View source for One Hundred and One Dalmatians

{{Short description|1961 animated film by Walt Disney}}
{{About|the 1961 animated film|other uses|101 Dalmatians (disambiguation){{!}}101 Dalmatians}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = One Hundred and One Dalmatians
| image          = One Hundred and One Dalmatians movie poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Wolfgang Reitherman]]
* [[Hamilton Luske]]
* [[Clyde Geronimi]]
}}
<!-- Do NOT combine it all as "writer". Although Bill Peet is the writer, he only received a story credit and is not credited for screenplay. We also go by what the credits say, although those uncredited can be added if reliable source is required. -->| screenplay     = [[Bill Peet]] (uncredited){{sfn|Peet|1989|page=165}}
| story          = Bill Peet
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[The Hundred and One Dalmatians]]''|[[Dodie Smith]]}}
| producer       = [[Walt Disney]]
| starring       = [[Rod Taylor]]<BR>Cate Bauer<BR>[[Betty Lou Gerson]]<BR>[[Ben Wright (English actor)|Ben Wright]]<BR>[[Lisa Davis (actress)|Lisa Davis]]<BR>[[Martha Wentworth]]
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* Roy M. Brewer, Jr.
* Donald Halliday
}}
| music          = [[George Bruns]]
| studio         = [[Walt Disney Productions]]<!-- Do NOT add in the Walt Disney Animation Studios link per MOS:NOPIPE. It is redirected to the article. -->
| distributor    = [[Buena Vista Distribution]]
| released       = {{Film date|1961|1|25}}
| runtime        = 79 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $3.6–4 million{{sfn|Barrier|1999|page=566}}{{sfn|Thomas|1997|page=106}}
| gross          = $303 million<ref name="CartoonCoffers">{{cite magazine|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|title=Cartoon Coffers – Top-Grossing Disney Animated Features at the Worldwide B.O.|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tooned+in%3A+Disney%27s+ani+classics+set+the+bar+and+lit+the+way+for...-a0110473946|date=October 27, 2003|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=6|access-date=January 1, 2024|via=[[The Free Dictionary#The Free Library|The Free Library]]}}</ref>
}}
'''''One Hundred and One Dalmatians''''' (also known as '''''101 Dalmatians''''') is a 1961 American animated<!-- Animation is an everyday word that should not be linked, per WP:OVERLINKING. --> [[adventure film|adventure]] [[comedy film]] produced by [[Walt Disney Productions]] with distribution by [[Buena Vista Distribution]]. Adapted from [[Dodie Smith]]'s [[The Hundred and One Dalmatians|1956 novel of the same name]], the film was directed by [[Hamilton Luske]], [[Clyde Geronimi]], and [[Wolfgang Reitherman]] in his feature-length directorial debut, from a script by [[Bill Peet]].{{efn|Credited for the story, but uncredited for the screenplay.}} It features the voice talents of [[Rod Taylor]], [[J. Pat O'Malley]], [[Betty Lou Gerson]], [[Martha Wentworth]], [[Ben Wright (English actor)|Ben Wright]], Cate Bauer, [[David Frankham|Dave Frankham]], and [[Frederick Worlock|Fred Worlock]].

The film's plot follows Pongo and Perdita, two [[Dalmatian (dog)|Dalmatians]] who give birth to a litter of fifteen puppies, who are later kidnapped by the obsessive socialite [[Cruella de Vil]], wanting to make their fur into coats. Pongo and Perdita set out on a cross-country rescue mission to save the litter from the maniacal Cruella. They rescue 84 additional Dalmatians in the process, bringing the total to 101.

''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was released in theaters on January 25, 1961, to positive reviews from critics<!-- Per WP:FILMLEAD, any summary statement "should reflect an overall consensus explicitly summarized by one or more reliable sources". --> and was a box-office success, grossing $14 million domestically in its original theatrical run. It became the first animated feature to earn over $10 million during its initial release, and became the [[1961 in film|eighth-highest-grossing film of the year in the North American box office]] and the [[List of highest-grossing animated films|highest-grossing animated film]] when reissues of films are not counted. Aside from its box-office revenue, the employment of inexpensive animation techniques, such as using [[xerography]] during the process of [[traditional animation|inking and painting traditional animation cels]], kept production costs down. Counting reissues, the film grossed $303 million worldwide, and when adjusted for inflation, is the [[List of highest-grossing films in Canada and the United States#Adjusted for ticket-price inflation|twelfth-highest-grossing film in the North American box office]] and the second-highest-grossing animated film globally.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.in/The-15-highest-grossing-animated-movies-of-all-time/2-101-Dalmatians-1961-857-2-million-adjusted/slideshow/53011028.cms | title=2. "101 Dalmatians" (1961) $857.2 million (Adjusted) }}</ref>

