Lady and the Tramp – Diamond Edition (1955/Disney Blu-ray + DVD)
Picture:
A/B Sound: A-/B Extras: B+ Film: B+
It was 1955
and the American animated classic Lady
and the Tramp hit theaters. The 15th
film in the Disney animation catalog features a purebred cocker spaniel named
Lady falling in love with a street dog, mutt named Tramp.
The plot
is simple enough. Lady is a house dog
that lives a lavishly pampered life, her only interaction with the world being
a couple of other dogs in the neighborhood; Jock a Scottish Terrier and Trusty
a Bloodhound. On the other side of town
we are given a glimpse into the life of Tramp, who could not be more different
than Lady as he is a rough street dog who spends his days scavenging for food
and protecting his comrades from the dog catcher.
Lady and
Tramp’s paths eventually cross as Lady is being educated by Jock and Trusty
what a baby is and concurrently what it means for her. Her owners are having a baby and Tramp
quickly informs her that “when baby moves in, dog moves out.” Tramp is quickly chased off by the snooty
Jock and Trusty, but after Lady escapes from home when her owners’ aunt
attempts to muzzle her, their paths meet again.
Tramp
gets Lady unmuzzled and shows her what life of a street dog is like, “footloose
and collar free.” Eventually this all
leads to the famous Italian dinner scene.
The evening is cut short as Lady is taken by the dog catcher, leaving
Tramp to scamper off. At the pound Lady
is widely admired by the other dogs, having a tag meaning an owner is certain
to come and get her. But while there she
quickly learns that her love affair with Tramp will be short lived as he has many
girlfriends and she is not his one and only.
Not
before long Lady returns home and has the chance to confront Tramp in person
about his exploits and “abandoning” her at the pound. Lady demands Tramp leave her be, but when a
family member is in trouble love may have a chance to shine through.
Lady and the Tramp is undoubtedly a classic. I would not considerate it to be one of my
favorite films, but the concept, animation, and music is out of this
world. Lady and the Tramp is classic Disney through and through; standing
the test of time, inspiring and entertaining each coming generation. I feel the artistic direction of the film is
not my favorite either, in comparison to films like Snow White or The Lion King,
as it was in this in between stage for Disney that can feel quite flat at
times. Who am I to criticize a classic
(nobody) and it is just that, a classic.
From character development to the smallest detail the film is amazing,
an enduring film that is a standard to strive for.
The
technical features of this Blu-ray release for Disney are of the highest
quality. The picture is a High
Definition 2.55 X 1 AVC MPEG-4 Encoded Wide Screen (the first CinemaScope
animated feature ever made) that stuns from beginning to end. The hand painted backgrounds come to life
with rich textures and fine detail. The
colors explode off of the screen and only enhance the crisp, clean
animation. The film has many changes
between day and night, with each being equally grand. The film is bold and brilliantly rendered
here on Blu-ray; I would venture to say it is even passable as being a new to
the world release. The sound is nearly
as perfect as the video in its 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. The DTS track uses the full speaker range for
the panning effects and especially the outstanding musical scores. For the most part (outside of the panning)
most of the dialogue comes from the front, though I would still say the track
is dynamic. I have never seen this movie
sound or look so good.
The DVD
included in this set is slightly improved over the Platinum release, but not by
much. It does not stand up to the
Blu-ray by any means, though the video remains a 2.55 X 1 Widescreen and a 5.1
DEHT restored audio track.
Disney
again doesn’t disappoint on the extras; piling on some bonus material you can’t
find anywhere else. Extras include:
- Never Before Seen Deleted
Scenes
- A Never Before Deleted Song
- Inside Walt’s Story Meetings
- Inside Walt’s Story Meetings:
Audio Commentary *NEW*
- Diane Disney Miller:
Remembering Dad *NEW*
- Lady’s Pedigree: The Making
of Lady and the Tramp
- The Siamese Cat Song: Finding
a Voice for the Cats
- Puppypedia: Going to the Dogs
- Theatrical Trailer
- Original 1943 Story Board
- Music and More
Not much
here is new as most has been ported over from the DVD Diamond Edition, but I am glad it is all here. There are some new features (noted above)
that are excellent and truly add a lot to the experience.
Lady and the Tramp is excellent here on Blu-ray and
is truly worth owning.
The
film’s Platinum DVD release has been
reviewed previously on this site. For a more detailed look into the film,
please follow the link below:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3445/Lady+&+The+Tramp+%E2%80%93+50th
- Michael P. Dougherty II
