However, for all the glitter of the gold, the real platinum moment of the night belonged to Deja, who once again unfurled a parade of magical drawings – mostly roughs and conceptual studies and working sketches – each one more beautiful than the next, and each one an ideal piece of evidence to be entered in the trial of “hand drawn�? vs “CG.�? In a house filled with a healthy mix of notables and laymen alike, there was not a sound to be heard except sighs, gasps, awwww’s and ooooh’s as Andreas laid out drawing, after drawing, after drawing from the hands of Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson, and finally the great (and vastly under-appreciated) John Lounsbery.

The gems that led the way, however, were the most priceless – inspirational sketches done by the unparalleled genius of Disney animation, Joe Grant. Starting off with a photo of Joe’s wife of 70 years, Jennie, seated side by side with another “lady�?, Deja then revealed four charming, simple, emotionally rich conte and chalk renderings of a happy spaniel with slippers in her mouth, staring down a gated tree, and in numerous facial studies that were much more rounded and soft than the final characters designed by Milt Kahl. The Grant studies, drawn in 1939, are of course the true origin of the film. In spite of the influence of Ward Greene’s “Happy Dan, the Whistling Dog�?, it remains that the Grant family spaniel (actually a Springer Spaniel) named Lady, a pair of Siamese cats, and a neighbor’s Scottish Terrier (plus a bouncing baby girl named Carol Eve) were the heart and soul of what would become one of the most enduring animated classics in history. An uplifting reminder of the indispensable talent and unforgettable legacy of a giant who has barely been gone from our midst for nine months now. Joe, your spirit was all around last night!

Moving on to production drawings from the 1950’s, Deja’s presentation emphasized not just the beauty and sculptural quality of each gracefully rendered study or tiny thumbnail bit of staging, but how the graphically gifted Kahl worked hand-in-hand with the more emotionally substantive talents of Thomas and Johnston to create the ideal performances. Showing key drawings done by Milt that were given to Frank and Ollie to aid them in their work, Andreas flipped between the anchoring draftsmanship of Kahl to the softer sincerity of Thomas, and back. True creative collaboration, where no single animator fights to take center stage – a novel concept in a world of well negotiated contracts and signing bonuses that nearly euthanized hand drawn animation in the last decade. Yet, while no animator is an island, it was evident in the extreme drawings of Tony that John Lounsbery reached a personal and professional zenith on this picture pretty much all on his own. Pointing out the character’s hands, Andreas was careful to note that younger animators still reference them for their work, a skillful study of gesture that has yet to be fully equaled in contemporary animation (although I’d say Ken Duncan’s extraordinary work on Jane in “Tarzan�? comes as close as anything.)

If only there had been another hour of just panel discussion, but John Canemaker was wise to whisk things along and prepare the audience for the reason for everyone to gather. As the curtain came down on the panel with a healthy applause, Canemaker announced two pre-show treats – both of which will remain part of the film’s two week run at the El Capitan – a screening of the Mickey & Minnie classic short “Puppy Love�? followed by a personal appearance by the stars!

If you’re in the Southern California Area you could do yourself and your amore no bigger favor than to order tickets to see love come alive on the big screen in an eye-popping restored print of “Lady and the Tramp.�? And if you’re not, well, there’s plenty of plasma-filling fun hitting shelves on February 28th, so save your extra income from dog walking and get ready to snag a DVD in short order.

Speaking of dog walking, at the conclusion of Andreas Deja’s presentation, Canemaker introduced a very fun and truly odd little snip from the DVD extras, a story reel for the boards of a cut scene that has Tramp fantasizing about what would happen if the tables were turned and dogs walked their people. I won’t spoil it for you, but suffice it to say that as fun as it is, it’s a great example of how and when Walt knew what would work and what would not. Another great reason to make sure that your Valentine to yourself is a copy of the 50th Anniversary Edition of “Lady and the Tramp.�?

(Special note to the gracious and hard working management and staff of the exquisite El Capitan Theatre: you truly are the best of the best, but please ask someone to approve a budget line for state of the art equipment for these panels, as hand-held omni-directional microphones are embarrassingly clunky and awkward for the guests who lend their talent to these events. Announcements from the orchestra using a hand held with a whip cord give an otherwise class act the feel of a PTA meeting, and the time has come to look as professional as you are – please.)

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