101 Dalmatians (1961)

**101 Dalmatians (1961)** is a UK VHS release by Disney Videos on 16th September 1996 and it got re-released by Disney Videos on Disney DVD on 14th February 2000 and again it got re-released as a "Platinum Edition" DVD by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 3rd March 2008. It got re-issued on DVD/Blu-Ray by Disney on 3rd September 2012. It got re-issued on Blu-Ray and DVD by Disney on 28th July 2014 with cardboard slip cover.

The film also aired on BBC One on Christmas Eve 2014 and ITV1 on Christmas Eve 2016.

## Plot

Aspiring songwriter Roger Radcliffe lives in London, England, in a squalid bachelor flat near Regent's Park with his pet dalmatian dog, Pongo. Deciding both need female companions, Pongo turns to spying out the window for a suitor. Observing a woman named Anita and her Dalmatian Perdita, he drags Roger to the park to arrange a meeting. Roger and Anita fall in love and soon get married with Pongo and Perdita attending.

The pair hires a nanny and moves to a small townhouse near Regent's Park. After Perdita becomes pregnant with a litter of 15 puppies, Anita's spoiled, fur-obsessed former schoolmate, Cruella de Vil, arrives and inquires about the arrival of the puppies, causing fear and distrust in the family. Roger responds by writing a jazzy song mocking her. When the puppies are born, Cruella returns, demanding to buy the puppies. Roger finally stands up to her and denies her request. Before leaving, Cruella vows revenge.

A few months later, Nanny puts the puppies to bed after a night of watching television, while Pongo and Perdita go for a walk with Roger and Anita at the park. Brothers Horace and Jasper Baddun, two burglars secretly hired by Cruella, pose as repair men from an electric company and steal the puppies. The Radcliffes respond by enlisting Scotland Yard and putting out newspaper advertisements. Roger immediately suspects Cruella, but a police investigation offers no evidence against her.

The Dalmatians contact Danny the Great Dane at Hampstead, who forwards their request for help to dogs all over England via the Twilight Bark gossip chain. In Withermarsh Green, Old Towser the bloodhound notifies the Colonel, a Sheepdog, and his cat friend Sgt. Tibbs. Both investigate the nearby "Old De Vil Place," where puppies had been heard barking two nights earlier. Tibbs sneaks inside and escapes nearly being killed by Jasper. The Colonel sends word back to London that the puppies are found. Pongo and Perdita leave through a back window and begin a long cross-country journey, crossing a flooded and icy river and running through the snow towards Suffolk.

Meanwhile, Cruella tells the Baddun brothers the police are approaching, ordering them to get rid of all the dogs by dawn. After she leaves, Tibbs helps the puppies escape through a hole in the wall, but the Baddun brothers notice and give chase. The Colonel meets up with and notifies Pongo and Perdita, who attack the Badduns, destroying part of the house and giving the puppies time to flee. Pongo and Perdita reunite with their litter at Colonel and Tibbs' home farm, only to discover there are 84 more puppies with them. After Tibbs explains that Cruella intends to make coats out of the puppies, Pongo and Perdita agree to take all 99 home with them.

The Dalmatians start their homeward trek, pursued by the Baddun brothers. To avoid leaving tracks, the dogs cross the frozen creeks. They shelter from a blizzard in a dairy farm with a friendly collie and some cows, then make their way to Dinsford, where they meet a Black Labrador waiting for them in a blacksmith's shop. Cruella and the Baddun brothers catch up, so Pongo has his entire family roll in a sooty fireplace to disguise themselves as other Labradors. The Labrador helps them board a moving van bound for London, but melting snow falls on Lucky and exposes his spots. Cruella pursues and tries to ram the moving van off the road. The Baddun brothers, in their truck, attempt likewise but accidentally smash into Cruella's car instead, sending both their vehicles into a ditch. The moving van continues to London as Cruella throws a tantrum, with an exasperated Jasper telling her to be quiet.

In London, a melancholy Nanny and the Radcliffes try to enjoy Christmas, and the wealth they have acquired from the song about Cruella, which has become a big radio hit. The soot-covered Dalmatians suddenly flood the house. Upon removing the soot and counting the massive family of dogs, Roger chooses to use his songwriting royalties to buy a big house in the country, forming a "Dalmatian Plantation." All the dogs of London begin barking, celebrating the return of the Dalmatian puppies and their parents.

## Description

A lovable litter of puppies, an enchanted London setting and animation's most flamboyant villainess all add up to 101 Dalmatians, Disney's vintage classic!

The fun starts the moment Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita settle into their owners flat to become proud parents of 15 precocious pups. It's one big happy dog family - until the outrageous Cruella De Vil kidnaps the puppies, along with every other Dalmatian in London! Now it's up to Pongo and Perdita, using the magic of "the twilight bark," to unite the entire animal population in a thrilling mission to help the courageous pups outsmart their evil captor.

Bring home 101 Dalmatians and rediscover the excitement, the love and the laughter of this timeless Disney treasure!

