101 Dalmatians
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske
Cast: Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer, Rod Taylor, Bill Lee, Lisa Davis, David Frankham, J. Pat O’Malley, Frederick Worlock, Mimi Gibson, Martha Wentworth Ramsay Hill, Mickey Maga, Barbara Beard, Sandra Abbott, Tudor Owen
Based on the book, of the same name by author, Dodie Smith, Disney’s 17th animated classic, “101 Dalmatians,” tells the story of two Dalmatians and their human “pets”, Roger and Anita, who find each other and fall in love. After Perdita gives birth to a litter of fifteen beautiful puppies, Anita's old school friend, Cruella De Vil, takes a fancy to the puppies and wants to buy them all. Roger declines her offer, so Cruella hires criminal brothers, Horace, and Jasper, to steal the puppies for her – along with eighty-four more puppies – to create her coveted Dalmatian fur coat. Desperate to save their puppies, Pongo and Perdita enlist the help of the London dogs, to rescue their missing puppies and bring them home before it is too late.
Devotion is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is devotion illustrated more perfectly, than in the characters of Pongo, Perdita, and Mr. Tibbs, the cat, and how each of these characters proves their devotion as the story unfolds.
Pongo’s devotion is expressed in two unique ways, with his master, Roger Radcliff, and when Pongo and Perdita are protecting the puppies from Cruella and her two henchmen. Pongo’s devotion to Roger is shown when Pongo attempts to find them both an attractive mate. Pongo, a handsome Dalmatian who, along with his “pet” Roger, is tired of his bachelor-dog life, wants to find love for them both. He spies on the lovely Perdita, and her owner, Anita, as they are walking to the park, and he cleverly maneuvers his master into meeting the pair at Regent’s Park. The couple soon fall in love, and marry, allowing Pongo and Perdita to remain together, as well. While Pongo remains devoted to his pet, Roger, after the couple are married, Pongo’s devotion is now directed at Perdita and their fifteen beautiful puppies, as well. When the puppies are born, Pongo and Roger are overjoyed to hear that Perdita has given birth to fifteen puppies, but their joy soon turns to anguish when they realize that one of the puppies did not make it. As Roger tries to revive the tiny puppy, Pongo watches over his little son and rejoices with his owner when they see that Lucky is alive after all.
One way that Pongo’s devotion is shown to his beautiful Perdita may be found in the vow that Pongo makes to her after Cruella’s visit. When Perdita overhears that Cruella wants to take her puppies, this deeply frightens this mother-to-be, and it is Pongo who comforts her and vows that nothing will happen to their puppies. I think Pongo DID INDEED keep his promise to Perdita. He promised her that nothing was going to happen to their puppies, and nothing did. Yes, Cruella kidnapped the puppies, and that was terrible, and they were almost killed by Horace and Jasper and then, they had to trek across the country with 99 puppies in a blizzard and they were almost killed again during the crazy car chase, but in the end, nothing really happened to the puppies yet, did it? Pongo got all of them home safely. Cruella intended to turn the pups into fur coats, but that had not happened yet. They were not turned into fur coats. And after the puppies were stolen, Pongo continues to be a supportive husband to Perdita, and keeps his promise to her, when he tries to get the puppies back. He initiates the Twilight Bark (which allows them to locate where the puppies are being kept) and this results in the puppies being found at Cruella’s estate. He and Perdita bravely make this journey to rescue their missing puppies...in the middle of a winter blizzard, mind you, when it is freezing cold. And not only do they manage to fight off Horace and Jasper and rescue their puppies (with some help from the Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs) but when his little son asks what is to become of the other puppies, rather than leaving those puppies to the mercy of Cruella, or just abandoning them to die in the unforgiving winter storm, Pongo declares that they will take all of the puppies home with them, so they will all be safe. Pongo is the one who is counting the puppies as they bravely travel through the storm and he goes back for Lucky, when he sees his little son shivering and alone and carries his little son, even though Pongo, himself, is completely exhausted. Pongo is the one who sweeps the tracks away, trying to throw Cruella off their obvious trail. AND Pongo produces the idea for them to roll in the soot and disguise themselves as Labradors to get past Cruella and her minions to the truck. And in the end, they ALL arrived back home unharmed. I would say he kept his promise to her.
While Pongo loves all of his puppies, his devotion to his youngest son, Lucky, is particularly strong. On the night, the puppies are born, Pongo and Roger wait with nervous anticipation, as Perdita is giving birth to the puppies. While he is overjoyed at the arrival of his children, the proud father is heartbroken when he learns that one of the puppies did not make it. He watches anxiously as Roger tries to revive the little one, and the joy on his face when he sees that this precious little son is alive is palpable, as he touches noses with little Lucky. When Perdita is putting her children to bed, Pongo sees that Lucky is still watching the television and he picks up his young son and takes him off to bed. When he is counting the puppies during their long trek home in the storm, he sees that Lucky has fallen behind and he goes back for his son and carries him, despite being exhausted, himself. When the family is hiding from Cruella, it is Lucky who gives Pongo the idea of disguising themselves as Labradors in the black soot, so they can sneak past Cruella and her minions and reach the van that will take them to London. Lucky is also the first puppy that Nanny recognizes when the dogs return home, as he was washed clean of his sooty disguise when snow fell on him.
