101 Dalmatians

About 101 Dalmatians

'101 Dalmatians' is a 1961 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions. The story revolves around the evil Cruella de Vil's desire to create a fur coat from Dalmatian puppies. Pongo and Perdita, two adult Dalmatians, along with their human owners Roger and Anita, must rescue their 15 kidnapped puppies from Cruella and end up saving 86 other stolen puppies in the process.

Making / Production

The film was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wolfgang Reitherman, and the screenplay was penned by Bill Peet. The production utilized a new animation technology called Xerox cels, which saved both time and money by allowing the animators to photocopy their drawings directly onto cels.

Actors

• Rod Taylor: Voiced Pongo, the brave and determined father Dalmatian. His powerful voice added charm to Pongo's resolute character.
• Cate Bauer: Voiced Perdita, the loving and worrying mother Dalmatian. Bauer's soothing voice perfectly portrayed Perdita's gentle nature.
• Betty Lou Gerson: Voiced the villain, Cruella de Vil. Gerson's raspy voice added an unsettling, cruel tone to her character.
• Ben Wright and Lisa Davis: Voiced Roger and Anita, the human pet owners. Their performances were natural and complemented well with their animated characters.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This was the first Disney movie to use Xerox technology to copy the animation drawings to cels.
• The character Roger was made to look like his voice actor, Ben Wright.
• The film is known for its distinctive animation style which is less detailed than earlier films, a result of the cost-saving Xerox process.

Awards

Though not winning, '101 Dalmatians' was nominated for the Best Sound category at the 34th Academy Awards.

Quotes

• "We'll have a Dalmatian Plantation, where our population can roam." - Roger
• "My fur coat's gone! My Dalmatian fur coat is stolen!" - Cruella de Vil
• "It's a fantasia of spots!" - Horace

Music, Soundtrack

• "One Hundred and One Dalmatians" - Opening Credits
• "Cruella De Vil" - Roger's iconic song about Cruella
• "Dalmatian Plantation" - Song that encapsulates Roger and Anita's happy ending