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DVD Corner: 'Lady and the Tramp' a good classic
Mac Olsen
for Spotlight
‘Rated G by Canadian Home Video Rating 1 hour, 16 minutes Two-disc platinum DVD, available new and used at www.amazon.ca
As a traditionally animated Disney tale from 1955, ‘Lady and the Tramp’ looks better than ever in the DVD format.
Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske directed the movie and the voice talents included Barbara Luddy as Lady, Larry Roberts as Tramp and Peggy Lee as the cats Si and Am.
This movie is a tale of two worlds, with the prim and proper Lady growing up in a well-to-do home and Tramp living “foot loose and collar free” in the world at large. Lady has a family and although she tests her owners’ patience, she feels loved, safe and secure in that environment. She won’t give it up for anything, especially her friends a Scottish Terrier named Jock (voiced by Bill Thompson) and a bloodhound, Trusty (voiced by Bill Baucom).
However, her strength of will is tested when she encounters Tramp, who shows her the wild side of life. He takes her to various homes where he can rustle up a square meal and takes her bird chasing, too.
Their romance begins to develop during dinner at an Italian restaurant where the cooks sing to them as they eat. It’s a touching moment, especially when Tramp noses a meatball to her.
But later, while they’re out on a tear, she gets caught by the dogcatcher, which makes her feel ashamed. Tramp tries to make amends, but she gives him the cold shoulder.
It seems they will go their separate ways, until a threatening situation with the family causes Tramp to rise to the occasion. Their friends Jock and Trusty put their lives on the line, too.
Besides the Italian dining scene, the other memorable moment is Si and Am performing their skit and Lady eyeing them with suspicion. It’s hilarious to watch those two cats prance around and sing and frame Lady for a fiendish thing they do.
The digital restoration work is also fantastic, especially showing the rich detail of the interiors of Lady’s home, the landscapes and the backgrounds. It’s a true reflection of the Victorian era and a bygone era. It’s not a 3-D, CGI spectacle, but the two-dimensional artwork and characters make the dogs’ world feel very real.
Disc one has the feature film, which can be viewed in full screen or widescreen, but the latter is preferable because it shows much more detail at the edges. The music is top notch, especially the flute music to portray Lady’s innocence and funny moments.
The second disc has a variety of features, including a jazz-style music video “Bella Notte,” to bring the feel of the movie to a new generation of moviegoers. There are also featurettes detailing the history and production of the movie, as well as interactive children’s games that require a DVD-ROM drive.
Overall, ‘Lady and the Tramp’ continues to be great family entertainment, deserving five stars out of five and shelf space in any movie collection.
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