Walt Disney Family Museum Celebrates Lady And The Tramp's 70th Anniversary

By John Roos

It is nearly impossible to imagine Lady and the Tramp (1955) without Peggy Lee.

Lee was a beloved figure in popular music since the 1940s performing initially with the Benny Goodman orchestra. Her profile rose higher as a solo vocalist/songwriter with numerous hit songs including "Fever," "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me,") "Ghost Riders in the Sky," "Why Don't You Do Right?", "He's a Tramp," and "The Siamese Cat Song." In fact, the latter two songs were pivotal to the enduring success of Disney's animated feature film, Lady and the Tramp (1955), with Lee also contributing four key voice roles and four more songs.

The Walt Disney Family Museum presents 70 Years of Lady and the Tramp (1955) this Saturday afternoon. Disney historian and author Marcy Carriker Smothers and Holly Foster Wells--the granddaughter of Peggy Lee-- collaborate for a two-hour talk and multi-media program that explores the film’s origins, cultural impact, and Lee’s influential role in shaping its music, characters, and soundtrack.

Or simply put, this event offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of Disney’s most beloved classics.

Released in June 1955, Lady and the Tramp was Walt Disney's first animated feature not based on a fairy tale and first filmed using the widescreen format, CinemaScope. It also was arguably the company's first to feature a fully developed love story between two equally appealing characters. Technically, the story was told from the perspective of the animals using the low camera angle view of the dogs.

Of the four Disney releases in the 1950's, Lady and the Tramp was a bigger hit than Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). Quite remarkable.

"Lady and the Tramp was one of the crowning jewels in my grandmother's career," said Wells during a recent phone interview. "She was involved and had so much input during the creative and production phases, even having a hand in the storytelling by having a character named after her (a spicy Pekingese named Peg.)"

Interestingly, Wells and Smothers are cousins and the idea for this 70th anniversary celebration surfaced a couple years ago during a family reunion.

"We were sitting there thinking about the milestone around the corner, and I remember saying to Marcy, 'You bring Walt (Disney) to the table, and I bring my grandmother (Peggy), so wouldn't it be fun to dig in deep and tell the story of how this all came to be?" shared Wells. "That planted the seed and we were both all in after that!"

Wells knew from the early age of six that she would play a big role in keeping the legacy of her famous grandma alive for future generations. She was just a little too young to know how big.

"My grandmother told me I would take over her company one day," recalled Wells, "and that this music will outlive her and that I will need to care of it. At that time, I had no idea what she was talking about, but she took me on the road with her all the time. She trained me on how she wanted things handled, and I learned so much over all those years."

Wells has served her grandmother as President of Peggy Lee Associates, Inc., for more than 25 years. It's a big responsibility, but one that she is honored to have.

"What I try to do everyday is to get the story out there, that Peggy Lee was ahead of her time," said Wells. "Now, there's Beyonce, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift, but my grandmother was a real trailblazer. She wrote hundreds of songs, started her own publishing company, produced her whole act. She was like a brand before there were such things. I'm so proud of her and how influential she became."

Lee passed along her business savvy to receptive, caring arms.

"Grandmother would predict things," said Wells, who has also worked for Castle Rock Entertainment and as an Art Department Coordinator for CBS. "She told me that I would get into spots where maybe my family is going to need money, but you cannot sell these songs. You can sell diamonds, but these songs will be there to protect you forever."

As for Lady and the Tramp's inter-generational appeal, it's really not that complicated.

"Let's face it, it's about dogs!" declared Holly with a chuckle. "Okay, it's also a love story with the underlying 'Bad Boy' wrong side of the tracks thing. There's nostalgia, a charming setting, and of course, the incredible music."

Wells is optimistic that those who experience this 70th anniversary celebration will come away with a new perspective on a timeless masterpiece.

"After what Marcy and I share with the audience, I'm really hoping that folks will go back home and watch Lady and the Tramp in a totally different way," she said. "I think that would really please Walt (Disney) and my grandmother."

*70 Years of Lady and the Tramp (1955) takes place Saturday at the Walt Disney Family Museum (Presido), 104 Montgomery St., San Francisco; (415) 345-6800. 1 p.m. $15-$35, free for children ages 5 and under; https://www.waltdisney.org/.