The success of the film made Disney expand it into a [[101 Dalmatians (franchise)|media franchise]], with a [[101 Dalmatians (1996 film)|live-action remake]] released in 1996, followed by a [[102 Dalmatians|sequel]] in 2000. A [[direct-to-video]] animated sequel to the 1961 film, ''[[101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure]]'', was released in 2003. Two [[animated television series]] based on the franchise were also produced, with ''[[101 Dalmatians: The Series]]'' in 1997 and ''[[101 Dalmatian Street]]'' in 2019. A live-action reboot, ''[[Cruella (film)|Cruella]]'', was released in 2021.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot length must be between 400 and 700 words. This article has 592. Please add nothing without removing something first/making sure it's absolutely necessary! -->
In 1957, aspiring songwriter Roger Radcliffe lives in a [[bachelor pad|bachelor flat]] near [[Regent's Park]] in London with his pet [[Dalmatian (dog)|Dalmatian]], Pongo. Deciding both of them need a "mate", Pongo watches women and their dogs in the street. Noticing a young woman named Anita and her Dalmatian Perdita, he drags Roger to the park to arrange a meeting. Roger and Anita fall in love, and soon marry, with Pongo and Perdita attending.

The Radcliffes hire a [[housekeeper (domestic worker)|nanny]] and move into a small townhouse near Regent's Park. After Perdita becomes pregnant with a litter of 15 [[Puppy|puppies]], Anita's fur-obsessed former schoolmate, [[Cruella de Vil]], arrives and demands to know when the puppies will arrive. Roger responds by writing a [[#Music|jazzy song]] mocking her. A frightened Perdita confesses to Pongo that she now regrets the idea of having puppies due to Cruella wanting them. When the puppies are born, Cruella returns demanding to buy them. Roger firmly denies her offer and Cruella refusing to take no for an answer, swears revenge storming out of the house.

Several weeks later, Cruella makes good on her threat and secretly hires brothers Jasper and Horace Badun two [[Burglary|burglar]]s, to steal the puppies. When [[Metropolitan Police|Scotland Yard]] is unable to find the puppies or prove Cruella was involved, Pongo and Perdita use the "Twilight Bark", a canine gossip line, to solicit help from the other dogs in London, and eventually all of England.

The Colonel, a military-like [[Old English Sheepdog]], along with his feline compatriot Sergeant Tibbs, investigate the nearby "Old De Vil Place", where puppies had been heard barking two nights earlier. Tibbs finds the puppies in the old mansion and learns that Cruella intends to make them into dog-skin [[Fur clothing|fur coat]]s. After the Colonel sends word back to London, Pongo and Perdita leave through a back window and begin a long cross-country journey, crossing an icy river and running through the snow toward [[Suffolk]].

Meanwhile, Tibbs overhears Cruella ordering the Baduns to kill the puppies that night out of fear the police will soon find them. In response, Tibbs helps the puppies escape through a hole in the wall, but the Baduns notice and give chase. Pongo and Perdita break into the house and confront the Baduns just as they are about to kill the puppies. While the adult dogs fight the two men, the Colonel and Tibbs guide the puppies from the house. Following a happy reunion with their own puppies, Pongo and Perdita discover there are 84 more puppies with them. Shocked at Cruella's plans, they decide to adopt all the puppies, certain that Roger and Anita would never reject them.

The Dalmatians start their homeward trek, pursued by the Baduns. They take shelter from a blizzard in a [[Dairy farming|dairy farm]] with a friendly [[Rough Collie|collie]] and three cows, then make their way to Dinsford, where they meet a [[Black Labrador]] waiting for them in a [[blacksmith]]'s shop. Cruella and the Baduns arrive, prompting Pongo to have his entire family roll in a [[soot]]y fireplace to disguise themselves as other Labradors. The Labrador helps them board a moving van bound for London, but melting snow falls on Lucky and clears the soot off of him, blowing the dogs' cover. Enraged, Cruella pursues the van in her car and tries to ram it off the road, but the Baduns, attempting to do the same with their lorry, end up colliding with her, resulting in Cruella and the Baduns getting stranded in a ditch with their vehicles destroyed as the van drives off.

