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Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Original Production Animation Cels of Lady As A Puppy and A Door from "Lady and the Tramp," 1955

Original hand inked and hand painted production cel of Lady as a Puppy and a Door set on a lithographic background from "Lady and the Tramp," 1955, Walt Disney Studios; Size - Lady As A Puppy: 2 3/4 x 2 1/2", Door: 6 x 9 1/2, Image 6 1/4 x 13 1/4"; Unframed.

To purchase this cel or to visit the Art Gallery, CLICK HERE!

“Oh, I love her. What a perfectly beautiful little Lady.” ―Darling

"Lady and the Tramp" (released on June 22, 1955) is a full length featured animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The film was the 15th in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, and it was the first animated feature filmed in with the CinemaScope widescreen film process. The film was based on the story "Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog" by Ward Greene and tells the story of a female American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a refined, upper-middle-class family. Lady meets a male stray mutt named Tramp and they embark on many exciting and romantic adventures.

One evening in 1937, Disney storyman Joe Grant invited Walt Disney over to his house for dinner and ended up showed Disney a drawing he had made of his pet springer spaniel, who was named Lady. Walt loved the drawing and suggested that Joe make a storyboard out of it; which he did and the plan was to create a new animated film, simply titled "Lady." The story that was pitched ended up being too simplistic to Walt Disney's taste, and the project was put on hold until about 20 years later.

Lady was wonderfully animated by the great Disney artist Ollie Johnston and she was voiced by Barbara Luddy. Barbara Luddy (1908 — 1979) was an American actress from Great Falls, Montana and she starred in silent pictures in the 1920s. She was also a prolific radio performer; known for her performances on the long running radio show "The First Nighter Program" which aired from 1936 until 1953.

However, Luddy is perhaps best remembered for her voice work in Walt Disney animated films; with her most memorable role being that of Lady from Lady and the Tramp.  She also performed in Sleeping Beauty (voice of Merryweather), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (voice of Rover), Robin Hood (voice of both Mother Church Mouse and the Mother Rabbit), and the Winnie-the-Pooh featurettes (Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too) all of which she provided the voice for Kanga.

This is a very nice original production animation cel of Lady as a young puppy, who was a Christmas gift to Darling from Jim Dear. This is an adorable cel of Lady from the memorable sequence when Lady is put into her dog bed located in a downstairs room with a swing door; for her first night sleeping in her new home. Lady is full figure, eyes open, and is a charming piece of animation history; and would certainly would be a highlight for any Walt Disney vintage animation art collection!

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