--- title: "Lady and the Tramp: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/lady-and-the-tramp/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/lady-and-the-tramp" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Lady and the Tramp (1955): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 11 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like it, and the ones who like it tend to like it a lot. The praise gathers around the same things: Peggy Lee’s songs, above all ‘He’s a Tramp’, the supporting cast of strays, Siamese cats and one manic beaver, and the care taken over how the dogs move and see the world. Several reviews single out the pace, which is slow by Disney standards, and treat the long ramble through town as the heart of the film. The reservations cluster on sentiment. The two notices from 1955, in The New York Times and The New Yorker, find the romance thick with goo and arch in a way the wide CinemaScope frame only makes worse. Later critics mostly forgive the schmaltz but flag the ethnic stereotyping and dated gender roles; Slant Magazine calls it serviceably cute and forgettable. The spread is wide, from top marks to outright dismissals, with the dissent concentrated at the original release. ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating A. 28 February 2006. The critic praises the film's unhurried pacing, focus on characters over plot, and charming depiction of a dog's world, calling it one of Disney's more original classics thanks to its sweet, lazy storytelling and memorable songs by Peggy Lee. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/lady-and-the-tramp-1798201475) ## Empire — Phil Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls Lady and the Tramp one of Walt Disney's very best films. They single out the funny and brilliantly observed supporting characters, along with the cracking music, rollicking pace and strong dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lady-tramp-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 1986. The re-release review praises the film as fresher and more emotionally resonant than recent competitors, thanks to its well-crafted story exploring sibling rivalry and complex feelings through dogs. It singles out the polished animation of canine movement and the relevant story for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-12-19-ca-3690-story.html) ## The Guardian — Paul Howlett Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2001. The love story of the prim cocker spaniel and the mutt from the wrong side of the tracks is one of Disney's most enduring and enjoyable animated adventures. It is full of vivid scenes and songs, with Peg the doghouse floozy stealing the show. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/dec/05/artsfeatures) ## The Times — Matthew Davis Rating 4 stars. 12 February 2006. The classic canine confection feels like an artefact from another age with its crude ethnic stereotyping and dated gender politics, but all objections melt away when you look into those puppy-dog eyes. The story is shamelessly sentimental but hard not to be drawn in by the animators’ delight in the detail. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/film-dvds-dh2m2773jwx) ## Time Out — RP Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 March 2014. The review finds the film's social themes tame by modern standards and its human characters unappealing, but praises how supporting elements rescue it from sentimentality. It singles out the classic songs, especially the raunchy 'He's a Tramp' performed by Peggy Lee, along with memorable cameos like the manic beaver and villainous Siamese cats. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lady-and-the-tramp) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 1955. The review finds the film a coyly romantic animal story with mighty sentimentality that the CinemaScope format only emphasizes. It singles out the thick goo of the sentiment as a notable drawback. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1955/06/24/archives/screen-dogs-and-lovers-disneys-lady-and-the-tramp-at-roxy.html) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 2006. The critic finds the film serviceably cute but ultimately mundane and ignorable compared to other Disney classics, lacking depth or standout elements despite its visual appeal and iconic spaghetti scene. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/lady-and-the-tramp-dvd/) ## The New Yorker — John McCarten Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1955. The review criticizes the film as evidence that Disney has grown rusty, delivering excessive sentimentality in a canine version of a rich-girl-poor-boy romance. It singles out the painfully arch protagonists and their oversized CinemaScope antics for complaint. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1955/07/02/disneys-shaggy-dogs) ## Eye for Film — Stephanie Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2006. The critic calls the film a timeless classic that retains its magic and technical brilliance decades later. They single out the simplicity of the storytelling from the dog's perspective, along with highlights like the harmonious dog howls and Peggy Lee's rendition of 'He's a Tramp'. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lady-and-the-tramp-film-review-by-stephanie-wolfe-murray) ## Paste — Garrett Martin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2023. The critic finds Lady and the Tramp one of Disney’s most charming and romantic pictures outside of one problematic scene, with more life and personality in the animated dogs than in most human actors. The long, rambling date through their hometown is singled out for praise as reminiscent of a Linklater film. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/disney/every-walt-disney-animation-movie-ranked) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/lady-and-the-tramp.md