One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
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A pair of loyal Dalmatians must embark on a perilous journey to rescue their puppies from a fashion-obsessed villain.
The story
In 1950s London, a couple and their pet Dalmatian, Pongo, find themselves in a predicament when a fur-obsessed socialite, Cruella de Vil, becomes fixated on their newly born litter of puppies. After Cruella's menacing attempts to acquire the puppies are rebuffed by the owners, she secretly hires two crooks to steal them. When the puppies are taken, Pongo and Perdita must utilize a nationwide canine gossip line known as the 'Twilight Bark' to alert other dogs across the country. The quest leads them into a sprawling rescue mission to track down the stolen puppies and protect them from Cruella's plans to turn their fur into coats.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1950s London, Roger and Anita Radcliffe live with their pet Dalmatian, Pongo. After they marry and have a litter of 15 puppies, the fur-obsessed Cruella de Vil attempts to buy them. When Roger refuses, she hires the Badun brothers to steal them. Pongo and Perdita use the 'Twilight Bark' to call for help, eventually reaching the farm of the Colonel, an Old English Sheepdog. They discover the puppies are being held with 84 other Dalmatians. Pongo and Perdita decide to adopt all 84 to protect them. The massive pack of 101 Dalmatians travels toward London, pursued by Cruella. They eventually hide in a moving van, and while they are briefly discovered, they manage to escape. In the end, the puppies are reunited with their owners in London, and the Radcliffes decide to move to a large house in the country to accommodate all 101 dogs.
- First release year
- 1961
- Runtime (minutes)
- 79
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wolfgang Reitherman; Hamilton Luske; Clyde Geronimi
- Writers
- Bill Peet · screenplay; Bill Peet · story
- Cast and characters
- Rod Taylor · Pongo; Cate Bauer · Perdita; Betty Lou Gerson · Cruella de Vil; Martha Wentworth · Nanny; Ben Wright · Roger Radcliffe; Lisa Davis · Anita Radcliffe; J. Pat O'Malley · Jasper and Horace Badun; Dave Frankham · Sergeant Tibbs
- Genres
- animated; adventure; comedy
- Themes
- loyalty; protection; family
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; adventurous
- Setting
- 1950s England, including London and the countryside.
- Premise and plot tags
- animal adventure; rescue mission; animated feature
- Source material / true-story basis
- Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim upon release, being hailed as one of the studio's best since Snow White. It was a significant box-office success, becoming the first animated feature to earn over $10 million in its initial run.
- Production trivia
- The film was the first Disney animated feature to be a non-musical.; It was the first animated feature to earn over $10 million during its initial release.; The film utilized the Xerox process to help animate the spotted dogs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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