gizmomogwai Simba wasn't the first lion Disney made heroic... and cute. I had half-forgotten the little gem that is Lambert the Sheepish Lion until the other day, but it is a part of my childhood. The 1952 short tells of a lion cub mistakenly delivered by a stork to a flock of sheep, one of whom becomes attached to the kitten. Lambert grows up into a big lion, but instead of inspiring awe among the sheep, he inspires ridicule. He lacks the qualities of a sheep, but of course, he has qualities of his own, a nice little message.Of course, that message is familiar. Others have brought up comparisons to the Ugly Duckling- it also bears parallels to Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer. A retelling of the story should have its own qualities, and here Disney succeeds. The animation is quality- it's from 1952, but could have come from a later decade. The song is nice, the humour is there (the wolf's goofy holler as he falls off the cliff is irresistible). The wolf is scary, but the cartoon isn't mean- spirited, as the bad guy gets to live. The big unsolved question is what exactly Lambert was eating while growing up; then again, if in Disney's universe a wolf can avoid starvation by eating berries, surely a lion can survive on a sheep's diet.

TheLittleSongbird I loved this when I was a kid, and as you have already guessed, I adore Disney and all the Silly Symphonies and shorts they did. Lambert the Sheepish Lion is narrated excellently by Sterling Holloway who also narrated the 1946 classic Peter and the Wolf. The short features an amusing title song, has beautiful animation and tells an Ugly Duckling-like story of a lion who can't fit in with his sheep family, as they tease him for being different. The short also has a wolf, who is very similarly designed to the wolf in Peter and the Wolf, and while not as terrifying, has a roar that made my hair stand up. Thank goodness Lambert saves the day and finally gets accepted. Overall, a wonderful jewel, that deserves a 10/10. Bethany Cox.

Polaris_DiB Three words: Hooray for DVD! DVD has allowed us to have access to things that were previously forgotten in remarkable ways. I ended up seeing this fun little Disney short as an extra on the Fox and the Hound DVD (by the way, The Fox and the Hound is one of my favorite Disney movies, but that's for a different review).This short tells the tale of Lambert, the sheepish lion... the lion that's sheepish cowardly, and lives with a family of sheep, so is sheepish. Get it? It's actually pretty funny, as Lambert tries to fit in only to learn that he has a stronger ability on his side, eventually to earn the admiration of the flock.It's like an ugly duckling story with a twist, one where the duckling rejoins the flock and is appreciated for his difference. Such shorts are always useful to children as they learn to appreciate uniqueness in individuality. This short's presence on The Fox and the Hound is complimentary because it helps reinforce the theme of accepting difference and removing prejudice.--PolarisDiB

Ron Oliver Raised by sheep, LAMBERT THE SHEEPISH LION wants to live a life of gentle peace & quiet. Then one night, a wicked wolf carries off his foster mother...Winner of the 1952 Oscar for Best Animation, this is a very enjoyable little film. Bill Peet, eventually a popular children's author in his own right, was one of the writers here. The title tune is infectious, and Sterling Holloway is perfect as the Narrator.