19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (2024)

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Marilyn La Jeunesse

2019-01-08T16:42:57Z

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (1)

  • "101 Dalmatians" was released in 1961.
  • The film made over $102 million and was the highest grossing film of it's year.
  • A live-action remake was made in 1996, with a spin-off about Cruella de Vil announced to be in the making.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (2)

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Since its release in 1961, "101 Dalmatians" has held an important place in Disney history, even prompting a live-action remake in 1996 starring Glenn Close.

A spin-off movie has also been announced, currently titled "Cruella," with Emma Stone playing the fur-obsessed villain in the live-action prequel.

INSIDER takes a look back at the film that started it all, and some surprising facts about how it was made.

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It was the first film to use a new animation process.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (5)

According to the Walt Disney Animation Studios archives, "101 Dalmatians" was the first Disney film to only use the Xerox process to animate drawings. This would greatly increase the production process for future feature films.

The film won a BAFTA award.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (6)

In addition to being nominated for a Grammy Award, the puppy-centric film won a BAFTA award for best animated film.

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The 1961 film has a nearly perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (7)

The animated "101 Dalmatians" has a 98% critics rating and a 76% viewers' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. For comparison, the film's live action counterpart has a 39% critics rating and a 40% viewers' rating on the site.

The voice of Donald Duck is in the film.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (8)

More accurately, the original voice of Donald Duck, Clarence Nash, plays an uncredited part in the film. According to IMDb, the voice actor recorded all the dogs' barks in the film.

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The movie was based on a novel.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (9)

Like most Disney films, "101 Dalmatians" was based on the 1956 novel by Dodie Smith. Based on the plot summary of the book, not much was changed from the book to the on-screen adaptation.

Disney renamed the main characters.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (10)

In the film, Roger and Anita's last name is "Radcliffe." But, in the original book, the couple's last name was "Dearly."

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There was a "101 Dalmatians" book sequel.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (11)

Dodie Smith did write a follow-up to her popular book. Titled "The Starlight Barking,"the sequel is focused on one of Pongo and Perdita's pups, who is all grown up and searching to break an enchantment that threatens to eliminate dogs as man's best friend.

Pongo is based on a real dog.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (12)

Speaking of Pongo, the Dalmatian dad was inspired by Smith's own pup of the same name. She was gifted the spotted Dalmatian in 1934 by her husband. The dog would later inspire what many consider to be her greatest novel "101 Dalmatians."

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Marc Davis wanted Cruella to be a modern-day villain.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (13)

Unlike his previous villain Maleficent, Davis wanted his animation of Cruella to give Disney a modern-day villain. As the sole animator assigned to bring this creation to life, Davis was said to have been inspired by a woman at a cocktail party, although he never revealed the name of the inspiration out of respect.

Tallulah Bankhead may have inspired some parts of Cruella.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (14)

Although the actual inspiration for the character remains a mystery, Davis once told the LA Times he wanted to mimic Cruella off the actress Tallulah Bankhead, the one woman he said he knew was "just a monster." It's said that many of Bankhead's quirks and eccentrics seem to be included in the film.

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The voice of Cruella should seem familiar.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (15)

Voiced by Betty Lou Gerson, Cruella de Vil's voice should seem oddly familiar to loyal Disney fans. "101 Dalmatians" was Gerson's second film with the company. She had previously voiced the narrator in "Cinderella," which premiered 11 years prior.

Characters from "Lady and the Tramp" make an appearance.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (16)

You can spot a few familiar faces in "101 Dalmatians." During the "Twilight Bark" scene, characters from Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" are clearly visible — and Lady and Tramp themselves even make an appearance.

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"101 Dalmatians" was the highest grossing film of 1961.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (17)

Following the dismal performance of "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959, no one was quite expecting the financial success of "101 Dalmatians." Making over $102 million in 1961, the animated film was the top-grossing film of the year in the US, beating out "West Side Story," "The Parent Trap," and "Gone With the Wind."

There are lots of hidden Mickeys in the film.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (18)

If you look carefully at the spots on Pongo and the rest of his brood, there are plenty of hidden Mickeys to be found. There's a hidden Mickey in the opening scene of the film when Pongo is looking for a match for his human, as well as a hidden Mickey during the park scene with Pongo.

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There are millions of spots in the film.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (19)

A dedicated fan took the time to count up all the spots in the film and found that there were a whopping 6,469,952 spots in the animated film. Pongo is said to have 72 spots, while Perdita has 68.

Tons of paint was used for the film.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (20)

You can't animate over six million spots without paint, which is why the animation studio used 800 gallons of paint for the film. In total, the special paint used to create the animated movie weighed five tons.

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The dogs are actually light grey.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (21)

In reality, Dalmatian dogs are white with black spots, but in order for the color of the dogs to look good on camera, the animators used a light grey paint to create the dogs' coats. Animators have previously said that using white paint would have been too bright and made it difficult to spot the pups during the treacherous snow scenes.

Tons of colors were created for the film.

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (22)

In total, 1,000 different shades of paint were mixed for the film, including 100 specially mixed for the film to create the perfect look. It’s no easy feat coloring a film with multiple seasons and over 100 dogs.

