One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)

One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961) === https://shurll.com/2tEi91

Walt Disney's studio spent almost the entire 1950s working on Sleeping Beauty and when it was released in January of 1959, nearly four full years had passed since a previous animated feature's debut. The ambitious, costly, Tchaikovsky-flavored fairy tale nearly bankrupted Disney, so it was quite opportune that the already-in-progress next animated feature wouldn't take nearly as long or much to produce. That film, 101 Dalmatians, harked back to Sleeping's immediate predecessor, the 1955 hit Lady and the Tramp, by centering on a cast of talking dogs. But even compared to that CinemaScope canine comedy, it was decidedly down-to-earth.Adapted from Englishwoman Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, the film launches with one of the livelier credits sequences to head an animated Disney feature, before moving to an equally spirited sincere start. We are introduced to a pair of London bachelors: the lovesick dalmatian Pongo and his pipe-smoking songwriter "pet" Roger Radcliff. Pongo narrates as he scopes out and assesses human/dog pairs of females parading down the sidewalk. When he spots a pretty dalmatian and her equally fetching lady, Pongo pounces on the opportunity to drag Roger out to the park for a walk. Not all goes as planned, but love wins out and, very soon, Roger and the woman, Anita, are exchanging marital vows while Pongo and his lady, named Perdita, enter a similar arrangement.The newly-formed four-member Radcliff family isn't overflowing with space or money (though they are able to afford the warm, caring Nanny), but they do seem to have an abundance of love, as evidenced by news of a pregnancy (Perdita's). With the puppies' birth just a few weeks away, Anita is paid a visit by her old schoolmate, the hideous Cruella De Vil, who wishes to lay claim to the newborn dalmatians.When Roger refuses to let any of Pongo and Perdita's fifteen pups leave their custody, Cruella decides to take matters into her own hands, hiring henchmen Horace and Jasper to commit that most wretched act of dognapping. The remainder of the film details the efforts of the pups and their parents to reunite, with some help from other animals who are summoned by that classic canine communication system, The Twilight Bark. The title count is realized when the young victims are joined by 84 additional dalmatians (these being of the uncollared variety).101 Dalmatians is probably the best example of a film that embodies the phrase "Disney animated classic" without being especially like its kin or telling a grand story. Particularly in the winning first half, the screenplay is airy, the mood is light, and the setting is downright ordinary. Spending time with the two pleasant couples and the spunky lot of pups is a most welcome task, even if the humor is as gentle as "Rolly" insisting he's still hungry and the offspring investing in a "Lassie"-esque TV program.In the skeletal, judgmental, chain-smoking, fur-loving Cruella De Vil, the movie uncovers a larger than life villain whose impact lingers, even if she only claims about as much screentime as her British thugs. Horace and Jasper are naturally doltish, but not in the most expected of ways, and they're written well enough to rank highly on the long list of dim-witted baddies. Still, their duty is mostly performed in the film's latter, more routine portions. It's Cruella who makes the big splash and who is easily distinguished not just as the film's boldest personality but as an antagonist for the ages.Far from daring or melodramatic, Dalmatians is brisk, breezy, and always very appealing. The turns in the rescue plot sustain interest but don't make the ongoing chase as unforgettable as hoped. Instead, it's the smaller moments and gags that win us over, like the owner/dog pairs who reflect one another (a joke later put to good use in live-action for The Ugly Dachshund), the family dynamic that quickly emerges (and, one wishes, weren't set aside so soon), and the affectionate but still on-target satire of television programming. Sometimes, you don't need more than a functional concept, a good story, and durable characters. With little music and only slightly more action, 101 Dalmatians handily becomes one of Disney's best animated features. Cruella De Vil stands as the film's most memorable creation, both in the angular woman herself and the tune Roger pens in her honor. The most recent Disney character to crack the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes and Villains list, Cruella ranked 39th among cinema's scoundrels. (Interestingly, the heroic counterpart for her rank was none other than Lassie.) The film certainly does have more than just a good villain to offer and it has stood the test of time, wielding the power to charm today's audiences over 50 years since its initial release.101 Dalmatians first appeared on DVD in the fall of 1999 among the nine animated Disney films released as barren "Limited Issue" discs. In 2008, it finally received a worthier release as a 2-Disc Platinum Edition DVD. It's taken another long wait for the movie to hit Blu-ray, becoming one of Disney's last animated features to reach the format in North America. It does so in today's Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD combo pack.Happily, the original Buena Vista Distribution title card is restored to the beginning of the film, dropping the modern Disney logo found at the start of the Platinum Edition DVD's presentation and allowing the movie to be rounded back down to its original 79-minute runtime. (A brief incarnation of the current CG castle still plays at the film's end.) 781b155fdc

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One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)