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One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)


One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)



7/10




Starring the voices of
Rod Taylor
Cate Bauer
Betty Lou Gerson
Ben Wright


Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske and Clyde Geronimi



With one of the most iconic villains in the world of villains, Cruella De Vil, this movie is spectacular. Yes, there’s the fun of seeing spotted pups running around in the snow, trying to get home. There’s the adventure of making it back while being chased by two stubborn henchmen determined to harm these beautiful dogs. Then there’s the love and romance between the lead human characters and the lead dogs. But none of this overshadows the brilliance of the song Roger, the lead male character, writes on the fly when he meets Cruella De Vil. And nothing takes away from the power of the iconic villain herself.

Cruella wasn’t just mean—she was, as her name suggests, cruel and devilish. She wanted to kill one hundred and one Dalmatians to make herself a fur coat. After the box office flop of Sleeping Beauty, Walt Disney almost shut down the animation studio. He pushed forward with this project, spending less on the animation, which is noticeable when you compare Sleeping Beauty (1959) to One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Based on The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, the animation stays close to the children’s book.
Roger is a bachelor who lives alone with his Dalmatian, Pongo.
Pongo decides that his bachelor life—and his master’s—needs some excitement. So, he sets out to find a mate for both of them. One day, he spots a woman named Anita and her female Dalmatian, Perdita.


Pongo arranges a quick meet-up by forcing Roger to take him for a walk in the park, where they “accidentally” run into Anita and Perdita. The clumsy meeting leads Roger and Anita to fall in love and eventually get married.

Anita has a friend named Cruella De Vil, who is obsessed with fur coats. She had an arrangement with Anita to buy her puppies when they’re born. Perdita becomes pregnant and gives birth to a litter of fifteen puppies. Roger refuses to sell the puppies to Cruella, which infuriates her. She sends her goons to kidnap the puppies, leaving Roger and Anita’s home heartbroken.

Using the “Twilight Bark,” a canine gossip network, Pongo calls for help from other dogs in London. When they receive news about where the puppies might be, Pongo and Perdita set off to find them.
This begins the tale of the couple searching for their pups, only to discover them alongside dozens of other puppies, totaling one hundred and one. The couple decides to rescue them all.

It’s an awesome movie and a great comeback for Walt Disney at the time. The film was a box office hit and remains a classic worth owning.


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