Today in history - 1955

Unless you've been on a trip to Mars without communication for the last several months, you know of Disneyland's 50th Birthday (officially July 17). But only a few weeks earlier (June 16) came the release of Lady and the Tramp. Set in the early 1900s, it influenced the design of Disneyland's Main Street (artists from L&T were put on the Disneyland project).

And now, as Paul Harvey would say, "the rest of the story ..." Disney Historian Jim Korkis relates:

"Driving home one night, story artist Erdman Penner spotted what he felt would be a perfect live action reference model for the Tramp dashing past his headlights and into the bushes. It took some hunting but he finally located the dog in a nearby dog pound just hours before the poor pooch was to take the 'long walk' to the gas chamber. He rescued the dog and everyone at the Disney Studio agreed that the dog, less than a year old, had just the right look for the roguish Tramp.

"But here's a secret, the dog was female!

"And here's another: After she served as a live action model, that dog lived out the rest of her days at Disneyland's Pony Farm with Owen Pope and his wife, Dolly. The Popes actually lived at Disneyland in one of the houses that remained on the land that Walt purchased for Disneyland. To the best of my knowledge, the Popes were the only people who actually lived at Disneyland. Anyway, the 'real" Tramp lived at Disneyland and guests never knew. How cool is that?"