When you think of classic Disney movies, Lady and the Tramp will always come to mind. The original animated film, which debuted in 1955, includes one of the most parodied and recognizable scenes in all of Disney history — a plate of spaghetti and meatballs which accidentally leads to a kiss between Lady, a Cocker Spaniel, and Tramp, a mutt on the street.
Barbara Luddy and Larry Roberts made the two dogs come alive on screen —even more so than the live-action Disney reboot, which is due out this year, likely will. While many kids saw the movie as a sweet love story between two dogs, Luddy and Roberts helped tell a different tale, about privilege and life experience. Even though Lady had a nice family, she was sheltered from the outside world. Tramp, meanwhile, lived for himself, even though he didn’t have a steady home.
Before you see the reboot, everyone in your family should become familiarized with the original. And thanks to Disney+, that’s possible. Not only are they exclusively airing the live-action version, but the original Lady and the Tramp is streaming, along with thousands of other Disney titles. Here’s how to watch Lady and the Tramp online.
How to Stream ‘Lady and the Tramp’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Lady and the Tramp is one of the fan-favorite Disney animated movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Lady and the Tramp and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Lady and the Tramp”
- 5. Tap on the animated “Lady and the Tramp”
- 6. Tap the PLAY button
- 7. Enjoy!
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Lady and the Tramp’: Overview
Release Date: 1955
Creators: Story by Erdman Penner, Ralph Wright, Don DaGradi, and Joe Rinaldi.
Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske
Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee, Lee Millar
Rating: G
Synopsis: A sheltered Cocker Spaniel has her life turned upside down after her owners start preparing for their new baby. Along the way, she meets a stray dog named Tramp who takes a liking to her and makes her realize what a collarless life is all about.
How Long Is ‘Lady and the Tramp’?
The movie is 76 minutes long.
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Plot
Lady is gifted to her owner, “Darling,” in a hatbox as a Christmas gift from “Jim Dear” in 1909. As she grows older, she makes two neighborhood friends — a Scottish terrier named Jock, and an older bloodhound named Trusty. Jock and Trusty do their best to try and explain to Lady that Darling and Jim Dear are expecting a baby. Upon hearing the conversation, a stray named Tramp appears to tell Lady that when a baby moves in, a dog moves out. After the baby is born, Lady is incredibly loyal — yet, she can’t help but notice that she’s not getting the attention she used to. When Aunt Sarah comes to visit, she brings her two cats — who set Lady up to look like she trashed the home. As a punishment, Lady gets a muzzle — but is so terrified when it’s placed on her that she flees the scene. After a little help from Tramp, she starts falling in love with him — but that ends after Lady learns more about his past from other dogs.
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Cast
Since the movie was made in 1955, Disney made sure to use real voice actors for the part, not necessarily big Hollywood names.
Barbara Luddy as Lady
Lady is a brown Cocker Spaniel, given as a present to Darling. As far as housepets go, she’s loyal and obedient, and very careful with doing the right thing. She’s voiced by Barbara Luddy, who also voiced Kanga in the Winnie the Pooh series. She passed away in 1979, but her voice was still used in the 2011 show Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Larry Roberts as Tramp
Tramp is very familiar with the streets, as he’s had to find ways to survive without an owner. Larry Roberts only has three acting credits to his name, with Tramp being the most important. Rumor has it that he was “discovered” for the role, and also had a background in stand-up comedy.
Peggy Lee as Darling
Not only did Peggy Lee voice Darling, but she provided the voice of the troublesome pair of Siamese cats, Si and Am. She was best known for her singing and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show six times for it. She also created her own autobiographical musical called “Peg,” which revealed that she had an abusive childhood.
Lee Millar as Jim Dear
Lee Millar voiced loving husband Jim Dear, as well as the Dog Catcher. Around the time that Lady & The Tramp premiered, Millar was on a few episodes of I Love Lucy. His last role was in 1967, in the series The Mothers-In-Law.
