Lady And The Tramp

Walt Disney's 15th animated masterpiece, Lady And The Tramp is an irresistible musical adventure about a lovable cocker spaniel named Lady and a scruffy, street-wise mutt named Tramp. Based on the story by Ward Greene, Lady meets the charming dog-about-town when her masters leave her with a baby-sitter. Lady has a run-in with mischievous cats, Si and Am; and, after being fitted for a muzzle, she runs away. But she meets Tramp on the other side of the tracks—and with the help of a memorable spaghetti dinner—the two fall in puppy-love. (Suzanne Hodges)

Special features include Disney Second Screen with "Inside Walt's Story Meetings"; "Backstage Disney: Diamond Edition" featuring "Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad" (SD 07:51) and three deleted scenes; a never-recorded song "I'm Free As The Breeze," with lyrics by Ray Gilbert and music by Eliot Daniel; the following classic DVD bonus features: Lady's Pedigree: The Making Of Lady And The Tramp (SD 52:35), Finding Lady: The Art Of The Storyboard (SD 13:02), Original 1943 Storyboard Version Of The Film (SD 11:52), The Siamese Cat Song: Finding A Voice For The Cats (SD 01:52), PuppyPedia: Going To The Dogs (SD 09:22), the "Bella Notte" music video, three theatrical trailers, three excerpts from Disneyland TV shows, and two deleted scenes with introductions (SD 12:52); sneak peeks; up-front ads; a digital copy; and the DVD.

Originally reviewed as a THX® digitally mastered LaserDisc release in Issue 30, followed by a non-anamorphic DVD in Issue 38 and then a 50th Anniversary anamorphic DVD in Issue 107, the picture quality has progressed. The newly remastered Diamond Edition 2.56:1 1080p AVC Blu-ray Disc™ is the definitive release. After an astounding restoration, the CinemaScope® picture is as vibrant and eye-popping as today's animated Disney films. The imagery is solid, with the classic colors impressively saturated. Blacks are deeper, as never before seen, and hues are rich, natural, and beautifully rendered. The hand-drawn animation is sharp and absolutely satisfying. The picture will surely please in all aspects. It simply looks fantastic. What a beautiful picture for new generations to enjoy! (Gary Reber)

The best previous soundtrack was the 50th Anniversary Edition with its Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel "Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix." The newly remastered DTS-HD Master Audio™ 7.1-channel soundtrack still has a largely monaural feel, but the sense of immersion is far greater and more impressive. The sound has been dramatically cleaned up considering its age. The previous DVD had the dialogue spread across the soundstage, but here the dialogue is front and center in essentially equal levels in all three front channels. Surround envelopment consists of the stereo surround music and occasional sound effects. A few instances still reveal some distortion. Nonetheless, fans and purists will enjoy the dramatically improved sound support for this Disney classic. (Gary Reber)