La Belle et le Clochard

Fairy tale about the romance between two dogs from opposite sides of the tracks gets colorful, warm, old-fashioned Disney treatment. Cinemascope cartoon unfolds with valentine-like flair, all the ribbons and bows are in place, yet the requisite cutesy flourishes and manipulation inevitably turn up (one dog, thought to have been killed, shows up LIMPING in the next scene!). Yet, it's hard to complain when the rest of the pieces fall into place so snugly. The plot is, by turns, comfortably predictable and still pleasingly reassuring, though a bit heavy with incidental chatter. The Peggy Lee music is delightful, and the "Bella Notte" sequence alone, with the spaghetti, breadsticks and the drippy candle, is simply superb. *** from ****