One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (Dir: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton S Luske & Clyde Geronimi, 1961).

Walt Disney's classic animated feature based upon Dodie Smith's novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians tells the story of dalmatians Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer), whose 15 puppies are stolen by the evil Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson). With the help of cohorts Horace and Jasper, Cruella intends to turn these and 84 additional pups into spotty dog skin coats. Utilising the ingenious Twilight Bark dog social network, Pongo and Perdita track their offspring to Cruella's abandoned Hell Hall country estate and embark on a daring rescue.

Following the expensive failure of Walt Disney's previous animated feature, the elaborate Sleeping Beauty (Clyde Geronimi, 1959) it was clear that cost cutting measures were in order if the animation department was to continue. One such measure was the development, by former animator Ub Iwerks, of a Xerox process which copied the animator's art directly onto celluloid, effectively eliminating the time consuming procedure of hand inking drawings onto cell. In a film with one hundred and one spotted characters this was a significant time and money saver. 

The Xerox process resulted in a somewhat rougher style of animation, characterised by a sketchier look at odds with Disney's lush 1950s product. While some, Walt included, bemoaned the loss of a more lavish finish, it is fair to suggest that without Xeroxing a movie like One Hundred and One Dalmatians would have been impossible. However, what the movie lacks in polish, it more than makes up for in style. With it's impressionist background art and loose, stylistic approach to character design ...Dalmatians was Disney's most stylish and contemporary animation to date. Nearly sixty years after release it's highly graphic Mid-century modern stylings are as fresh and appealing as ever. In fact it's difficult to recall any other animated feature with such a dramatic and arresting visual style. In particular, praise must be given to beautiful rendering of early 1960s London; effortlessly capturing the spirit and atmosphere of the city and it's surrounding countryside.

Matching the impressive visuals is an exceptional well realised screenplay by Bill Peet. One Hundred and One Dalmatians is an expertly crafted thriller, tightly plotted and exciting while remaining lighthearted and extremely witty. It is populated by a fantastic cast of characters, not least Cruella de Vil, possibly the greatest of all Disney villains. Clean-cut canine leads Pongo and Perdita are both heroic and charming and audiences will have no trouble identifying with the parental pooches on their daring quest to rescue the stolen pups. Unusually for Disney, the movie was not a musical; especially ironic as Pongo's human pet Roger's occupation is songwriter. However, music plays important role; Mel Levin's jazz infused score complimenting the modernist animation perfectly. The one significant musical number named for baddie Cruella de Vil is a classic!

One Hundred and One Dalmatians easily ranks among the greatest of Walt Disney's many significant achievements. Its flawless storytelling, top notch vocal work and fantastic music combine to make ...Dalmatians a masterpiece of movie making. Best of all is its beautiful visual style; a bold departure for Disney, but one that certainly paid off in one of their most commercially and artistically successful features.