In a concise 76 minutes, Lady and the Tramp tells the story of Lady (Barbara Luddy) a cocker spaniel who lives in luxury, her every whim catered to by her owners, Darling (Peggy Lee) and Jim Dear (Lee Millar). However, at six months old, Lady finds herself shoved aside as her owners welcome a new baby. Her attempts to adjust are further derailed when her owners take off on a romantic vacation. Aunt Sarah (Verna Felton) comes to babysit, bringing along her two Siamese cats. The cats get Lady in trouble, and her punishment is a muzzle.
Feeling like she has no other choice, Lady runs away. In her travels, she meets Tramp (Larry Roberts), a mutt from the wrong side of the tracks. Tramp lives an independent life, eating at a different restaurant every night, and annoying the local dogcatcher. Tramp takes Lady to the local zoo, where he cons a beaver (Stan Freberg) into taking off her muzzle. From there, love blooms. Soon, Lady is faced with a big decision: will she enjoy a life of adventure with Tramp, or return home to her owners?
Told from a dog’s eye view—humans appear with their heads cut off by the top of the screen—Lady’s experience as she feels she’s being replaced by a new baby is a metaphor for what any older sibling must endure when a younger brother or sister arrives. Allowing the human characters to remain in the ‘background’ allows us to really experience her joys and fears.
Lady and the Tramp, vibrant, with clean lines, is beautifully animated. The artists were really able to capture the individual personalities of the canine characters. The shadows are very impressive, with the silhouettes often used to elicit a specific audience reaction. Ever since I was a kid, Lady and the Tramp has been a favorite of mine. Now, well into adulthood, my opinion hasn’t changed. If you’re looking for a film the entire family can enjoy, this is the perfect choice.
Presented in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, this 1080p transfer is beautiful. The details and colors are awesome, and there are no digital artifacts to speak of. All the backgrounds of the idealized Victorian world appear to jump off the screen. Another perfect transfer from Disney.
The DTS-HD MA 7.1 audio is totally immersive, providing spot on ambient sounds, while assuring that the entire soundfield is used throughout the film. Of course, dialogue is perfectly clear, and well balanced.
Additional audio options are French and Spanish Dolby Digital Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), with subtitles in English SDH, French, and Spanish.
Along with a standard definition DVD, an extensive slate of special features are available:
- Disc Introduction by Diane Disney Miller (HD, 2 minutes): Walt Disney’s daughter briefly discusses her father’s work, his love of animals, and his love of Lady and the Tramp.
- Audio Commentary: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings: “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings” is an audio track featuring a talented group of voice actors delivering a dramatic recreation of Walt Disney’s story meetings. With archive transcripts in hand and clever editing, it’s as close to a filmmakers’ audio commentary as you can get on a film like this, and its well worth a listen.
- Disney Second Screen, Featuring “Inside Walt’s Story Meetings” (HD): Download Disney’s Second Screen app to your iPad or PC, sync the Lady and the Tramp Blu-ray with the app, and enjoy an interactive experience complete with behind-the-scenes materials, family activities, art and storyboard galleries, etc.
- Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad (HD, 8 minutes): Miller shares memories and stories about her father’s life and career.
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 19 minutes): Though presented via storyboards, three deleted scenes—“Introduction of Boris,” “Waiting for Baby” and “Dog Show”—are available here.
- Never Recorded Song: “I’m Free as the Breeze” (HD, 2 minutes): “I’m Free as the Breeze,” written in 1946 by Ray Gilbert and composed by Eliot Daniel, features Tramp explaining his life philosophy. It was cut when it was decided Tramp wouldn’t be a singing dog.
- Classic DVD Bonus Features (SD, 157 minutes): The “Classic DVD” section of the disc includes almost all of the previously released DVD edition’s special features, including the seven-part, 53-minute “Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp” (much of which is comprised of vintage featurettes with Walt Disney himself), “Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard,” “Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film,” “The Siamese Cat Song: Finding a Voice for the Cats,” “PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs” (strictly for kids), a “Bella Notte Music Video,” three “Theatrical Trailers,” four lengthy “Excerpts from Disneyland TV Shows” and two more “Deleted Scenes.”
- Sneak Peeks (HD, 10:58 minutes): Trailers and previews for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp’s Adventure, Cinderella, Brave, Chimpanzee, The Aristocats, Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3, ABC’s The Chew, Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and Mary Poppins: The Hit Broadway Musical round out the package.