failure to rescue her, after which Tramp leaves.

Moments later, as it starts to rain, Lady sees a rat trying to sneak into the house with the apparent intention of harming the baby. Lady barks frantically, but Aunt Sarah tells her to be quiet. Tramp hears her and runs back to help. Tramp enters the house and confronts the rat in the nursery. Lady breaks free and races to the nursery to find the rat on the baby's crib. Tramp manages to kill the rat in battle, but knocks over the crib in the process, awakening the infant. When Aunt Sarah comes to the baby's aid, she sees the two dogs and thinks they are responsible. She forces Tramp into a closet and Lady into the basement, then calls the pound to take Tramp away.

Jim Dear and Darling return as the dogcatcher departs. They release Lady, who leads them and Aunt Sarah to the dead rat, vindicating Tramp. Overhearing everything and realizing Tramp's intentions, Jock and Trusty chase after the dogcatcher's wagon. Jock is convinced Trusty has long since lost his sense of smell, but the old bloodhound is able to find the wagon. They bark at the horses, who rear up and topple the wagon onto a utility pole. Jim Dear arrives in a taxi with Lady, and Lady reunites with Tramp. However, Trusty is injured in the struggle and Jock howls in sorrow.

That Christmas, Tramp, now a part of Lady's family, has his own collar and license. Aunt Sarah has also reconciled with Lady by sending her a box of dog biscuits. Lady and Tramp raise four puppies together: three resemble Lady (Annette, Danielle, and Collette) and the other resembles Tramp (Scamp). Jock comes to see the family along with Trusty, who is carefully walking on his still-mending leg.
Cast

Barbara Luddy as Lady
Larry Roberts as The Tramp
Bill Thompson as Jock, Joe, Bulldog, Dachsie, Policeman
Bill Baucom as Trusty
George Givot as Tony
Peggy Lee as Darling, Si, Am, Peg
Verna Felton as Aunt Sarah
Stan Freberg as the beaver
Alan Reed as Boris
Thurl Ravenscroft as Al the alligator
Dallas McKennon as Toughy, Pedro, Professor, Hyena
Lee Millar as Jim Dear, Dogcatcher
The Mellomen (Thurl Ravenscroft, Bill Lee, Max Smith, Bob Hamlin and Bob Stevens) as Dog Chorus

Directed by Clyde Geronimi
Wilfred Jackson
Hamilton Luske
Produced by Walt Disney
Screenplay by Erdman Penner
Joe Rinaldi
Ralph Wright
Don DaGradi
Story by Joe Grant
Based on Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog by
Ward Greene
Starring Peggy Lee
Barbara Luddy
Larry Roberts
Bill Thompson
Bill Baucom
Music by Oliver Wallace
Editing by Don Halliday
Studio Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)

June 22, 1955

Running time 75 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $4 million
Box office $93,602,326