by John Holliday
by Emily Bloom
by George Taylor
by Christian Fannin
[Keep up with the "Special Feature" column and Christian Fannin will sit you on his lap and talk to you about whatever movie-related topic he feels like.]
You all know we are huge fans of classic Walt Disney and these high-definition "Diamond Editions" have been excellent up until now. I'll get to my single gripe at the end but for now let's focus on the positive and that is the fact that Lady and the Tramp is coming to Blu-ray next week. No, it isn't 'The Jungle Book' or even 'Pinnochio' but it's a classic nonetheless and I'll admit it grew on me upon revisiting it for the first time in a long time for this review. If, like me, it's been a while or this particular title has eluded you, even the curious can afford to give it a try since it clocks in at only 76 minutes.
Usually only remembered only for the iconic "spaghetti kiss" scene, Lady and the Tramp is hiding a pretty decent love story in it's short time on screen. A Cocker Spaniel named Lady is welcomed into her new home by her human owners Jim Dear and Darling where she lives the high life (with a collar and license). Everything is going smoothly for the anthropomorphic dog until Darling focuses her attention on her unborn baby. Feeling unloved, Lady's luck makes another turn for the worse when Aunt Sarah and her troublesome Siamese cats come to babysit. When Lady is put in a muzzle she decides to leave the former comfort of her home for the wrong side of the tracks. The dangers of the new world quickly unite her with her polar opposite, the stray mutt they call Tramp. Their relationship is inevitably leading to love but is interrupted by their worst nightmare: the dog catcher.
The first thing Disney fans want to know is what extra goodies they have in store for their latest release. Lady and the Tramp doesn't disappoint with new-to-Blu deleted scenes, a newly recorded song that was written in 1946, an audio commentary comprising of voice actors recreating Walt's story meetings using actual archive transcripts, and most of the bonus material from the DVD version. There's a great amount of content here (over 3 hours) for what I consider to be one of the lesser Disney titles. But anytime there's something new to learn about Walt, especially when archive footage is involved, I'm there for it regardless of the topic.
Who does a better transfer to Blu-ray than Disney? Probably no one. When it comes to animation, the answer is definitely no one. We've said before that the beautifully painted backgrounds and animation are so wonderfully presented in high-definition that it doesn't even really matter how well you like the particular story. I never really saw Lady and the Tramp as one of my favorites (though it still beats out any other studio's competition) but I couldn't look away from this first animated feature to use CinemaScope. Though not as crisp as more recent movies like Beauty and the Beast, you'd really need to compare them side by side to notice any difference. I challenge you to find a single hair or scratch in the transfer which is exactly what we want but it only makes me worry about the fate of a certain short sequence that has been removed.
As I've said, the quality of the high definition format itself and the special features are amazing but it's what isn't included in Lady and the Tramp that makes me terribly upset. You may remember that portions of The Siamese Cat Song were edited out in the early years of DVD and unfortunately they haven't been restored in this version. It's a real shame because the Diamond Editions were on track to be the definitive versions of the Disney classics but political correctness and ridiculous censorship won out. Though the buck teeth and slanted eyes remain, Si and Am are no longer allowed to sing "We are former residents of Siam, there are no finer cat than I am" along with the animation and corresponding lyrics about their vicious claws. What's even more odd is that these lines are in the bonus material but not sang by Peggy Lee. Despite the fanboy nitpick, it's still a great release and recommended family viewing.
Don't hesitate to tell Christian what you think of his column and suggest a topic by e-mailing him at: christian@cineweekly.com