While not my favorite Disney film, 101 Dalmatians is still a very worthy addition to Disney's animated collection. The animation is absolutely stunning. The casting is stellar, particularly Betty Lou Gerson who voices the stylishly sinister Cruella de Vil, and the story, while not a fairy-tale like so many Disney films, is very heartfelt and beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske
Cast: Betty Lou Gerson, Cate Bauer, Rod Taylor, Bill Lee, Lisa Davis, David Frankham, J. Pat O’Malley, Frederick Worlock, Mimi Gibson, Martha Wentworth Ramsay Hill, Mickey Maga, Barbara Beard, Sandra Abbott, Tudor Owen
Based on the book, of the same name by author, Dodie Smith, Disney’s 17th animated classic, “101 Dalmatians,” tells the story of two Dalmatians and their human “pets”, Roger and Anita, who find each other and fall in love. After Perdita gives birth to a litter of fifteen beautiful puppies, Anita's old school friend, Cruella De Vil, takes a fancy to the puppies and wants to buy them all. Roger declines her offer, so Cruella hires criminal brothers, Horace, and Jasper, to steal the puppies for her – along with eighty-four more puppies – to create her coveted Dalmatian fur coat. Desperate to save their puppies, Pongo and Perdita enlist the help of the London dogs, to rescue their missing puppies and bring them home before it is too late.
Devotion is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is devotion illustrated more perfectly, than in the characters of Pongo, Perdita, and Mr. Tibbs, the cat, and how each of these characters proves their devotion as the story unfolds.
Pongo’s devotion is expressed in two unique ways, with his master, Roger Radcliff, and when Pongo and Perdita are protecting the puppies from Cruella and her two henchmen. Pongo’s devotion to Roger is shown when Pongo attempts to find them both an attractive mate. Pongo, a handsome Dalmatian who, along with his “pet” Roger, is tired of his bachelor-dog life, wants to find love for them both. He spies on the lovely Perdita, and her owner, Anita, as they are walking to the park, and he cleverly maneuvers his master into meeting the pair at Regent’s Park. The couple soon fall in love, and marry, allowing Pongo and Perdita to remain together, as well. While Pongo remains devoted to his pet, Roger, after the couple are married, Pongo’s devotion is now directed at Perdita and their fifteen beautiful puppies, as well. When the puppies are born, Pongo and Roger are overjoyed to hear that Perdita has given birth to fifteen puppies, but their joy soon turns to anguish when they realize that one of the puppies did not make it. As Roger tries to revive the tiny puppy, Pongo watches over his little son and rejoices with his owner when they see that Lucky is alive after all.
One way that Pongo’s devotion is shown to his beautiful Perdita may be found in the vow that Pongo makes to her after Cruella’s visit. When Perdita overhears that Cruella wants to take her puppies, this deeply frightens this mother-to-be, and it is Pongo who comforts her and vows that nothing will happen to their puppies. I think Pongo DID INDEED keep his promise to Perdita. He promised her that nothing was going to happen to their puppies, and nothing did. Yes, Cruella kidnapped the puppies, and that was terrible, and they were almost killed by Horace and Jasper and then, they had to trek across the country with 99 puppies in a blizzard and they were almost killed again during the crazy car chase, but in the end, nothing really happened to the puppies yet, did it? Pongo got all of them home safely. Cruella intended to turn the pups into fur coats, but that had not happened yet. They were not turned into fur coats. And after the puppies were stolen, Pongo continues to be a supportive husband to Perdita, and keeps his promise to her, when he tries to get the puppies back. He initiates the Twilight Bark (which allows them to locate where the puppies are being kept) and this results in the puppies being found at Cruella’s estate. He and Perdita bravely make this journey to rescue their missing puppies...in the middle of a winter blizzard, mind you, when it is freezing cold. And not only do they manage to fight off Horace and Jasper and rescue their puppies (with some help from the Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs) but when his little son asks what is to become of the other puppies, rather than leaving those puppies to the mercy of Cruella, or just abandoning them to die in the unforgiving winter storm, Pongo declares that they will take all of the puppies home with them, so they will all be safe. Pongo is the one who is counting the puppies as they bravely travel through the storm and he goes back for Lucky, when he sees his little son shivering and alone and carries his little son, even though Pongo, himself, is completely exhausted. Pongo is the one who sweeps the tracks away, trying to throw Cruella off their obvious trail. AND Pongo produces the idea for them to roll in the soot and disguise themselves as Labradors to get past Cruella and her minions to the truck. And in the end, they ALL arrived back home unharmed. I would say he kept his promise to her.
While Pongo loves all of his puppies, his devotion to his youngest son, Lucky, is particularly strong. On the night, the puppies are born, Pongo and Roger wait with nervous anticipation, as Perdita is giving birth to the puppies. While he is overjoyed at the arrival of his children, the proud father is heartbroken when he learns that one of the puppies did not make it. He watches anxiously as Roger tries to revive the little one, and the joy on his face when he sees that this precious little son is alive is palpable, as he touches noses with little Lucky. When Perdita is putting her children to bed, Pongo sees that Lucky is still watching the television and he picks up his young son and takes him off to bed. When he is counting the puppies during their long trek home in the storm, he sees that Lucky has fallen behind and he goes back for his son and carries him, despite being exhausted, himself. When the family is hiding from Cruella, it is Lucky who gives Pongo the idea of disguising themselves as Labradors in the black soot, so they can sneak past Cruella and her minions and reach the van that will take them to London. Lucky is also the first puppy that Nanny recognizes when the dogs return home, as he was washed clean of his sooty disguise when snow fell on him.
While not my favorite Disney film, 101 Dalmatians is still a very worthy addition to Disney's animated collection. The animation is absolutely stunning. The casting is stellar, particularly Betty Lou Gerson who voices the stylishly sinister Cruella de Vil, and the story, while not a fairy-tale like so many Disney films, is very heartfelt and beautiful. I would highly recommend this film.
© 2024 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.