In London, a depressed Nanny and the Radcliffes try to enjoy [[Christmas]] and the wealth they have acquired from the song about Cruella, which has become a big radio hit. The soot-covered Dalmatians suddenly flood the house. Upon removing the soot and counting the massive family of dogs, Roger chooses to use his songwriting royalties to buy a big house in the country so they can keep all 101 Dalmatians.

==Voice cast==
* [[Rod Taylor]] as Pongo,<ref>{{cite news|date=January 8, 2015|title=Rod Taylor, star of "The Time Machine," dies at 84|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rod-taylor-star-of-the-time-machine-dies-at-84/|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=December 31, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20231120161257/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rod-taylor-star-of-the-time-machine-dies-at-84/|archive-date=November 20, 2023}}</ref> Roger's urbane and dashing [[pet]] [[Dalmatian (dog)|Dalmatian]], Perdita's mate, the [[father]] of fifteen, and adoptive father of the eighty-four orphaned puppies.<ref name="DalmatiansCharacterHistory">{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Dave|url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/dalmatians/dalmatians.html|title=Dalmatians Character History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331235224/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/dalmatians/dalmatians.html|work=Disney Archives|access-date=January 1, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also serves as the film's narrator.<ref name="101DalmationsPlaydate">{{cite magazine|last=Goreau|first=Angeline|date=July 12, 1991|title=A '101 Dalmations' playdate|url=https://ew.com/article/1991/07/12/101-dalmations-playdate/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 1, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820045813/https://ew.com/article/1991/07/12/101-dalmations-playdate/|archive-date=August 20, 2022}}</ref>
* [[J. Pat O'Malley]] and [[Frederick Worlock|Fred Worlock]] as Jasper and Horace Badun,{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=181}} mean and argumentative small-time crooks{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1993|page=135}} whom Cruella hires to steal Dalmatian puppies.{{sfn|Dakin|Saxon|2020|page=49}}
** O'Malley also voiced Colonel,{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|pages=278}} an [[Old English Sheepdog]] of military bearing who aids in the search for puppies;{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=183}} Mr. Simpkins,{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}} a panelist on ''What's My Crime?'' TV show;{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=184}} and the Mechanic.{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}}
** Worlock also voiced Inspector Graves,{{sfn|Beck|2005|page=185}} a panelist on ''What's My Crime?'' TV show.{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=184}}
*[[Betty Lou Gerson]] as [[Cruella de Vil]],<ref>{{cite news |date=January 15, 1999 |title=Betty Lou Gerson; Voice of Cruella De Vil |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-15-me-63632-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231231124644/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jan-15-me-63632-story.html |archive-date=December 31, 2023 |access-date=December 31, 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> an erratic and ruthless aristocrat and Anita's schoolmate{{sfn|Dakin|Saxon|2020|page=48}} who adores fur and wants to turn Dalmatian puppies into a coat.<ref name="CruellaDeVilVillainsHistory">{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Dave |title=Cruella De Vil Villains History |url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/cruella/cruella.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331194739/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/villains/cruella/cruella.html |archive-date=March 31, 2010 |access-date=June 2, 2023 |work=Disney Archives}}</ref>
** Gerson also voiced Miss Birdwell,{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=181}} a panelist on ''What's My Crime?'' TV show.<ref name="DrawnToBeBad">{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joWTp9klMVY |title=Cruella De Vil: Drawn to Be Bad |type=Documentary film |publisher=[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] |year=2008 |edition=''101 Dalmatians'' Platinum DVD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602105515/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=joWTp9klMVY |archive-date=June 2, 2023 |url-status=live |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> 
*[[Martha Wentworth]] as Nanny,{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=181}} the Radcliffes' warm and motherly [[Cooking|cook]] and housekeeper.{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=183}} She is an amalgamation of the characters "Nanny Cook" and "Nanny Butler" from the original novel.<ref name="101ForTheFamily">{{Cite AV media |title=101 Pop-Up Trivia Facts For The Family |type=Bonus feature |publisher=[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]] |year=2008 |edition=''101 Dalmatians'' Platinum DVD}}</ref>
