japonisme: it's a small world after all....

26 August 2008

it's a small world after all....


People, April 8, 1991

No Pussycat in Court, Peggy Lee Nips Disney for $3.8 Million



The stars of the film were cartoon canines, but the soul of the 1955 Disney classic Lady and the Tramp belonged to jazz diva Peggy Lee. In addition to penning the lyrics to the film’s six songs, Lee slunk through a Pekingese torch song; provided the dulcet tones of Darling, Lady’s mistress; and purred the terrorist intentions of the felines Si and Am, whose high-pitched harmonies burned the lyric "We are Siamese, if you please" into the minds of a generation. Or two.

Unfortunately for Lee, who earned $3,500 for her contributions to Lady, her contract was written long before videos. As a result, though the Walt Disney Company has made about $35 million from video sales of the animated classic, Lee’s share of the proceeds didn’t amount to a tray of used kitty litter. Now, in response to a lawsuit brought by Lee, a Los Angeles jury has decided to rectify the situation by awarding her $3.8 million.

Although Disney is expected to appeal, Lee, now 70, is happy to be out of the courtroom for now. "The strain of the trial was tough on me," says the chanteuse, who has diabetes and heart problems and has been wheelchair-bound since a 1987 fall in Las Vegas. She says the money will ensure a financial legacy for her daughter, Nicki, 47, who manages and art gallery in Ketchum, Idaho, and her three grandchildren, now in their 20s.

"You know, they always say, ‘Don’t mess with the Mouse,’" says Lee, referring to Disney’s big-eared symbol and standard-bearer. "I’m glad that my rights were vindicated."

author unknown 1

(merci to the vintage poster blog and thank you to the allure blog for wondrous images.)

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8 Comments:

Blogger PIGNOUF said...

Trés heureux d'avoir pu contribuer à cette superbe série de geishas.
Votre blog est toujours d'une qualité qui m'émerveille !
A bientôt Lotusgreen...:)

26 August, 2008 22:35  
Blogger lotusgreen said...

oh pignouf you are so kind; thank you for saying that, and for your charming contribution.

26 August, 2008 23:20  
Blogger Margaret said...

How interesting! I'm glad she eventually got her money!

27 August, 2008 10:53  
Blogger lotusgreen said...

i agree!

you know what just occurred to me: i wonder how many people knew how broad her talents were until they started reading about the trial.

i certainly didn't. peggy lee = 'fever.'

i gained a lot of respect for her learning about this.

i think the theme of this post is: things are not always what they seem.

27 August, 2008 13:30  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Stunning pictures! Excellent Blog. Will come back for sure.

28 August, 2008 04:28  
Blogger lotusgreen said...

rhank you so much bjoern -- welcome!

28 August, 2008 07:12  
Blogger here today, gone tomorrow said...

"...the terrorist intentions of the felines Si and Am..."

Bwaaahhhahhahhaaaahhaaaa! Yes!

30 August, 2008 05:19  
Blogger lotusgreen said...

heh heh :^)

30 August, 2008 10:18  

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