Bill Thompson as Jock
Bill Thompson plays Jock, one of the most interesting dogs in the movie, based on his accent and the fact that he’s irritated very easily. Thompson didn’t just voice the Scottish terrier — he also provided the voice of the bulldog named Bull, and the police officer at the zoo. Thompson became well linked with Disney. One of his later roles was providing voices for The Magical World of Disney in the ’60s.
Bill Baucom as Trusty
Bill Baucom played Trusty, the bloodhound who was slowly losing his sense of smell — which for dogs, is extremely upsetting. Interestingly enough, this was Baucom’s very first acting role.
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Songs and Soundtrack
Oliver Wallace composed the score of Lady & The Tramp, which had many stand-out songs. Aside from the instrumentals, there was also “Bella Note,” which served as the opening theme and the Siamese Cat song, which was sung by Peggy Lee. The movie also used the song “He’s a Tramp.”
‘Lady and the Tramp’ at the Box Office
Lady and the Tramp was re-released several times, earning a profit each time. In 1962, it reportedly between $6 million and $7 million. In 1971, the film grossed $10 million. That number kept climbing, as its 1980 rerelease grossed $27 million, and its 1986 release brought in $31.1 million.
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Lady and the Tramp has a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. An archived New York Times article from back in 1955 offers up a fresh review for people who literally saw it during its first screening. Shockingly, it finds some faults. “Unfortunately and surprisingly, the artists’ work is below par in this film,” noted critic Bosley Crowther wrote. “Where Mr. Disney’s feature cartoons usually have a certain literate originality, at least, this one falls rather patly into a pseudo-boy-meets-girl groove.”
Where ‘Lady and the Tramp’ Fits in the Disney Movie Pantheon
When it comes to films with animal leads, Lady and the Tramp is one of the best. In 2015, The AV Club even stated that Lady & The Tramp was one of the most grown-up films from the company. “While Lady And The Tramp may be one of the most grown-up entries in the Disney canon, it masks its complex themes behind lush animation and subtle storytelling,” Caroline Siede wrote. “As I grew older, I began to understand more and more of the film. My favorite scene used to be one where Lady struggled to climb stairs as a puppy. Now it’s one where a pregnant wife calmly sends her husband out into the middle of a blizzard for watermelon and chop suey.”
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Famous Spaghetti Scene
‘Lady and the Tramp’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
Since Lady and the Tramp actually took some time to make, there’s a lot of fascinating trivia about it. Here are five fast facts.
1. Lady was inspired by a real dog.
Hopefully, that pup got to see the movie. Joe Grant worked as a writer for Disney back in the 1930s, and had the opportunity to share some sketches of his new pup with Walt Disney. While Disney loved the sketches, he wasn’t too fond of the story Grant thought up. Years later, the idea was brought up again after Disney realized he could combine Grant’s idea with another.
2. The dog they modeled Tramp after actually lived at Disneyland.
The original pup was a girl dog initially spotted by story artist Erdman Penner. According to MousePlanet, that dog was later adopted by the Pope family, who helped manage the farms at Disneyland. She lived on a house that was on the Disneyland property for the rest of her life.
3. Trusty reportedly died in the original version of the movie.
MousePlanet also notes that the scene with the wagon was supposed to go much differently. “Walt, who had taken criticism for [the] death of Bambi’s mother, decided after seeing the scene that it was too intense and had the animators include Trusty in the final Christmas scene,” Jim Korkis wrote. The intensity of the scene was left in as if he had died, which makes the Christmas reveal much more emotional.
4. Walt Disney also bought his wife a puppy one year and hid him in a hatbox.
His wife, Lillian, was a little disappointed since she was really expecting a hat, much like Darling in the movie. The puppy was a Chow, and the two of them named him Sunnee. “She didn’t know I bought a dog,” Disney said. “She thought I bought her a hat! So, she started to open it and it moved. When she opened it this little chow stuck its head out. And from that time on, that was her baby.”
5. The movie had to cut one of their songs.
Did you know that Tramp had a song called “I’m Free”? Supposedly it was included in the beginning, but as Tramp’s character started to evolve, it just didn’t fit the way it should have. Fans still got a chance to hear it, as it was included as a DVD extra.
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How to Stream Lady & The Tramp: Your Family Viewing Guide