** Wentworth also voiced Lucy,{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}} the [[Anser (bird)|white goose]];<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> and Queenie,{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}} one of the [[Cattle|cows]] that the Dalmatians encounter during their escape from Cruella.{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=281}}
*[[Ben Wright (English actor)|Ben Wright]] as Roger Radcliffe,{{sfn|Smith|2012|page=38}} Pongo's absent-minded [[Ownership|owner]] and Anita's [[husband]] who works as a songwriter.<ref name="101DalmationsPlaydate" />
** [[Bill Lee (singer)|Bill Lee]] provided Roger's singing voice.<ref name="101ForTheFan" />
* Cate Bauer and [[Lisa Daniels (actress)|Lisa Daniels]] as Perdita,{{sfn|Smith|2012|page=18}} Anita's quiet and refined pet Dalmatian, Pongo's mate, the [[mother]] of fifteen, and adopted mother of the eighty-four orphaned puppies.<ref name="DalmatiansCharacterHistory" /> She is an amalgamation of the characters "Perdita" and "Missis" from the original novel.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=117}}
* [[David Frankham|Dave Frankham]] as Sergeant Tibbs,{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|pages=3}} a scrawny [[tabby cat]]<ref name="Approximately101Reasons">{{cite web |last=Fanning |first=Jim |date=September 26, 2014 |title=(Approximately) 101 Reasons Why I Love ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians''! |url=https://d23.com/approximately-101-reasons-why-i-love-one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003165645/https://d23.com/approximately-101-reasons-why-i-love-one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians/ |archive-date=October 3, 2023 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]}}</ref> who aids the puppies in their escape from Cruella and Baduns.{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=276}}
** Frankham also voiced Scottie,{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=279}} the [[Skye Terrier]].{{sfn|Smith|2012|page=18}}
* [[Lisa Davis (actress)|Lisa Davis]] as Anita Radcliffe,<ref name="DavisTalks101Dalmatians">{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/exclusive-lisa-davis-talks-101-dalmatians-platinum-edition/|title=Lisa Davis Talks 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition [Exclusive]|last=Gallagher|first=Brian|date=March 6, 2008|website=[[MovieWeb]]|access-date=June 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602151751/https://movieweb.com/exclusive-lisa-davis-talks-101-dalmatians-platinum-edition/|archive-date=June 2, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Perdita's reserved and polite owner,<ref name="DalmatiansCharacterHistory" /> Roger's [[wife]],<ref name="DogGoneDisneyClassic">{{cite web|url=https://animatedviews.com/2008/dalmatians-101-lisa-davis-puppy-love-for-disney-classic/|title=''Dalmatians'' 101: Lisa Davis' "puppy love" for a dog-gone Disney classic|last=Noyer|first=Jérémie|date=March 5, 2008|website=Animated Views|access-date=January 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602084844/https://animatedviews.com/2008/dalmatians-101-lisa-davis-puppy-love-for-disney-classic/|archive-date=June 2, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> and Cruella's schoolmate.{{sfn|Dakin|Saxon|2020|page=48}}
* [[Tom Conway]] as the [[Rough Collie|Collie]]{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=280}} who offers Dalmatians shelter for the night during their trek.{{sfn|Maltin|1995|pages=183-184}}
** Conway also voiced the Quizmaster,<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> a loquacious moderator of ''What's My Crime?'' TV show.{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=184}}
*[[Tudor Owen (actor)|Tudor Owen]] as Old Towser,<ref name="5FantasticThings">{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Zach |date=January 25, 2021 |title=5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week |url=https://d23.com/5-fantastic-things-to-watch-this-week-012521/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331101633/https://d23.com/5-fantastic-things-to-watch-this-week-012521/ |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=January 1, 2024 |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]}}</ref> a [[Bloodhound]].<ref name="Maupin_ChicagoTribune">{{cite news |last=Maupin |first=Elizabeth |date=July 24, 1991 |title=Return of the Dalmatians |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-07-24-9103220408-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102170859/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-07-24-9103220408-story.html |archive-date=January 2, 2024 |access-date=September 16, 2017 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref>
** Owen also voiced the Truck Driver.{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}}
*George Pelling as Danny,{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=280}} a [[Great Dane]] of [[Hampstead]].<ref name="101ForTheFan" />
*[[Ramsay Hill]] as the Labrador, a [[Labrador Retriever]]{{sfn|Beck|2005|page=185}} who helps the Dalmatians escape from Cruella and Baduns.{{sfn|Beck|2005|page=186}}
** Hill also voiced the TV Announcer.{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}}
* [[Queenie Leonard]] and [[Marjorie Bennett]] as Princess and Duchess,<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> [[Cattle|cows]] from a country barn where Dalmatians take shelter during their escape.{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=281}}
** Sylvia Marriott voiced the fourth unnamed cow.{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}}

