When two Dalmatians named Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer) are blessed with fifteen puppies, they couldn't have been happier. But when their new family gets stolen, along with eighty-four other puppies by the evil fashion designer Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) for the intention of making fur coats out of them, Pongo and Perdita must call on numerous other animals to help them rescue the puppies from their fate. Important in animation history as the first Disney animated film to heavily use newer xerography methods for the purpose of cheaper animation methods, One Hundred and One Dalmatians may lack the visual beauty of Disney's earlier fantasy films, but the modern UPA style of the film helps it stand out as one of the most visually unique films of the 1960's. The infamous Cruella, thanks to Marc Davis's incredible character animation and Betty Lou Gerson's piercing voice makes her one of the most memorable villians of all time and despite a lot of it would end up being reused for numourous films produced during this cost-cutting era, George Bruns's score is fabulous with the best example of his work being the jazz-inspired opening credits that would set the mood for the more laid-back films of this time period. Overall, One Hundred and One Dalmatians deserves it's reputation as not only one of the most important films in the companies history, but also as a fun thrill ride for all ages.
Review of One Hundred and One Dalmatians
