Michael's Movie Grade:A-
Year Released:1961
History
One Hundred and One Dalmatians was in many ways a the opposite of Sleeping Beauty, which was Disney's most recent animated feature. Sleeping Beauty was an extremely expensive film, that could not and did not make a profit, because it cost so much. Also Sleeping Beauty was attacked by critics as pretentious. In fact due to the failure with that animated feature and the studios success with Live action films and Disneyland, Walt was advised to abandon animation. One Hundred and One Dalmatians was made on a much smaller budget and the story could in no way be mistaken for being pretentious. However it is arguable how much the failure of Sleeping Beauty affected this film, because work started production in 1958, while Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians would differ greatly from previous Disney animated features. Though the film does have songs, it is not a musical in a way that the earlier films had been. Story wise it would only be written by one person, Bill Peet. Also it takes place at the time the movie was made. This film would also have a modern art style design, which differed much from previous animated Disney films. Many of the animators liked this new design, but Walt personally did not much care for it. Ken Anderson later said "Walt was one who inherently hated lines. He hated to see a drawing on screen... he was a frustrated actor. Every line was a soft line and was doing his best to make it look like live action... so he was very disappointed when he saw what was happening on Dalmatians. However we had gone so far and it was coming off so well... but I find out he didn't buy it until it was all over. Had it all done. Then I found out he was very displeased with it."
Another person important to the modern art look of the film was color stylist Walt Peregory. Peregory dropped out of the tenth grade and went to work for Disney in 1943 at the age of seventeen. He left the job shortly after because it felt too much like a factory for his taste. However he would come back to the studio in 1951. He spent four years as an assistant animator and clean up artist. In 1955, he would become a background painter for Sleeping Beauty, thanks to art director Eviland Earle. Peregory would use a lot of flat colors in 101 Dalmatians. Unlike what had been used in most previous animated Disney films, his work here was used to invoke the mood of the scene, rather than to add a sense of realism.
Another very important name in the making of 101 Dalmatians was animator Marc Davis. Marc Davis was the supervising animator for Cruella Deville. He would later state that one of the biggest influences for this character was actress Tallulah Bankhead (who would probably be known to my fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans for staring in the brilliant Lifeboat). Marc Davis had already established himself as a Disney legend for being the supervising animator for such Disney characters as Cinderella, Alice, Tinkerbell and Maleficent. He also helped design the characters of Pinocchio and Bambi. He had also already worked on the Jungle Cruise ride for Disneyland. He would later work on for Disneyland, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. His work animating Cruella Deville has been one of the most praised aspects of this film. However 101 Dalmatians would be the last time he worked on a film.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians obviously involved quite a few Dalmatians. Animation legend Chuck Jones had joking said that if he made this film it would star one dog with one spot and he would be named Spot. That was because so many Dalmatians would be very hard to put on screen. Because of this the film involved use of a Xerox machine much more than any previous animated feature. This Xerox method was naturally used most for the Dalmatians. Art director Ken Anderson designed the backgrounds to look as if they had also been Xeroxed so that both the background and foreground would match perfectly.
Another person important to the modern art look of the film was color stylist Walt Peregory. Peregory dropped out of the tenth grade and went to work for Disney in 1943 at the age of seventeen. He left the job shortly after because it felt too much like a factory for his taste. However he would come back to the studio in 1951. He spent four years as an assistant animator and clean up artist. In 1955, he would become a background painter for Sleeping Beauty, thanks to art director Eviland Earle. Peregory would use a lot of flat colors in 101 Dalmatians. Unlike what had been used in most previous animated Disney films, his work here was used to invoke the mood of the scene, rather than to add a sense of realism.
Another very important name in the making of 101 Dalmatians was animator Marc Davis. Marc Davis was the supervising animator for Cruella Deville. He would later state that one of the biggest influences for this character was actress Tallulah Bankhead (who would probably be known to my fellow Alfred Hitchcock fans for staring in the brilliant Lifeboat). Marc Davis had already established himself as a Disney legend for being the supervising animator for such Disney characters as Cinderella, Alice, Tinkerbell and Maleficent. He also helped design the characters of Pinocchio and Bambi. He had also already worked on the Jungle Cruise ride for Disneyland. He would later work on for Disneyland, It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. His work animating Cruella Deville has been one of the most praised aspects of this film. However 101 Dalmatians would be the last time he worked on a film.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians obviously involved quite a few Dalmatians. Animation legend Chuck Jones had joking said that if he made this film it would star one dog with one spot and he would be named Spot. That was because so many Dalmatians would be very hard to put on screen. Because of this the film involved use of a Xerox machine much more than any previous animated feature. This Xerox method was naturally used most for the Dalmatians. Art director Ken Anderson designed the backgrounds to look as if they had also been Xeroxed so that both the background and foreground would match perfectly.
