One Hundred and One Dalmatians (also known as 101 Dalmatians) is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions with distribution by Buena Vista Distribution. Adapted from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the film was directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wolfgang Reitherman in his feature-length directorial debut, from a script by Bill Peet. It features the voice talents of Rod Taylor, J. Pat O'Malley, Betty Lou Gerson, Martha Wentworth, Ben Wright, Cate Bauer, Dave Frankham, and Fred Worlock. The film's plot follows Pongo and Perdita, two London-based Dalmatians who give birth to a litter of fifteen puppies, who are later kidnapped by the obsessive socialite Cruella de Vil, wanting to make their fur into coats. Pongo and Perdita set out on a cross-country rescue mission to save the litter from the maniacal Cruella. They rescue 84 additional Dalmatians in the process, bringing the total to 101.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians was released in theaters on January 25, 1961, to positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, grossing $14 million domestically in its original theatrical run. It became the first animated feature to earn over $10 million during its initial release, and became the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year in the North American box office and the highest-grossing animated film when reissues of films are not counted. Aside from its box-office revenue, the employment of inexpensive animation techniques, such as using xerography during the process of inking and painting traditional animation cels, kept production costs down. Counting reissues, the film grossed $303 million worldwide, and when adjusted for inflation, is the twelfth-highest-grossing film in the North American box office and the second-highest-grossing animated film globally, as well as being the sixth-highest-selling animated film since 1959 at an estimate of over 199,800,000 sold tickets.
The success of the film made Disney expand it into a media franchise, with a live-action remake released in 1996, followed by a sequel in 2000. A direct-to-video animated sequel to the 1961 film, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, was released in 2003. Two animated television series based on the franchise were also produced, with 101 Dalmatians: The Series in 1997 and 101 Dalmatian Street in 2019. A live-action prequel with a standalone continuity, Cruella, was released in 2021.
Plot
In 1950s London, aspiring songwriter Roger Radcliffe lives in a bachelor flat with his pet Dalmatian, Pongo. Deciding both of them need a "mate", Pongo watches women and their dogs in the street. Noticing a young woman named Anita and her Dalmatian Perdita, he drags Roger to a park to arrange a meeting. Despite a tumultuous first encounter, Roger and Anita fall in love, and soon marry, with Pongo and Perdita attending.
The Radcliffes hire a nanny and move into a small townhouse near Regent's Park. Perdita becomes pregnant with a litter of 15 puppies; shortly afterward, Anita's entitled, fur-obsessed former schoolmate Cruella de Vil visits the Radcliffes and expresses a keen interest in the puppies. Perdita confides to Pongo she is suspicious of Cruella's motives. When the puppies arrive, Cruella returns and offers to buy them for a large sum. Roger stands up to her and announces firmly that the pups are not for sale; enraged, Cruella swears revenge.
Several weeks later, Cruella makes good on her threat by secretly hiring Jasper and Horace Badun, two burglar brothers, to steal the puppies. The police are unable to find the puppies or prove Cruella was involved, so Pongo and Perdita utilize a nationwide canine gossip line, the "Twilight Bark", to solicit help from all the English dogs.
In Suffolk, Pongo and Perdita's message reaches The Colonel, an Old English Sheepdog on the farm of a retired cavalry officer. After the barn cat Sergeant Tibbs hears puppies barking at the nearby de Vil estate, he and The Colonel investigate. They find the Badun brothers guarding the fifteen stolen puppies, as well as 84 more dalmatians bought and paid for in shops. The Colonel sends word back to London, and Pongo and Perdita travel to Suffolk as fast as they can.
Learning that Cruella intends to make dogskin fur coats from her captives, Tibbs hastily tries to evacuate the puppies. The Baduns intervene, but Pongo and Perdita arrive and hold them off while Tibbs and the Colonel get the puppies to the farm. After hearing of Cruella's schemes, Pongo and Perdita decide to adopt the other 84 puppies to protect them.
The Dalmatians start their homeward trek, pursued by Cruella and the Baduns. They eventually make their way to Dinsford, where they meet a Black Labrador who offers them a ride in a moving van bound for London. Cruella and the Baduns arrive, so Pongo has his whole family roll in a sooty fireplace to disguise themselves as other Labradors. As they board the van, their cover is blown at the last minute, when melting snow washes off some of the soot. Furious at having been tricked, Cruella pursues the van in her car and tries to ram it off the road. The Baduns also attempt a similar maneuver, but their lorry collides with Cruella's car, and both vehicles crash into a ditch. Cruella berates the Baduns and sobs with fury as the van drives away.
