Dogs rule. Every child should at some point have a dog. It teaches you to care for another living being. You will learn responsibility and other things adults try to avoid. One dog is fine to have, but trying having 100 more. The Disney film 101 Dalmatians never made it to Smell-O-Vision because of all the dogs involved. The movie is literally about just what the title says, 101 white spotted dogs running around doing disgusting dog things.
I’m surprised to see this movie originally came out in 1961. Disney films have such amazing staying power that kids from my generation loved this movie. For what was probably my 4th birthday, my mom threw me a 101 Dalmatians birthday party. Everyone wanted to be the character Spot because he was the Dalmatian with the one black eye which made him look tough. It was my birthday though and I got to be him. Isn’t the best thing about a birthday being able to make other people feel bad?
This film is about a songwriter in London named Roger who has a dog named Pongo. Roger never seems to bring girls back for sex and Pongo knew the best songs are about dirty sex so he set out to find them both a mate. He ends up finding a woman named Anita who happens to also have a Dalmatian, her name being Perdita. I think Pongo liked Perdita and was hoping Roger could take one for the team with Anita. It’s like if you see a hot chick with an ugly friend you may ask your wingman to talk to the girl with the messed up face so you can entertain the one you’re after.
(Pongo has the strangest matchmaking ways imaginable)
Roger and Anita end up falling in love after they fall into a puddle (I will never understand English culture) and this allows Pongo and Perdita to be together. Pongo knocks up Perdita and she gives birth to 15 puppies. The evil and classic character Cruella De Vil tries to buy the puppies for the sole purpose of killing them then turning them into fur coats. Only in a nation where Michael Vick is president could this ever be possible. Cruella hires two bumbling idiots to kidnap the puppies and that’s when the trouble starts.
Pongo and Perdita begin talking with other dogs in London to find out whatever information they may have. They discover the whereabouts of the puppies and head off to save them. When they break into the farm thing where their puppies are being held, they discover there are a total of 99 puppies there which with them added to it equal 101! I bet you didn’t see that coming.
The loving Dalmatian parents take all 99 puppies with them, seriously thinking Roger and Anita will be able to care for them all. Unless Roger wrote Stairway to Heaven I don’t see him having enough money for dog food. Maybe he was Roger Daltrey from The Who. You know what, I bet he was.
(Roger Daltrey as a Dalmatian)
On their way back home Cruella and her bumbling hired goons chased after them. There’s a frightening car chase in the snow that ultimately ends with Cruella shaking her fist on the side of the road.
Roger ends up writing a hit song about Cruella De Vil because it’s completely normal to write songs about people who have tried to kill your pets. He ends up using the money he makes from the song to buy a big house in the country where they live with all 101 Dalmatians. It’s a little upsetting to know at least one of the puppies probably end up catching some contagious disease that in those conditions most certainly wiped out a good percentage of the Dalmatians in this family. Animals are always getting sick. This was a tragically poor ending when you consider health concerns for man’s best friend.
(Is Cruella a real name? Why would you name your kid that?)
101 Dalmatians is a classic Disney film that will never go out of style. It inspired a live action film starring Glenn Close as Cruella De Vil which came out in 1996. This film is must see for any child who loves animals. Talking dogs are the perfect thing needed to help make any movie succeed. I watched Apocalypse Now recently and was bored to death with it. If Marlon Brando was a Golden Retriever with some sassy one-liners it would have been worth the 3 hours I spent watching the outdated war film.
Kidz Showz 
My third favorite animated Disney film!
Fun Fact: Marlon Brando was asked to voice the villain in “Oliver & Company”, but turned it down, because he thought it would flop.
Wow. I think Marlon Brando is pretty overrated and full of himself. Was Oliver & Company a big hit? For some reason it doesn’t get much respect.
It was a hit, not a massive one like the Disney Renaissance movies were of course; but still a hit regardless. But, I am totally fine with the movie not getting much respect, lol. It is quite weak, in my opinion.
“Only in a nation where Michael Vick is president could this ever be possible.” hahaha! So true. That guy will never live down his evil ways! Funny post, Tim. I never liked the animation in this one (too weird 60’s ish) And I thought the story line was WAY over the line for a Disney Movie. Somebody must have been smokin’ some MaryJane to think that kids would respond to an evil woman who wanted to skin dogs. It’s like Silence of the Lambs, except for children. Sick!
I agree with you on the animation. I still found it entertaining. I don’t think watching this as a kid I truly understood how disgusting Cruella was though. Seriously, this is one of the most frightening ideas ever. Taking a pet and skinning it? I’m shaking what was going on at the Disney corporation back then.
Roger Daltrey IS the Roger from the movie! It all makes so much sense now! Could you explain calculus to me too?
All Rogers are the same. He’s also the Jolly one on the pirate’s flag.
Is PERDITA even a real name? Who are the idiots who would name their kid that?
Very funny, this one. 😀 I especially laughed at hard at the ugly friend analogy, haha! And that Roger Dalmatian picture comes in a close second. *facepalms* He looks like he has this weird skin disease. Ugh.
And 1961, really? Wow, Disney corp is a genius. Never thought it’s that old a movie when I loved it as a kid.
Perdita doesn’t even look pretty in lettering like some people will do when they come up with a fake name.
I always thought this was newer too but when you think about it the film does feel really old. Glad you enjoyed.
I haven’t seen this movie in so long! This post really took my back.
Shhh I haven’t seen it in probably just as long. Disney movies are tough to see unless you own them. They’re so greedy.
I think I saw this movie maybe once. I didn’t like that I couldn’t keep track of all 101 dalmatians so it bugged me. I think I saw the Glenn Close version though. Aren’t dalmatians supposed to be kind of vicious dogs? You never see anyone with them probably for that reason.
Nice piece. I’m glad you wrote about this one because I wouldn’t have known what to say.
They most certainly are mean animals, from what I hear at least. I think that’s why firemen have them. It makes the firefighters look even more heroic. Actually I just looked it up. Dalmatians calm horses. Who knew? Someone on Yahoo Answers apparently.
lol they calm horses.