DMFE Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.00 out of 5 stars)
Caution: Possible Spoilers Ahead!
In London, Dalmatian Pongo lives with his bachelor owner, songwriter Roger Radcliffe. Dissatisfied with their solitary lives, Pongo decides to find a suitable mate for himself and a companion for Roger. He engineers a meeting in Regent’s Park with Perdita, another Dalmatian, and her owner, Anita. Both dogs and humans form immediate bonds. Roger and Anita marry soon afterward, bringing Pongo and Perdita together as a family. The couples settle into a comfortable home in London, where Pongo and Perdita expect puppies. Perdita gives birth to 15 Dalmatian puppies. One is initially believed dead but is revived by Roger. The household celebrates the healthy litter, though Roger worries about supporting such a large family.
Cruella de Vil, a wealthy and eccentric former schoolmate of Anita, visits the Radcliffes upon hearing of the puppies. Obsessed with fur fashion, she attempts to buy the litter to make a Dalmatian coat. Roger refuses, enraging Cruella, who vows revenge. Cruella hires two criminals, Jasper and Horace, to steal the puppies. While Roger and Anita are away, the pair break into the house and abduct all 15 puppies. Cruella takes them to her remote estate, Hell Hall, where many other stolen Dalmatian puppies are being held.
Determined to find their puppies, Pongo and Perdita use the “Twilight Bark,” a canine communication system, to send an alert across England. The message spreads from dog to dog until their puppies’ location is discovered. Pongo and Perdita travel through harsh winter conditions to reach Hell Hall. Along the way, they receive help from various animals, including farm dogs and a horse. At Hell Hall, Pongo and Perdita discover not only their 15 puppies but 84 others, bringing the total to 99. Cruella plans to kill them all for their fur. With the help of the farm animals, the dogs organize a daring escape. The puppies flee Hell Hall and begin the dangerous trek back to London. To avoid detection, they roll in soot, disguising themselves as black Labradors. Cruella and her henchmen pursue them but ultimately fail after a series of accidents.
The dogs arrive back in London on Christmas Eve. After being washed clean, the puppies’ spots are revealed, and the Radcliffes joyfully reunite with them. Roger and Anita decide to adopt all 84 additional puppies. The family relocates to a larger country home to accommodate their growing household. With Pongo, Perdita, their 15 puppies, and the adopted dogs, the total reaches 101 Dalmatians, bringing the story to a happy conclusion.
The soundtrack for One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released in 1961. Composed and directed by George Bruns, with songs written by Mel Leven. Music is used sparingly, with an emphasis on background scoring and source music to support the film’s fast-paced, suspense-focused narrative. The most notable song, “Cruella de Vil,” performed by Bill Lee, uses a jazzy, modern style to define the main villain’s personality and contemporary setting. Additional songs include “Dalmatian Plantation,” performed by Bill Lee, and “Kanine Krunchies,” performed by Lucille Bliss.
The film was re-released in theaters on December 25, 1969; June 7, 1979; December 20, 1985; and July 12, 1991. First released on home video (VHS) on April 10, 1992, as part of the Walt Disney Classics collection. Re-released on VHS on March 9, 1999, as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection. Released for the first time on LaserDisc on March 16, 1999, as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection. Released for the first time on DVD on November 9, 1999, as a Limited Issue. Re-released on DVD on March 4, 2008, as part of the Platinum Edition collection. Released for the first time on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD on February 10, 2015, as part of the Diamond Edition collection. Re-released on Blu-ray + DVD on November 6, 2018, as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive. Re-released on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code on September 24, 2019, as part of Walt Disney Signature Collection. Re-released on DVD on October 8, 2019, as part of Walt Disney Signature Collection. Re-released on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code on September 21, 2021, as a 2-movie collection with Cruella. One Hundred and One Dalmatians is available on Disney+.
The American Film Institute (AFI), an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, released the "AFI 100 Years..." series between 1998 and 2008 and recognized One Hundred and One Dalmatians in one category. The film was selected for AFI’s 100 Heroes and Villains: Cruella De Vil (#39 Villain).