Additionally, the film features Mickey Maga, Barbara Beaird, [[Mimi Gibson]], and Sandra Abbott as Patch, Rolly, Lucky, and Penny,{{sfn|Beck|2005|page=185}} Dalmatian puppies from Pongo and Perdita's litter.<ref name="DalmatiansCharacterHistory" /> Max Smith, Bob Stevens, [[Clarence Nash]], and [[Dallas McKennon|Dal McKennon]] provided the sounds of dog barks.{{sfn|Webb|2011|page=255}} [[Thurl Ravenscroft]] voiced Captain,<ref name="5FantasticThings" /> a [[gray horse]] and aide of Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs.{{sfn|Maltin|1995|page=184}} [[Barbara Luddy]] and [[Rickie Sorensen]] voiced Rover{{sfn|Beck|2005|page=185}} and Spotty,{{sfn|Scott|2022|page=392}} two of the eighty-four Dalmatian puppies that were bought by Cruella.{{sfn|Scott|2022|page=350}} Jeanne Gayle (the wife of the film's composer [[George Bruns]]) performed the radio version of "Cruella De Vil" song in the film's final scene.<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> [[Paul Frees]] voiced Dirty Dawson,{{sfn|Smith|2012|page=109}} the villain in the ''Thunderbolt'' TV show.<ref name="HitByFullThunderbolt">{{cite news|last=Alexander|first=Bryan|date=February 4, 2015|title='Dalmatians' hit by full 'Thunderbolt'|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/02/04/101-dalmatians-thunderbolt-blu-ray/22864205/|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 2, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127054059/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2015/02/04/101-dalmatians-thunderbolt-blu-ray/22864205/|archive-date=November 27, 2021}}</ref> [[Lucille Bliss]] performed the "Kanine Krunchies" jingle in a TV commercial.{{sfn|Hollis|Ehrbar|2023|page=82}}

==Production==
===Story development===
The children's novel ''[[The Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'' by [[Dodie Smith]] had been published on November 19, 1956,{{sfn|Grove|1996|page=240}} to an immediate success.{{sfn|Allan|1999|page=236}} By February 1957, screenwriter [[Charles Brackett]] brought it to the attention of [[Walt Disney]],{{sfn|Grove|1996|page=241}} who acquired the film rights to the novel on November 26 of that year<ref name="AFICatalog">{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23705-ONE-HUNDREDANDONEDALMATIANS|title=One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=January 2, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102190012/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23705-ONE-HUNDREDANDONEDALMATIANS|archive-date=January 2, 2024}}</ref> (after lengthy negotiations)<ref name="SincerelyYours">{{cite AV media notes|title="Sincerely Yours, Walt Disney"|type=Bonus feature|publisher=[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]|format=DVD|edition=''101 Dalmatians'' Platinum DVD|year=2008|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ufNSGGrztA|via=[[YouTube]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607053233/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=_ufNSGGrztA|archive-date=June 7, 2023}}</ref> for $25,000.{{sfn|Grove|1996|page=241}} The project was set to be Disney's next animated feature after ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' (which was still in production at the time)<ref name="SincerelyYours" /> and was originally expected to be finished within two years.<ref name="AFICatalog" /> Story artist [[Bill Peet]] was assigned to single-handedly develop the story,{{sfn|Barrier|2007|page=274}} marking the first time a Disney animated film was written by one person.{{sfn|Barrier|1999|page=567}} Disney also tasked Peet to write a detailed screenplay first before storyboarding; since Peet never learned to use a typewriter, he wrote the initial draft by hand on legal paper.{{sfn|Peet|1989|page=165}} The manuscript was completed and typed up within two months, after which, having received Disney's approval, Peet began storyboarding and was charged with recording the voice-over process.{{sfn|Peet|1989|pages=165–166}}