The directors of this film would be Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman. Together these three had already directed Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Lady and the Tramp.
The film was a huge success with both critics and audiences. Many critics said it was the best Disney film since Dumbo (released 20 years before this 101 Dalmatians) and felt this film had some of the most sophisticated humor done in a Disney film. In 1996, the Disney studio would remake this film in live action, and that remake would be popular enough to get a sequel in 2000 (102 Dalmatians). In 1998 an animated TV show would be based off this film called 101 Dalmatians: The Series.
Review
Very clever and fun movie. The film was a huge success with both critics and audiences. Many critics said it was the best Disney film since Dumbo (released 20 years before this 101 Dalmatians) and felt this film had some of the most sophisticated humor done in a Disney film. In 1996, the Disney studio would remake this film in live action, and that remake would be popular enough to get a sequel in 2000 (102 Dalmatians). In 1998 an animated TV show would be based off this film called 101 Dalmatians: The Series.
The writing in this film is quite clever, from the Twilight Bark, to the very funny TV satire, to the dogs escape, to just the dialogue in general. In fact the whole script is full of little clever ideas. Pongo as the narrator sets up this film's great writing from the start, and the film only gets better from there. This film has a great sense of humor, but the writing is just as clever during the dramatic scenes.
The design work in this film is great. This may have a different look from previous animated Disney films, but the look is just as good. The use of color in the backgrounds is brilliant. While they are more abstract they help pull us into the emotion of the scenes so strongly, that it makes the film feel more real.
As has been said many times before one of the best things about this film is Cruella Deville. She is a fantastic villain. She is over the top, and very funny because of that, but she is not too over the top that she is not threating. In fact she is very threating, and you always worry about what she could do next. She is animated perfectly by Marc Davis, who really gets to show why he is a Disney legend in this film. Betty Lou Gerson was the perfect voice for her on top of all this.
Overall a fantastic movie.
Film Credits
Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi
Writer: Bill Peet
Based on a book by Dodie Smith
Voices: Rod Taylor (Pongo), Betty Lou Gerson (Cruella De Vil, Miss Birdwell), Cate Bauer (Perdita), Lisa Daniels (Perdita), Ben Wright (Roger), Lisa Davis (Anita), Martha Wentworth (Nanny, Queenie, Lucy), J. Pat O'Malley (Colonel, Jasper), Fred Worlock (Horace, Craven), Tudor Owen (Towser), Tom Conway (Quizmaster, Collie), George Pelling (Danny), Thurl Ravenscroft (The Captain), David Frankham (Sergeant Tibs), Ramsay Hill (Television Announcer, The Labrador), Queenie Leonard (Princess), Marjorie Bennett (Duchess), Barbara Beaird (Rolly), Mickey Maga (Patch), Sandra Abbott (Penny), Mimi Gibson (Lucky), Barbara Luddy (Rover), Paul Frees (Dirty Dawson), Lucille Bliss (Commercial Singer), Rickie Sorensen (Spotty), Dal McKennon (Dalmatian Puppy, Sheepdog and Hound Barks)
Producer: Walt Disney
Music: George Burns
Songwriters: Mel Leven, Bill Lee
Production Supervisor: Ken Peterson
Editors: Donald Halliday, Roy M. Brewster, Jr.
Art Director: Ken Anderson
Special Effects: Ub Iwerks, Eustace Lycett
Sound Artist: Robert O. Cook
Background Artists: Al Dempster, Ralph Hulett, Anthony Rizzo, Bill Layne
Layout Artists: Basil Davidovich, Joe Hale, Dick Ung, McLaren Stewart, Dale Barnhart, Homer Jonas, Vance Gerry, Ray Aragon, Al Zinnen, Sammie June Lanham, Victor Haboush
Layout Stylists: Don Griffith, Colin Campbell, Erni Nordli
Color Stylist: Walt Peregoy
Character Stylists: Bill Peet, Tom Oreb
Effects Animators: Jack Boyd, Dan MacManus, Ed Parks, Jack Buckley
Supervising Animators: Milt Kahl, Frank Thomas, Marc Davis,John Lounsbery, Ollie Johnston, Eric Larson
Animators: Hal King, Les Clark, Cliff Nordberg, Blaine Gibson, Eric Cleworth, John Sibley, Art Stevens, Julius Svendsen, Hal Ambro, Ted Berman, Bill Keil, Don Lusk, Dick Lucas, Amby Paliwoda
Resources Used
The Disney Films by Leonard Maltin
Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in Fifties Animation by Amid Amidi
Of Mice and Magic: The History of the American Animated Cartoon by Leonard Maltin
The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland by The Imagineers
-Michael J. Ruhland
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