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Another Disney film appears in "101 Dalmatians."

19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (23)

During the scene with Horace, Jasper, and the kidnapped puppies, Disney's black and white film "Springtime" can be seen playing on the TV. "Springtime" was originally released in 1929 and celebrates the coming of spring after a storm.

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19 things you didn't know about '101 Dalmatians' (2024)

FAQs

What is the 101 Dalmatian syndrome? ›

When there is a growing demand for a certain dog breed that becomes part of the “popular culture” this phenomenon is known as The Dalmatian Syndrome. This moniker goes back to 1985 & 1991 with the re-release of Disney's 101 Dalmatians movie that sparked a rise for the demand of this breed.

What is the hidden Mickey in 101 Dalmatians? ›

Hidden Mickey: In the scene where Anita realises that Cruella has taken the puppies, there is a statue behind her of Mickey Mouse, out of focus, on the dresser. 230 Dalmatian puppies and 20 adult Dalmatians were used during filming.

What is the message in 101 Dalmatians? ›

The main messages from One Hundred and One Dalmatians are that sometimes in life it's important to take initiative, and that you can achieve more as part of a team and when you work together.

What is Cruella Deville's disorder? ›

The first thing Disney did to make Cruella a redeemable character was to portray her as having dissociative identity disorder (sometimes called multiple personality disorder). The movie tracks the life of Cruella's alter ego, Estella, a rambunctious young prodigy with an eye for style (played by Emma Stone).

How many dogs died in 101 Dalmatians? ›

There is talk of skinning the dogs by the villain but no actual deaths occur and all live by the end of the movie.

Who is the hungry Dalmatian? ›

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Rolly is one of Pongo and Perdita's fifteen puppies. He is the heaviest of the puppies and is constantly hungry.

Who is the Dalmatian without spots in 101 Dalmatians? ›

Oddball was created solely for 102 Dalmatians and has no animated counterpart. She is the only Dalmatian without spots, and possibly the only female puppy in the film. The puppies that played Oddball actually had spots, so computer effects were used to remove the spots for the final film.

Why didn t Walt Disney like 101 Dalmatians? ›

Walt Disney's Criticism of 101 Dalmatians. It is no secret that Walt was critical of One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Having spent years trying to perfect animation as an art form, to him the Xerox process seemed to destroy the illusion of life created by finely inked animated characters.

Is it true that Dalmatians have 101 spots? ›

This is a difficult question to answer because, as stated earlier, no two Dalmatians can have the same spotted pattern. Plus, these dogs are always out and about and it's hard for them to sit still and let you count the number of spots they have. However, they have, on average, 50 to 250 spots.

Why are Dalmatians called Dalmatians? ›

A Dalmatian is a dog breed named after the Adriatic coastal region of Dalmatia, Croatia, its first definite home. The origins of the breed are unknown. The Dalmatian has served as a sentinel, war dog, fire department mascot, hunter, shepherd, and performer.

At what age do Dalmatians go deaf? ›

Dalmatians are usually born with normal hearing but some become deaf after a few weeks (Mair 1972; Johnsson et al 1973). The disease may affect one or both ears. Dogs with normal hearing in one ear are likely to be able to live a normal life. Those deaf in both ears are significantly handicapped.

Why is it called 101 Dalmatians if there are only 15? ›

Their parents, Pongo and Perdita, set out to save their puppies from Cruella, rescuing 84 additional ones bought in pet shops, bringing the total of Dalmatians to 101.

What does Perdita mean in 101 Dalmatians? ›

She has the dog, who has recently given birth, treated by a vet and names her Perdita (meaning "lost"). Perdita helps to nurse the pups and becomes a member of the family. She tells Pongo about her lost love Prince and the resulting litter of puppies, which were sold by her neglectful owner.

Why is Cruella De Vil obsessed with Dalmatians? ›

In 101 Dalmatians, Cruella wanted to purchase Perdita and Pongo's Dalmatian puppies because she was a selfish heiress who viewed the puppies as a fashionable commodity to be exploited rather than as innocent living beings.

What is the story behind 101 Dalmatians? ›

When a litter of Dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the owners must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement. A dalmatian named Pongo falls in love with a beautiful Dalmatian named Perdita and begin a family shorty after their owners marry.

What neurological disorder do Dalmatians have? ›

If no other cause can be found, the disease is called primary or idiopathic epilepsy. This problem is often an inherited condition, and Dalmatians are commonly afflicted. If your friend is prone to seizures, episodes will usually begin between six months and three years of age.

Which puppy almost died in 101 Dalmatians? ›

Lucky is one of Pongo and Perdita's fifteen puppies. He is the puppy who nearly dies soon after his birth in both the animated and live-action films but was revived through the efforts of Roger Radcliffe.

What is a Dalmatian stomach problem? ›

Dalmatians are classed as barrel chested and we think it is very important that you read and remember the information here. Left untreated, a GDV will rapidly lead to death. GDV is when the stomach twists. Once the stomach has twisted, gas continues to accumulate, which causes severe bloating and is very painful.

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