## Cast

* Rod Taylor as Pongo, Roger's pet, Perdita's mate, and the father of 15 of the 99 puppies.
* Cate Bauer as Perdita, Anita's Dalmatian pet, Pongo's mate, and the mother of 15 of the 99 puppies.
* Betty Lou Gerson as Cruella De Vil, a cruel and eccentric heiress who has Pongo and Perdita's puppies kidnapped with the intention of making fur coats out of them. She has an obsession for pelts, but is only shown wearing a single, voluminous white coat. Beneath this, she wears a skintight black dress. Cruella smokes constantly and drives a long red and black car based on a 1934–36 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet. She was also Anita's former schoolmate, which is why Anita assumes good-faith that Cruella is well-meaning despite her eccentric behavior. Roger, however, is far less trusting, and suspects her of being the one to kidnap the puppies (which she did). Gerson also voiced Mrs. Birdwell, a contestant on the show "What's My Crime?". Mary Wickes served as Cruella's live-action model. Gerson previously voiced the Narrator in *Cinderella* (1950).
* Ben Wright as Roger Radcliffe, Pongo's "pet" (owner) and Anita's husband. He works as a songwriter and later becomes rich when creating a song about Cruella de Vil. Bill Lee provided Roger's singing voice.
* Lisa Davis as Anita Radcliffe, Perdita's owner and Roger's wife. Helene Stanley served as Anita's live-action model.
* Martha Wentworth as Nanny, The Radcliffes' maid. She is very maternal and fussy, detests Cruella, has no patience for teasing, and is very attached to the puppies, but worthless in a crisis except to give the alarm. Wentworth also voiced Queenie, one of three cows who help the puppies when seeking shelter from the cold, and Lucy, a goose who helps send the word along about the puppies. Wentworth later voiced Mad Madame Mim and the Granny Squirrel in *The Sword in the Stone* (1963).
* Frederick Worlock and J. Pat O'Malley as Horace and Jasper, respectively, Cruella's comic relief henchmen who carry out the kidnapping of the Dalmatian puppies. Jasper is tall and thin, while Horace is short and fat; otherwise, they are obviously fraternal twin brothers. They argue often. Although they appear to be stupid, Horace appears to be the more intelligent of the two, but is absolutely intimidated by his brother, who has the more ready tongue. Jasper has a closed mind to the possibility of sapience in dogs — as well as the equal possibility of cleverness in his brother. Jasper drinks alcohol, whereas Horace eats sandwiches. Both enjoy watching a weekly television program called "What's My Crime?", wherein the misdeeds of lawbreakers are guessed by a panel of contestants. One of the guest stars of this program, Percival "Meathead" Fauncewater, is an acquaintance of theirs. O'Malley also voiced The Colonel, an old sheepdog who aids Pongo and Perdita in finding the puppies. Worlock also voiced Inspector Craven, a contestant on "What's My Crime?"
* Thurl Ravenscroft as The Captain, a horse who also aids Pongo and Perdita in finding the puppies.
* David Frankham as Sergeant Tibbs, a tabby cat who is the most prominent in masterminding a rescue mission to save the puppies from Cruella.
* Mimi Gibson as Lucky, a runty puppy of Pongo and Perdita who nearly dies after being born. He is given the name "Lucky" because of being revived by Roger. He loves watching TV, and is portrayed as a troublemaker.
* Barbara Beaird as Rolly, a puppy who is always hungry, and is shown as pudgier than the rest of the puppies. His collar is tight around his neck with his fat bunched up around it.
* Mickey Maga as Patch, a puppy who loves Thunderbolt and has a spot on his eye. Patch is aggressive, barking and growling, but is often frightened by Cruella De Vil. He is the star of the animated sequel, *101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure* (2003).
* Sandra Abbott as Penny, the only puppy not named for her appearance or habits.
* Mary Wickes as Freckles, a puppy who has a pattern of spots over the bridge of her nose resembling freckles on a human child. Freckles is shown very tired, or asking many questions.
* Tudor Owen as Towser, a bloodhound who aids Pongo and Perdita in finding the puppies.
* George Pelling as Danny, a Great Dane who aids Pongo and Perdita and is one of the first dogs to answer Pongo's message, along with Scottie.
* Queenie Leonard as Princess, one of the three cows who help the puppies when seeking shelter from the cold.
* Marjorie Bennett as Duchess, one of the three cows who help the puppies when seeking shelter from the cold.
* Barbara Luddy as Rover, one of the 84 Dalmatian puppies that Cruella kidnapped.
* Rickie Sorensen as Spotty, one of the 84 Dalmatian puppies that Cruella kidnapped. Sorensen later voiced Wart aka. King Arthur, along with Richard and Robert Reitherman in *The Sword in the Stone* (1963).
* Tom Conway as Collie, who offers the Dalmatians shelter for the night at a dairy farm. Conway also voiced the Quizmaster, the host of "What's My Crime?"
* Ramsay Hill as the Labrador Retriever who aids the Dalmatians in making it back to London.
* Paul Wexler as Car Mechanic
* Basil Ruysdael as Truck Driver
* Paul Frees as Dirty Dawson, the villain of *The Thunderbolt Adventure Hour*, the show that the Dalmatians watch.
* Lucille Bliss as TV Commercial Singer, who sings the "Kanine Krunchies" jingle.
* Junius Matthews as Scottie, Danny's terrier friend who is one of the first dogs to answer Pongo's message, along with Danny.

