- “We are Siamese, if you please!”
- ―Si and Am[src]
Si and Am are supporting antagonists in Disney's 1955 film Lady and the Tramp. They are a sinister pair of Siamese cat sisters, whom relish in causing mischief wherever they can.
Background
Development
Earlier versions of the storyline, drafted in 1943 during World War II, had the two cats appear as a sinister pair, in reference to the then-current war with Japan. Originally named Nip and Tuck, they came to the house with Aunt Sarah while Jim Dear and Darling were still at home and made Lady look bad by committing a series of crimes such as stealing the baby's milk and robbing the icebox, then pinning them on her.
In the novelization of the film by Ward Greene, written during its production, they hide the rat's body as a joke, but upon finding out that Tramp will be put down for seemingly bothering the baby, they tearfully expressed remorse and then tried to make amends by revealing hiding place of the rat to Lady and Aunt Sarah.
Personality
Si and Am are a sinister pair of cats who use the love they gain from Aunt Sarah to get others into a large amount of trouble. The cats are sneaky and love to cause trouble and make messes for their own amusement. It is indicated that they are spoiled and take advantage of Aunt Sarah's coddling, seeing her as a protector and not a beloved owner.
According to the novelization, whilst the siamese sisters love getting dogs in trouble, they draw the line at getting another pet killed at the pound due to their pranks.[1]
Physical appearance
Si and Am are identical seal-point Siamese cats. They are sleek and elegant cream-colored felines with angular, wedge-shaped faces, and large, blue almond eyes, which are oval-shaped and narrow out to points near the ends. They have a deep brown facial point with a darker, almost black muzzle, and dark triangular ears. Their noses are black and small, and they both have two middle incisors that hang over their lower lip; these buck teeth are a commonly used Asian stereotype during the late 1940s and 1950s, although they are much less prominent in the film than in the concept arts and the aforementioned novelization. Si and Am also have dark brown "stockings" on their front legs and shorter "socks" on their hind legs and have dark, long, winding tails. In projects following Scamp's Adventure, they have received a slight retooling in that their buck teeth are instead replaced with cat fangs that hang on either side of their upper jaw.
Appearances
Lady and the Tramp
In the film, Si and Am's owner Aunt Sarah is in charge of Lady and the newborn child. The two cats are commonly seen toted in a picnic basket owned by Aunt Sarah, from which they emerge after her brief departure.
While Aunt Sarah is upstairs, Si and Am perform their trademark musical number, "The Siamese Cat Song". During their song, they wreak havoc throughout the household, claiming it as their own, and even attempt to eat both the family fish and family bird. During the closure of their song, Lady ferociously chases after them upon hearing of their intentions to sample some of the newborn baby's milk. Collateral damage ensues, and although the cats caused all the trouble, Si and Am feign injury in order to get away with it and lay all the blame on Lady. Si and Am are carried upstairs by Aunt Sarah as they deviously shake their tails. As a result, Lady is muzzled by Aunt Sarah. They are not seen for the rest of the film.
In the novelization by Ward Greene, Si and Am appear within the ending where they hide the rat's body after Tramp kills it as a joke. But upon hearing that Tramp was sent to the pound and could be executed, they reveal the truth out of remorse.
Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure
Si and Am in Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure.
Si and Am reappear in the sequel to the film. They are first seen in the opening of the film while Jim Dear and Darling are taking a stroll in town, where they meet up with Aunt Sarah. She claims she will be attending their family picnic, as Si and Am love Independence Day and are seen hissing back at Scamp. They later appear in Scamp's fantasy as he wishes to be a brave enough dog to take on threats like Si and Am. Finally, they attend a picnic with their owner. During the picnic, they are seen attempting to steal the chicken until Scamp arrives and scares them into Aunt Sarah's arms. They are not seen for the remainder of the film.
House of Mouse
Si and Am made numerous appearances in the animated series House of Mouse. In "Rent Day", the cats popped out from their picnic basket, cheering for O'Malley and the Alley cats.
They make a notable appearance in Mickey's House of Villains during the villains' hostile takeover of the club. They are seen singing a part in "It's Our House Now!", and later on witnessing Mickey Mouse's climactic battle with Jafar. In the end, they flee with the other villains, after Jafar is sucked back into the lamp and defeated.
Live-action appearances
Lady and the Tramp (2019)
Due to the original film's cultural depiction considered inappropriate and insensitive, their breed is changed from Siamese cats to Devon Rex cats and their names have been changed to Devon and Rex (voiced by Nate "Rocket" Wonder and Roman GianArthur, respectively). Their gender has also gone from female to male.
"The Siamese Cat Song" (which uses a Southeast Asian melody) is replaced with a jazz number called "What a Shame".
Much like in the original, they are Aunt Sarah's cats and come out to destroy the house (albeit more destructive) while blaming Lady for the damages. However, when Lady returns to the house with the Dears, Sarah is kicked out along with her cats due to her treatment of Lady, Dexon and Rex can be heard meowing as they are forced to leave in the rain.
Disney Parks
Walt Disney World
A statue of Si and Am appears in the Villains in Vogue store on Sunset Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In the same park, Si and Am appear in Fantasmic!, during the floating bubble montage, as part of the Lady and the Tramp segment. The Siamese cats are also among the villains featured in Wonderful World of Animation, during the “Shiny” segment.
Tokyo Disneyland
In 1999, Si and Am could be found in the stage show Once Upon a Mouse, as face characters in its opening sequence. The show closed in May 23, 2004 and was replaced by Feel the Magic.
Hong Kong Disneyland
In 2017, Si and Am were amongst the Disney villains projected onto Sleeping Beauty Castle as one of Maleficent's invited guests in Villains Night Out!.
Gallery
Trivia
- Si and Am have been cited as Asian stereotypes because of their exaggerated accents, yellow fur, squinty eyes and bucked teeth or fangs in their case. The original film on Disney+ carries a disclaimer warning of potentially offensive content.
- With their names combined, "Siam" is the former name of the Kingdom of Thailand, referencing the cats' heritage and the name of the country.
- It has often been debated whether Si and Am were males or females. However production material such as storyboards and the novelization refers to the two cats as female. In the Icelandic dub Si calls Am "sister", which further confirms that they are females.
- Unlike the original, in the 2019 live-action remake Rex and Devon are males instead of females.
- Because they are from a Thai breed, they speak with an Asian accent.
- Originally, they were to have been animated by Ward Kimball, but Walt Disney decided it was too fluidly animated and as a result, almost all his animation (except one or two shots, according to Kimball) were cut from the final film.
- Si and Am are the only Lady and the Tramp antagonists to be featured in the Disney Villains franchise.
- Additionally, they are some of the few villains in the Disney animated canon to actually “win”, as they succeed in framing Lady for their mischief, and never receive retribution.
- The Siamese Twin Gang from Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers bear a striking resemblance to Si and Am.
- In this credits to the Danish version 2019 remake of Lady and the Tramp, Devon and Rex are referred to as “Si and Am”.
References
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