In London, a miserable Nanny and the Radcliffes try to enjoy Christmas. It is revealed that they have acquired huge wealth from a song that Roger had written about Cruella, which has become a big radio hit; but they are missing their canine companions too much to enjoy this much. The Dalmatians suddenly flood the house, reuniting with their owners. Upon counting the massive family of dogs, Roger suggests they use his songwriting royalties to buy a big house in the country, so that they can keep all 101 Dalmatians.
Voice cast Rod Taylor as Pongo, Roger's urbane and dashing pet Dalmatian, Perdita's mate, the father of fifteen, and adoptive father of the eighty-four orphaned puppies. He also serves as the film's narrator. Cate Bauer and Lisa Daniels as Perdita, Anita's quiet and refined pet Dalmatian, Pongo's mate, the mother of fifteen, and adopted mother of the eighty-four orphaned puppies. She is an amalgamation of the characters "Perdita" and "Missis" from the original novel. J. Pat O'Malley and Fred Worlock as Jasper and Horace Badun, mean and argumentative small-time crooks whom Cruella hires to steal Dalmatian puppies. O'Malley also voiced Colonel, an Old English Sheepdog of military bearing who aids in the search for puppies; Mr. Simpkins, a panelist on What's My Crime? TV show; and the Mechanic. Worlock also voiced Inspector Graves, a panelist on What's My Crime? TV show. Betty Lou Gerson as Cruella de Vil, an erratic and ruthless aristocrat and Anita's former schoolmate who adores fur and wants to turn Dalmatian puppies into a coat. Gerson also voiced Miss Birdwell, a panelist on What's My Crime? TV show. Martha Wentworth as Nanny, the Radcliffes' warm and motherly cook and housekeeper. She is an amalgamation of the characters "Nanny Cook" and "Nanny Butler" from the original novel. Wentworth also voiced Lucy, the white goose; and Queenie, one of the cows that the Dalmatians encounter during their escape from Cruella. Ben Wright as Roger Radcliffe, Pongo's absent-minded owner and Anita's husband who works as a songwriter. Bill Lee provided Roger's singing voice. Lisa Davis as Anita Radcliffe, Perdita's reserved and polite owner, Roger's wife, and Cruella's former schoolmate. Dave Frankham as Sergeant Tibbs, a scrawny tabby cat who aids the puppies in their escape from Cruella and Baduns. Frankham also voiced Scottie, the Skye Terrier. Tom Conway as an unnamed Collie who offers Dalmatians shelter for the night during their trek. Conway also voiced the Quizmaster, a loquacious moderator of What's My Crime? TV show. Tudor Owen as Old Towser, a Bloodhound. Owen also voiced the Truck Driver. George Pelling as Danny, a large Great Dane who was born in Hampstead. Ramsay Hill as an unnamed Labrador Retriever that helps Pongo and the Dalmatians escape from Cruella and Baduns. Hill also voiced the TV Announcer. Queenie Leonard and Marjorie Bennett as Princess and Duchess, cows from a country barn where Dalmatians take shelter during their escape. Sylvia Marriott voiced the fourth unnamed cow.
Additionally, the film features Mickey Maga, Barbara Beaird, Mimi Gibson, and Sandra Abbott as Patch, Rolly, Lucky, and Penny, Dalmatian puppies from Pongo and Perdita's litter. Max Smith, Bob Stevens, Clarence Nash, and Dal McKennon provided the sounds of dog barks. Thurl Ravenscroft voiced Captain, a gray horse and aide of Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs. Barbara Luddy (who voiced characters in previous films such as Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty) and Rickie Sorensen voiced Rover and Spotty, two of the eighty-four Dalmatian puppies that were bought by Cruella. Jeanne Gayle (the wife of the film's composer George Bruns) performed the radio version of "Cruella De Vil" song in the film's final scene. Paul Frees voiced Dirty Dawson, the villain in the Thunderbolt TV show. Lucille Bliss performed the "Kanine Krunchies" jingle in a TV commercial.
Production
Story development The children's novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith had been published on November 19, 1956, to an immediate success. By February 1957, screenwriter Charles Brackett brought it to the attention of Walt Disney, who acquired the film rights to the novel on November 26 of that year (after lengthy negotiations) for $25,000. The project was set to be Disney's next animated feature after Sleeping Beauty (which was still in production at the time) and was originally expected to be finished within two years. Story artist Bill Peet was assigned to single-handedly develop the story, marking the first time a Disney animated film was written by one person. Disney also tasked Peet to write a detailed screenplay first before storyboarding; since Peet never learned to use a typewriter, he wrote the initial draft by hand on legal paper. The manuscript was completed and typed up within two months, after which, having received Disney's approval, Peet began storyboarding and was charged with recording the voice-over process. This was the first time that a complete screenplay was approved for a Disney feature animated film before storyboarding began, but it was "a short-lived experiment" and that particular approach would not be used again at Disney Animation until The Great Mouse Detective (1986).