Peet closely followed the plot of Smith's novel, but condensed some of its characters, which included Cruella's husband and cat,{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=117}} as well as Cadpig, the female runt of Pongo and Missis' puppies, whose traits were transferred to Lucky in the final film.<ref name="101ForTheFamily" />{{efn|The Disney version of Cadpig was introduced as one of the main characters in [[101 Dalmatians: The Series|1997 animated TV series]].<ref name="TooningInTheFallSeason">{{cite magazine|date=September 6, 1997|title=Tooning in the Fall Season|url=https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.6/2.6pages/2.6tooningin.html|magazine=[[Animation World Network|Animation World Magazine]]|issue=2|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404151027/https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.6/2.6pages/2.6tooningin.html|archive-date=April 4, 2023}}</ref>}} He also merged two Dalmatian mothers, birth mother Missis and adopted mother Perdita, into one,{{sfn|Barrier|1999|page=567}} naming her after the latter;{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=117}} likewise, Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler from the novel were amalgamated into one character, simply named Nanny.<ref name="101ForTheFamily" /> The Colonel's cat assistant was re-gendered from the female Pussy Willow into the male Sergeant Tibbs, and Horace Badun was renamed from Saul.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|pages=116-117}} Among other things, Peet retained a scene from the original book in which Pongo and Perdita exchange wedding vows in unison with their owners, who were also renamed from Mr. and Mrs. Dearly to Roger and Anita Radcliffe.<ref name="101ForTheFamily" /> However, after the [[Hays Code|censor board]] warned that it might offend certain religious audiences if the animals repeated the exact words of a solemn religious ceremony, it was reworked to be less religious, down to having Roger and Anita dressed in formal clothes.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|pages=117–118}} Also, the film's original ending involved the newly rich Roger selling his song about Cruella and buying the Hell Hall to turn it into a Dalmatian Plantation, with Pongo and Perdita expecting another litter of puppies. It was ultimately cut short and rewritten to have Dalmatians reunite with their owners after they escape from Cruella.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=118}}

Although Disney had not been as involved in the production of the animated films as frequently as in previous years, he was always present at story meetings.<ref name="Redefining the Line">{{cite AV media notes |title = Redefining the Line: The Making of One Hundred and One Dalmatians |url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZRm67FJH3Q |type = Bonus feature |publisher = Walt Disney Home Entertainment |location = Burbank, California |format = DVD |year = 2008 |via = YouTube |access-date = 2020-01-01 |archive-date = 2019-12-23 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191223111326/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZRm67FJH3Q |url-status = live }}</ref> When Peet sent Dodie Smith some drawings of the characters, she wrote back saying that he had improved her story and that the designs looked better than the illustrations in the book.

===Casting===
The filmmakers deliberately cast actors with deeper voices for the roles of dogs, so they would have more power than those of the human characters.{{sfn|Vagg|2010|page=77}} [[Rod Taylor]], who had extensive radio experience, was one of the first actors cast in the film;<ref name="101ForTheFan">{{Cite AV media|title=101 Pop-Up Trivia Facts For The Fan|type=Bonus feature|publisher=[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]|edition=''101 Dalmatians'' Platinum DVD|year=2008}}</ref> he got the role of Pongo.<ref name="VoicesForDalmatians">{{cite news|date=April 8, 1961|title=Voices For Dalmatians Give Disney Problem|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YDNWAAAAIBAJ&dq=dalmatians+rod+taylor&pg=PA101&article_id=4719,3051566|work=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|access-date=January 2, 2024|via=[[Google News Archive]]}}</ref> [[Lisa Daniels (actress)|Lisa Daniels]] was originally cast as Perdita and recorded about the third of her lines but then got married and moved to [[New York City|New York]];<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> Cate Bauer replaced her for the rest of the film.<ref name="VoicesForDalmatians" /> [[J. Pat O'Malley]], who was a regular voice actor for the studio and one of Disney's personal favorites,<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> got the roles of Jasper and Colonel,{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=278–279}} and also voiced several minor characters in the film.<ref name="VoicesForDalmatians" /> [[David Frankham]] was cast as Sergeant Tibbs in the spring of 1959 and finished his recording within three sessions from May 1959 to January 1960;{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|pages=277–280}} he was also asked to record the part of Scottie, the Skye Terrier who appears early in the "Twilight Bark" sequence.{{sfn|Frankham|Hollifield|2015|page=279}}

