I’ve been keeping a secret for an entire year, and I’m so excited to finally share the news! Last November I was invited to the set of the Lady and the Tramp Live Action Film. This was my first visit to the Savannah, Georgia area and I felt it was the perfect backdrop for this American Victorian period film. Below I’m sharing the exclusive details about the set visit as well as an interview with Production Designer John Myhre.
I was invited as media to cover this event. All opinions are my own.
Visiting the Set of Lady and the Tramp Live Action Film
We pulled up to a large warehouse at an undisclosed location in Savannah. Once we were through the gates, it felt like we were stepping back in time, 1910 to be exact. The grounds had plenty of room for the dogs to roam including this amazing backdrop where we met the scruffy Tramp. I’ll be sharing exclusive details about him and Lady in a future post!
Once inside we met the Production Designer John Myhre, who gave us a private tour of the set including baby Lulu’s nursery, the front room, kitchen, dining room, and the parent’s bedroom as well. They were filming during our visit so we actually had the opportunity to put on headphones and watch a scene from another room. During the trailer below I noticed a small clip of that scene where Lady is holding her leash. It’s during the busy baby shower scene where Lady doesn’t understand what all the fuss is about and just wants some attention from her owners.
Exclusive Interview with Production Designer John Myhre
One of Walt Disney’s favorite time periods was the 1910’s. John mentioned that many of Walt’s 1950 live action films were based in that American Victorian era and they used that for inspiration when building their set design. He shared that the really unique thing about Lady and the Tramp’s set is that all of the furniture is real, mentioning that the Set Director Gord Sim spent roughly two and a half months seeking out distinctive pieces for the two sets from nearly every antique store and swap meet in Georgia and the Carolinas. They then painted and reupholstered all of the pieces.
Another unique thing about the set is because much of the film is from the dog’s perspective they needed to make sure plenty of items were at their eye level (about 2 feet high) so the viewers would see everything.
John shared that when reading the script he felt that Lady’s favorite room of the house was Jim Dear and Darling’s bedroom, so they wanted to make that bedroom even more perfect than the rest of the house. Adding, “How do you make it better? And I thought wouldn’t it be fun if we made this look like heaven? So the reason we’re using the blue and white paper is that it looks like the skies and all the fluffy white pillows look like clouds.”
When asked if the film would have any Easter eggs, John mentioned, “I went through the original film and I took frame grabs of anything that had a graphic on it. The baker is Francois Patisserie from the movie and we matched the awning and the cake. Posters, calendars – anything that can be of a graphic nature is something that we had to pull from.”
I’m looking forward to sharing more from our Lady and the Tramp Live Action set visit tomorrow, so stay tuned!
More about the film:
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 catloving 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 purebred 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. The film is directed by Charlie Bean from a screenplay by Andrew Bujalski and Kari Granlund, and is produced by Brigham Taylor with Diane L. Sabatini serving as executive producer.
“Lady and the Tramp” premieres on November 12, 2019, streaming only on Disney+
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