Lady and the Tramp
Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Film Distribution.[1] [2] Directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wilfred Jackson, it was the 15th animated feature film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the first animated feature to be filmed in the widescreen CinemaScope process.[3] [4]
The plot centers on the cross-class romance between Lady, a refined and sheltered American Cocker Spaniel owned by a human family, and Tramp, a streetwise mixed-breed stray dog, set against the backdrop of early 1900s New England.[5] [6] Voiced by Barbara Luddy as Lady and Larry Roberts as Tramp, with songs by Peggy Lee, the film features innovative animation and a pivotal spaghetti dinner sequence that has become culturally iconic.[7] [8]
Adapted from Ward Greene's 1945 short story "Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog" and inspired by Disney story artist Joe Grant's pet Springer Spaniel, the production originated in 1943 but faced delays due to World War II and other priorities, costing approximately $4 million to produce.[4] [2] It achieved significant commercial success, grossing $93.6 million domestically over its theatrical runs, and received praise for its character development and technical achievements, though it has drawn modern criticism for racial stereotypes in characters like the Siamese cats Si and Am.[9] [10] [11]