CAST & CREW
- Director(s): Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton S. Luske, Clyde Geronimi
- Producer: Walt Disney (uncredited)
- Writer: Bill Peet
- Editor(s): Roy M. Brewer Jr., Donald Halliday
- Art Direction: Ken Anderson
- Production Design: Ken Anderson
- Animation Department: Hal Ambro (Character Animation), Ray Aragon (Layout Artist), Dale Barnhart (Layout Artist), Ted Berman (Character Animation), Jack Boyd (Effects Animator), Jack Buckley (Effects Animator), Collin Campbell (Layout Stylist), Les Clark (Character Animation), Eric Cleworth (Character Animation), Basil Davidovich (Layout Artist), Marc Davis (Directing Animator), Al Dempster (Backgrounds), Vance Gerry (Layout Artist), Blaine Gibson (Character Animation), Don Griffith (Layout Stylist), Victor Haboush (Layout Artist), Joe Hale (Layout Artist), Ralph Hulett (Backgrounds), Ollie Johnston (Directing Animator), Homer Jonas (Layout Artist), Milt Kahl (Directing Animator), Bill Keil (Character Animation), Hal King (Character Animation), Sammie June Lanham (Layout Artist), Eric Larson (Directing Animator), Bill Layne (Backgrounds), John Lounsbery (Directing Animator), Dick Lucas (Character Animation), Don Lusk (Character Animation), Dan MacManus (Effects Animator), Cliff Nordberg (Character Animation), Ernie Nordli (Layout Stylist), Tom Oreb (Character Stylist), Amby Paliwoda (Character Animation), Ed Parks (Effects Animator), Bill Peet (Character Stylist), Walt Peregoy (Color Stylist), Anthony Rizzo (Backgrounds), John Sibley (Character Animation), Art Stevens (Character Animation), McLaren Stewart (Layout Artist), Julius Svendsen (Character Animation), Frank Thomas (Directing Animator), Dick Ung (Layout Artist), Al Zinnen (Layout Artist)
- Voice Cast: Rod Taylor (voice of Pongo), J. Pat O’Malley (voice of Colonel, Jasper, Mechanic), Betty Lou Gerson (voice of Cruella de Vil, Miss Birdwell), Martha Wentworth (voice of Nanny, Queenie, Lucy), Ben Wright (voice of Roger Radcliffe), Cate Bauer (voice of Perdita), Dave Frankham (voice of Sgt Tibbs), Fred Worlock (voice of Horace, Inspector Graves), Lisa Davis (voice of Anita Radcliffe-Dearly), Tom Conway (voice of Quizmaster, Collie), Tudor Owen (voice of Towser, Percival Fauncewater), George Pelling (voice of Danny), Ramsay Hill (voice of Television Announcer, Labrador), Sylvia Marriott (voice of voice of Countess), Queenie Leonard (voice of Princess), Marjorie Bennett (voice of Duchess), Micky Maga (voice of Patch), Barbara Beaird (voice of Rolly), Mimi Gibson (voice of Lucky), Sandra Abbott (voice of Penny), Thurl Ravebscroft (voice of Captain), Bill Lee (singing voice of Roger Radcliffe), Max Smith (voice of Pongo barks), Bob Stevens (voice of Narrator), Paul Wexler (voice of Car Mechanic), Mary Wickes (voice of Freckles), Barbara Luddy (voice of Rover), Lisa Daniels (voice of Perdita), Helene Stanley (voice of Poodle Dog Owner), Don Barclay (voice of Truck Driver), Dal McKennon (voice of Barking Dogs), Jeanne Bruns (voice of Radio Singer)
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- MPAA Rating: N/A (The MPAA film rating system was not introduced until November 1, 1968.)
- Runtime: 79 minutes
- Sound: Mono (RCA Sound System)
- Format: Color (Technicolor)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
- Genre(s): Action & Adventure, Animation, Family (from movies.disney.com)
BOX OFFICE (from IMDb.com)
- Budget: $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Opening Weekend (U.S. & Canada): $2,389,226
- Gross (U.S. & Canada): $144,880,114
- Gross (Worldwide): $215,880,014
RATINGS
- My Rating: 4.00 (out of 5)
- Rotten Tomatoes: 98% (Tomatometer) | 76% (Popcornmeter)
- Metacritic: 83 (Metascore) | 8.0 (Popcornmeter)
- IMDb: 7.3 (out of 10)
- The Movie DB: 72% (User Score)
- Letterboxd: 3.7 (out of 5)
- Combined Rating: 79.50
MY THOUGHTS
One Hundred and One Dalmatians is a must-watch for any Disney animation fan, families, classic film enthusiasts, and anyone interested in one of Disney’s most influential villains. Its stylish animation and fast-paced storytelling make it a standout among the studio’s early 1960s feature films. It may not quite reach the emotional heights of Disney’s most celebrated classics, but its influence, entertainment value, and enduring popularity make it a standout in Disney's animated feature library.
Have you seen One Hundred and One Dalmatians? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Great care has been taken to be as accurate as possible when it comes to details in each of the entries I post. As with anything, mistakes can happen, dates can be wrong, information not readily available, etc. If you see a mistake, information that is incorrect or inaccurate, or missing information, please contact me at disneymovieandfilmencyclopedia@gmail.com so I can make corrections.
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