I’ve been keeping a secret for a year now! Last November I was able to visit the set of the live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp for Disney+ in Savannah, GA. During the set visit, we learned about all kinds of Easter Eggs and fun facts from Lady and the Tramp. Here are some things you (probably) didn’t know about the making of Lady the Tramp on Disney+.
Production Designer John Myhre took us on a tour of some of the different rooms in the Darling house, including Lulu’s nursery and the Darling’s bedroom. He filled us in with some of the behind the scenes action.
Disneyland Played a Role in Lady and the Tramp
You know what a Disney fanatic I am, especially of Disney Theme Parks. Lady and the Tramp takes place around 1910, because it’s a time period that filmmakers felt Walt Disney loved. In his films, Walt would often use an American Victorian time period. According to Myhre, “The first thing you see when you walk in is Main Street, U.S.A., which is this kind of 1910 period. We actually took some of the things that were at Disneyland, like the riverboat and the streetcars, and worked them into the script.”
This makes me love the film even more. Walt Disney is one of my biggest inspirations, and to have them take him into consideration is wonderful. “I’m walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A. It’s the heart of America, the heartbeat of a holiday.” That’s how I felt when watching the opening scene of Lady and the Tramp, especially with the snow.
The Furniture is Real on Set
All the furniture on set was mostly original furniture (not made) which is unusual and the set decorator, Gordon Sim, went to every city within five hours, to every antique store and swap meet to find all of it. The fireplace in Lulu’s room was even purchased on ebay. They reupholstered and repainted many items even all the white wicker furniture.
According to Myhre, it took 12 weeks to build the sets! “They were built at the same time and our set decorator probably spent two and a half months finding all these things because it’s not just this. We’ll walk into another room and then we have the ground floor of the house, an entryway, a front room, kitchen, dining room. And we’re doing a bunch of other sets as well.”
Seriously, these set designers are under appreciated, but their work is incredible! It’s amazing how much we take for granted when we watch a film, but the details are spot on.
They even had to create things from a dog’s point of view, so things were shorter.
Easter Eggs in Lady and the Tramp
I know you want to know all the Easter Eggs in the Lady and the Tramp! It’s always fun to spot them all. Here’s what Myhre had to say.
“There are definitely, I think what would be kind of considered Easter eggs in this. I went through the original film and I took frame grabs of anything that had a graphic on it so when you see signs on the street, they’re inspired. We have a big commercial street who had the baker, Francois Patisserie, from the movie and we matched the awning and the cake. Posters, calendars. Just, you know, anything that can be of a graphic nature is something that we had to pull from that would be fun.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for all the posters and graphics throughout Lady and the Tramp for a nod to the original.
I also noticed towards the end of the movie there’s a shot of a boat and on the side its name is Monty and Rose for real names of the two leading dogs!
Lady and the Tramp premieres on Disney+ on November 12!
About Lady and the Tramp
In Disney+’s “Lady and the Tramp,” a timeless re-telling of the 1955 animated classic, a pampered house dog and a tough but lovable stray embark on an unexpected adventure and, despite their differences, grow closer and come to understand the value of home. Life is good for Lady, an overachieving American Cocker Spaniel who resides in an upscale suburban neighborhood. Her owners, Jim Dear and Darling, spoil her daily and her neighbors, Jock, an outspoken Scottish Terrier and Trusty, a world-weary Bloodhound, are always within barking distance.
But when a baby enters the picture, Lady is no longer the center of attention, and the arrival of cat-loving Aunt Sarah only complicates matters. Lady soon finds herself alone on the streets in an unwelcoming part of town. Fortunately, Tramp steps in, and the streetwise mongrel is quick to teach her the ways of the world. Before long, the prim and proper pure bred and the fast-talking mutt are partaking in moonlight strolls in the park and romantic spaghetti dinners by candlelight. Tramp savors the independence of a world without leashes or fences alongside his roguish friends Peg and Bull, but Lady misses the comfort and safety of a family, and soon both must decide where – and with whom – they belong.
A heartwarming romantic adventure that seamlessly combines live action and photorealistic animation, “Lady and the Tramp” stars: Tessa Thompson as the voice of Lady and Justin Theroux as the voice of Tramp; Kiersey Clemons as Darling; Thomas Mann as Jim Dear; Janelle Monáe as the voice of Peg; Yvette Nicole Brown as Aunt Sarah; and Sam Elliott as the voice of Trusty.