## Songs

* Cruella De Vil
* Kanine Krunchies
* Dalmatian Plantation

## Credits

* Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske
* Produced by: Walt Disney
* Story by: Bill Peet
* Directing Animators: Frank Thomas, Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, Eric Larson, Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery
* Music by: George Bruns
* Orchestration: Franklyn Marks
* Songs by: Mel Leven
* Layout: Basil Davidovich, Vance Gerry, McLaren Stewart, Dale Barnhart, Joe Hale, Ray Anagon
* Colour Styling: Walt Peregoy
* Backgrounds: Ralph Hulett, Al Dempster, Bill Layne, Anthony Rizzo
* Character Animation: Hal King, Cliff Nordberg, Les Clark, Blaine Gibson, Eric Cleworth, John Sibley, Art Stevens, Ted Berman, Julius Svendsen, Don Lusk, Bill Keil, Amby Paliwoda, Dick Lucas
* Effects Animation: Ed Parks, Dan MacManus, Jack Boyd, Jack Buckley
* Special Processes: Ub Iwerks, A.S.C., Eustace Lycett
* Production Supervisor: Ken Peterson
* Sound Supervisor: Robert O. Cook
* Film Editors: Donald Halliday, Roy M. Brewer. Jr.
* Music Editor: Evelyn Kennedy
* Color by: Technicolor
* A Walt Disney Production
* Distributed by: Buena Vista Distribution Co., Inc.
* Sound by: RCA Sound Recording
* MPDDA/MPAA Number: 19689
* Copyright (c) MCMLXI Walt Disney Productions. All rights reserved.

## Trivia

* The first VHS with the 1996 Disney Videos anti-piracy warning announced by John Sachs.

## Release Dates

* USA: January 25th 1961
* Poland: 1966 (1st Version of dubbing)
* Poland: 31st March 1995 (2nd Version of dubbing)

## Opening (Original 1996 release)

1. Blue Warning screen (1995-2004)
2. National Captioning Institute Warning Screen (1995-1996)
3. Disney Video Piracy Warning [announced by John Sachs and boy]
4. Disney Videos logo (Still) (1995-2001)
5. Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You (Orange Background) (1996-1998) [announced by John Sachs]
6. A Goofy Movie/Mickey Mouse in Runaway Brain Trailer [announced by Mark Elliott]
7. Now Showing at a Cinema Near You (Orange Background) (1996-1998) [announced by John Sachs]
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Cinema Release Trailer [announced by Chuck Riley] (UK Pitched)
9. Coming Soon from Disney Videos [announced by John Sachs]
10. Toy Story Trailer [announced by Brian Cummings]
11. Aladdin and the King of Thieves Trailer [announced by John Sachs]
12. Muppet Treasure Island Trailer [announced by John Sachs]
13. Stay Tuned (1995-1996) [announced by John Sachs]
14. Disney Videos Ident (1995-2001)
15. Walt Disney Pictures Ident (1990-2006)
16. Start of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

## Closing (Original 1996 release)

1. End of One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
2. The End A Walt Disney Production
3. Buena Vista Film Distribution Ident (1961)
4. Also Available from Disney Videos [announced by John Sachs]
5. Pocahontas (UK TV Advert) [announced by TBA] (UK Pitched)
6. Walt Disney Classics Children's Trailer From 1995 [announced by John Sachs]

## Trailers and info (VHS)

### Original 1996 release

#### **Opening**

1. Disney Videos Piracy Warning (announced by John Sachs)
2. A Goofy Movie (Teaser Trailer) and Mickey Mouse in Runaway Brain (Coming Soon to a Cinema Near You) (announced by Mark Elliott)
3. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (British) (Now Showing at a Cinema Near You) (announced by Chuck Riley)
4. Toy Story (Coming to Life on Video) (announced by Brian Cummings)
5. Aladdin and the King of Thieves (Coming Soon Only on Video) (announced by John Sachs)
6. Muppet Treasure Island (Coming Soon to Video) (announced by John Sachs)

#### **Closing**

1. Pocahontas (1996 UK TV Advert) (Yours to Own on Video Now) (Out Now on Video)
2. Walt Disney Classics children's trailer from 1995 with clips of "Mary Poppins", "Alice in Wonderland", "Dumbo", "Robin Hood" and "The Sword in the Stone".

## Film Recommendations (2000 UK DVD)

### If you enjoyed this film, Here are some other recommendations:

1. Pinocchio (1940)
2. The Little Mermaid (1989)
3. Mulan (1998)
4. Hercules (1997)
5. A Bug's Life (1998)
6. The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998)
7. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
8. The Jungle Book (1967)