101 Dalmatians (Live Action) (1997 VHS; Trina Mouse)

**101 Dalmatians (Live Action)** is a 1997 VHS.

## Plot:

American video game designer Roger Dearly lives with his pet Dalmatian Pongo in London. One day, Pongo sets his eyes on a female Dalmatian named Perdita. After a frantic chase through the streets of London that ends in St. James's Park, Roger discovers that Pongo likes Perdita. Her owner, Anita Campbell-Green falls in love with Roger when they meet. They both fall into the lake as a result of their dogs chasing each other, but they return to Roger's home and Anita accepts his proposal. They get married along with Perdita and Pongo. Anita works as a fashion designer at the House of de Vil. Her boss, the diabolical, yet glamorous Cruella de Vil, has a deep passion for fur, going so far as to have a taxidermist, Mr. Skinner, skin a female white tiger named Sue-Ling at the London Zoo to make her into a rug for her. Anita, inspired by her Dalmatian, designs a coat made with spotted fur. Cruella is intrigued by the idea of making garments out of actual Dalmatians, and finds it amusing that it would seem as if she was wearing Anita's dog.

Anita soon discovers that Perdita is pregnant and is then informed that Anita is too, much to her shock. Sometime later, Cruella visits their home and expresses contempt upon meeting Roger. Her initial disgust at them having a baby turns to excitement when she finds out Perdita is expecting too. Several weeks later, she returns when a litter of 15 puppies are born and offers Roger and Anita £7,500 for them, but they refuse. Enraged, Cruella dismisses Anita and vows revenge against her and Roger. One winter evening, she has her henchmen, Jasper and Horace, break into their home and steal the puppies, while Roger and Anita are walking in the park with Pongo and Perdita. Along with 84 other Dalmatians that were previously stolen, they deliver them to her ancient country estate, De Vil Mansion. Cruella also asks Skinner to kill and skin them to create her coat.

With the family devastated at the loss of their puppies, Pongo uses the twilight bark to carry the message via the dogs and other animals of Great Britain, while Roger and Anita notify the Metropolitan Police. Anita uses her insight and realizes Cruella was behind the kidnapping of the puppies. She confirms her suspicion when she shows Roger her portfolio. An Airedale Terrier named Kipper who had witnessed the stolen puppies follows Jasper and Horace to the mansion, and finds all of them inside, before helping them escape under the duo's noses. They make their way to a nearby farm, where they are later joined by Pongo and Perdita. Cruella arrives at the mansion and soon discovers what has happened. Angry with the thieves' failure, she decides to carry out the job herself, while Jasper and Horace attempt to search for them also. After several mishaps, Jasper and Horace discover nearby police looking for Cruella and hand themselves in, joining Skinner who was attacked in defense earlier while trying to kill Lucky (one of the 15 puppies), who had been left behind.

Meanwhile, Cruella tracks the puppies to the farm where they are hiding and tries to kill them. The farm animals carry out a plan to take down Cruella while the puppies escape. They steal her hat, drop a pig on her, cause her to fall into a vat of molasses and finally get flung into a pigpen, defeating her. The police arrive just in time to arrest a now filthy Cruella who is taken into custody along with Jasper, Horace and Skinner. As she berates them for their failures as well as the downfall of her business and reputation, they are all sprayed by the skunk that snuck into her car before she went to the farm.

All of the fleeing dalmatians are found and sent home via the Suffolk Constabulary. Pongo, Perdita and their puppies are reunited with Roger, Anita and Nanny. After being informed that the remaining 84 puppies have no home to go to, as they have not yet been claimed by their original owners, they decide to adopt them. Roger designs a successful video game featuring dalmatian puppies as the protagonists and Cruella as the villain, with this success they move out of London to the countryside with their millions. Roger and Anita have a baby girl, and a year later the puppies have grown up with puppies of their own.

## Previews before the film:

1. Warning text (Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
2. Hercules theatrical trailer (in theaters November 14, 1997)
3. George of the Jungle theatrical trailer (in theaters December 25, 1997)
4. Disneyland Paris (1997-1998) commercial
5. Disney Videos logo (1995-2001) (with announcer)
6. Coming to Video in October
7. D3: The Mighty Ducks VHS trailer
8. Coming to Video in November
9. Lady and the Tramp VHS trailer
10. Coming to Video in February
11. Jungle Cubs VHS trailer
12. Disney Videos logo (1995-2001) (without announcer)
13. Walt Disney Pictures logo
14. Great Oaks logo

## Video:

Opening to 101 Dalmatians (1997 VHS; Trina Mouse)