One Hundred and One Dalmatians

When two Dalmatians named Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer) are blessed with fifteen puppies, they couldn't have been happier. But when their new family gets stolen, along with eighty-four other puppies by the evil fashion designer Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) for the intention of making fur coats out of them, Pongo and Perdita must call on numerous other animals to help them rescue the puppies from their fate. Important in animation history as the first Disney animated film to heavily use newer xerography methods for the purpose of cheaper animation methods, One Hundred and One Dalmatians may lack the visual beauty of Disney's earlier fantasy films, but the modern UPA style of the film helps it stand out as one of the most visually unique films of the 1960's. The infamous Cruella, thanks to Marc Davis's incredible character animation and Betty Lou Gerson's piercing voice makes her one of the most memorable villians of all time and despite a lot of it would end up being reused for numourous films produced during this cost-cutting era, George Bruns's score is fabulous with the best example of his work being the jazz-inspired opening credits that would set the mood for the more laid-back films of this time period. Overall, One Hundred and One Dalmatians deserves it's reputation as not only one of the most important films in the companies history, but also as a fun thrill ride for all ages.

I have always thought that the animation and story of "101 Dalmatians" were actually a bit weak. After all, a crazy lady who wants to steal puppies to make them into a coat ISN'T especially deep. And, the xerox process they used in this film did make the movie look a lot cheaper than the exquisitely animated films of the 1950s. But what makes it very good and well worth watching is the character Cruella De Vil. Her voice work by Betty Lou Gerson was just fabulous--and very obviously inspired by Tallulah Bankhead. Her mannerisms, style and voice were Ms. Bankhead all the way--but with a wonderful insane quality that made a horrific act (slaughtering puppies) so ridiculously comical that it was watchable and fun. Otherwise, this film would have been seen as cruel and just awful. Plus the "Cruella" song was a hoot--with great lyrics and a perfect accompaniment to this horrid character.

The bottom line is that I nearly scored this one a 9--it's awfully good. But having the sub-standard animation brought it down a point. Enjoyably sick and funny--even for adult audiences.

Lion King has always been my favorite Disney movie. But One Hundred and One Dalmations is on my top 5. The movie is filled with so many laughs, you have to love it.

Pongo is a lonely pup with his lonely musical master, Roger. When he spots two lovely women(one being a dog of course), he sets Roger up to meet the woman. They hit it off immediatly as well does Pongo with his new mate, Perdita. When Perdita has puppies, Perdita's(her master) old friend, Cruella DeVille wants to buy them from her. But only to make the puppies into a new fur coat. When Roger refuses, Cruella kidnaps the puppies. Pongo and Perdita go out to save the puppies. And the rest is left for you to see for yourself.

8/10

I liked this film mainly for its drawings. It was a departure from previous Disney animated films in that it had harder-edged drawings instead of the soft pastels. I found the detailed sketches of the building to be fascinating. I could actually watch this film with the sound off and just enjoy the artwork.

I actually saw this movie AFTER the 1996 live-action version with Glenn Close so I was familiar with the story. The only deviation was that there were more animals involved in the rescue of the puppies in the latter version.

The narration was very good in the beginning and film is okay, nothing super. It lags in a few parts, which is the only complaint I would have. It certainly is a nice story.

This film is beautiful, and superior to the 1996 live action version. The animation is just beautiful, and I delighted in seeing those puppies's tails wagging. Those puppies were very cute, and a lack of any voice overs in the 1996 version was sorely missed. The scenes like the Twilight Bark added a sense of poignancy to the well-written story.I also want to say, I absolutely love the book by Dodie Smith, and I am 16. Another high point was the villain Cruella DeVil(voiced to perfection by Betty Lou Gerson), who was truly diabolical in every sense. The dogs, Pongo and Perdy were very lovable, and their scenes with the puppies were often very touching. Supporting characters like Tibbs, Captain, Colonel, and of course Jasper and Horace were very well done. The songs, were not as memorable as the ones in the Jungle Book, but at least they were tuneful. In conclusion, a beautiful and entertaining animated film, that is underrated in my opinion. 9/10 Bethany Cox