You ever have that one weird, hyper-specific memory from childhood? For a lot of us who grew up with VHS tapes or watched the Disney Channel back when it actually played cartoons from the 1950s, that memory is a yellow, fluffy lion trying to "baa" like a sheep.
Honestly, Lambert the Sheepish Lion is one of those shorts that shouldn't work as well as it does. It’s essentially a story about a delivery mistake—a clerical error by a stork—that leads to a predatory cat being raised by its natural prey. On paper, that's a recipe for a nature documentary horror film. In the hands of 1952-era Disney, it’s a masterpiece of mid-century animation that still feels surprisingly relevant.
The Stork, The Error, and Sterling Holloway
Most people recognize the narrator's voice before they even see the title card. That's Sterling Holloway. He’s the guy who voiced Winnie the Pooh, the Cheshire Cat, and Kaa the snake. In Lambert the Sheepish Lion, he pulls double duty as the narrator and the Stork.
If that Stork looks familiar, it’s because he’s basically a carbon copy of the one from Dumbo. Disney was great at recycling successful character designs, and since this short was directed by Jack Hannah, they leaned hard into that whimsical, slightly frantic energy.
The plot kicks off when the Stork, who is clearly having a bad day at the office, accidentally drops a lion cub off with a flock of sheep. The mother sheep—who has been waiting for her own lamb—doesn't care that her new baby has paws and a tail. She names him "Laaaaambert," and the rest is history.
Why the animation style was a big deal
If you look closely at Lambert compared to, say, Bambi or Snow White, you’ll notice a shift. By 1952, Disney was starting to play with more angular, stylized designs. Lambert himself is a big, goofy-looking guy. He’s got these massive paws and a mane that looks more like a bad haircut than a regal crown.
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The animators—legends like Don Lusk and Hugh Fraser—gave Lambert a physical awkwardness that perfectly mirrors his internal identity crisis. He’s a lion who thinks he’s a sheep, so he moves with this weird, delicate prance that looks ridiculous on a 400-pound apex predator.
The Wolf in the Shadows
You can’t talk about Lambert the Sheepish Lion without talking about the villain. The wolf in this short isn't just any wolf; it’s actually the same character design used in the "Peter and the Wolf" segment of Make Mine Music (1946).
It’s a classic "bully" arc. Lambert grows up being teased by the other rams. They laugh at his "baa," they mock his size, and they generally treat him like a total outcast. It’s your standard Ugly Duckling trope, but with much higher stakes because, well, the hero could technically eat the bullies if he wanted to.
The turning point comes when that wolf decides the mother sheep looks like a tasty snack.
The moment everything changed
There is a specific scene where Lambert finally "snaps." He’s terrified, hiding behind a bush, watching his mother get dragged away. Then, something clicks. It’s not a slow realization; it’s a total biological override.
He lets out this roar that shakes the forest. But here’s the kicker: he still has that sheepish heart. Even when he’s terrifying the wolf and headbutting him off a cliff, there’s a sense that he’s doing it out of pure, unadulterated love for his "mama."
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Why does Lambert still matter in 2026?
It’s easy to dismiss these old shorts as "just for kids," but there’s a reason Lambert the Sheepish Lion got an Academy Award nomination. It touches on something very human: the feeling of not fitting the mold.
In a world that constantly tells you who you should be based on how you look, Lambert is a reminder that your "nature" is often defined by who you love and who raised you. He ends the short as a lion who still "baas," and the flock finally accepts him for exactly that. It’s a messy, weird, beautiful ending.
Some deep-cut trivia for the fans
- The Emperor's Favorite: There’s a long-standing rumor that an original print of the film was given to Emperor Hirohito of Japan because it was his favorite Disney cartoon. While it's hard to verify with 100% certainty, the story has persisted in animation circles for decades.
- The Lone Line: Lambert only has one spoken line in the entire movie: "Mama!" It was voiced by Stan Freberg, a legendary satirist and voice actor.
- The Lost Oscar: It was nominated for Best Short Subject (Cartoons) but lost to Tom and Jerry’s The Two Mouseketeers. Honestly? Robbery.
How to watch it today
If you want to revisit this bit of nostalgia, it's not hard to find. It’s currently on Disney+, usually tucked away in the "Vintage" or "Shorts" section. It also appeared as a bonus feature on the DVD releases of The Fox and the Hound and Melody Time.
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Watching it now as an adult, you notice the background art—the soft, watercolor-esque pastures—and the way the music (composed by Joseph S. Dubin) syncs perfectly with every "baa" and "roar."
Next Steps for the Disney Buff
If you're looking to dive deeper into this era of animation, you should definitely check out Morris the Midget Moose or Susie the Little Blue Coupe. They share that same 1950s "character-driven" short style that Jack Hannah and Bill Peet perfected before Disney shifted focus toward full-length features and theme parks.
You can also look up the work of Bill Peet, the storyboard artist for Lambert. He eventually became a famous children's book author, and you can see his signature "sketchy" but expressive style all over Lambert’s facial expressions. Take a look at his book The Wump World if you want to see where that creative DNA went next.