Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Prized pooches take the lead in animated ‘masterpiece’
My final Advertiser column of 2020 is dedicated to the memory of my great pal Wullie Johnston, from Greengairs, who was a wee film buff.
“In the whole history of the world, there is one thing that money cannot buy... to-wit-the-wag of a dog’s tail” – Josh Billings (American humourist).
This is the tagline that opens Walt Disney’s masterpiece Lady and the Tramp.
Released in 1955 following three years in production, it was the first animated feature in Cinemascope and deals with a subject matter never encountered at the Disney studio before.
It is a cartoon more dependent on personality than plot; character than comedy.
The story about a love match between cocker spaniel Lady and mongrel Tramp begins with a panoramic view of snow falling in a quaint New England town on Christmas night.
Jim Dear presents Darling, as the humans are known in the story, with a puppy. They name her Lady and, in a movie transition, we watch her grow up and follow her adventures and relationship with canine neighbours Jock, Trusty and Tramp, a homeless wanderer from the other side of the tracks.
The movie, like many Disney classics, has some of the most delightful scenes and situations ever animated.
When Tramp takes Lady to dinner they share a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs and are serenaded. During the song, Lady and the Tramp nibble at
the same strand of spaghetti, bringing their lips together in a kiss.
Another sequence has a very engaging spoof on prison films, with one dog working on a tunnel and another being taken off to the gas chamber.
When Lady is admitted to the pound she is
approached by an inquisitive bulldog who says: “What are you in for sweetheart? Putting fleas on the butler?”
Lady is then introduced to Peg, a little gal that’s been around, who sings He’s A Tramp, declaring her love for Tramp.
Lady and the Tramp was reissued for a Christmas release in 1966 and opened for a six-day run at the Pavilion Cinema in Airdrie.
My pal Wullie Johnston and I saw every screening, suffering from an overdose of Maltesers after we consumed more than 14 boxes in a week!
This fabulous Disney picture struck a chord with both of us and remains a very special and cherished memory of happy days at the old Pavilion.
The cinema in Coatbridge was located opposite where the Time Capsule now stands. It had a festoon curtain that actually went up.
I loved this picture house and was a regular patron.
In 1963, the return of Walt Disney’s 1950 masterpiece Cinderella was enchanting parents and children during the Christmas season.
Disney’s version of the classic fairy tale is one of its most impressive works.
The variety of characters and the opportunities for effects animation are fully realised here, especially in the sublime fairy godmother sequence.
A pumpkin, household mice, a horse, and Bruno the dog are transformed with the magic touch of “Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” to become the entourage that will transport Cinderella, in a beautiful gown and coach, to the ball.
Cinderella is Disney at its peak. It has some of the most delightful moments ever put on film and provides good wholesome entertainment for the entire family.