Disney originally had [[Lisa Davis (actress)|Lisa Davis]] read for the role of Cruella De Vil, but she did not think that she was right for the part, and wanted to try reading the role of Anita instead.<ref name="LuckyDogs">{{cite AV media notes|title=Lucky Dogs|type=Documentary film|publisher=Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment|edition=''101 Dalmatians'' Diamond Blu-ray|year=2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k78RHAwczQ|via=YouTube|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602152623/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k78RHAwczQ|archive-date=June 2, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> Disney agreed, and, after they read the script for a second time, she landed the part.<ref name="DavisTalks101Dalmatians" /> Davis also provided live-action reference for the character.<ref>{{cite web|last=Braun|first=Amy|url=http://www.dvdizzy.com/lisadavis-interview.html|title=UltimateDisney.com's Interview with Lisa Davis, the voice and model for 101 Dalmatians' Anita Radcliff|website=DVDizzy.com|date=March 4, 2008|access-date=June 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405092301/https://dvdizzy.com/lisadavis-interview.html|archive-date=April 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Betty Lou Gerson]], who was previously the narrator for ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' (1950), auditioned for the role of Cruella De Vil in front of [[Marc Davis (animator)|Marc Davis]], the character's supervising animator, and sequence director [[Wolfgang Reitherman]], and immediately landed it.<ref name="FirstNameInNasty">{{cite news|title='101 Dalmatians': A Classic On All Counts Evil-hearted Cruella The First Name In Nasty|last=Rhetts|first=Joanne|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1985-12-26-0340880008-story.html|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=December 26, 1985|access-date=September 16, 2017|url-access=limited|archive-date=March 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325103214/https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1985-12-26-0340880008-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> While searching for the right accent of the character, she landed on a "phony theatrical voice, someone who's set sail from New York but hasn't quite reached England."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1991/08/23/cruella-de-vils-voice/|last=Birnhaum|first=Jane|title=Cruella De Vil's voice|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=August 23, 1991|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=April 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406035605/https://ew.com/article/1991/08/23/cruella-de-vils-voice/|url-status=live}}</ref> During the recording process, Gerson was thought to be imitating [[Tallulah Bankhead]],<ref name="CruellaDeVilVillainsHistory" /> but she later disputed that she "didn't intentionally imitate her ... We both had phony English accents on top of our Southern accents and a great deal of flair. So our voices came out that way."<ref>{{cite news|title=Betty Lou Gerson's Phony Accent Was a Natural for Cruella De Vil|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-20-ca-2074-story.html|last=King|first=Susan|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=July 20, 1991|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=June 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602220803/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-07-20-ca-2074-story.html|url-status=live|url-access=limited}}</ref> Gerson finished her recording sessions in fourteen days.<ref name="FirstNameInNasty"/>

===Animation===
====Art direction====
After ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' (1959) disappointed at the box office, Disney was losing money and there were discussions about closing down the animation department.<ref name="Redefining the Line"/> During the film's production, Disney told animator [[Eric Larson]]: "I don't think we can continue; it's too expensive."{{sfn|Barrier|1999|pages=566-557}} Despite this, he still had deep feelings towards animation because he had built the company upon it.<ref name="Redefining the Line"/>

[[Ub Iwerks]], in charge of special processes at the studio, had been experimenting with [[Xerography|Xerox]] photography to aid in animation. By 1959, he used a Xerox camera to transfer drawings by animators directly to [[cel|animation cels]], eliminating the inking process, thus saving time and money while preserving the spontaneity of the penciled elements.{{sfn|Finch|1975|page=122}} However, because of its limitations, the camera was unable to deviate from a black scratchy outline and lacked the fine lavish quality of hand inking.{{sfn|Finch|1975|page=122}} Disney would first use the Xerox process for a thorn forest in ''Sleeping Beauty'',{{sfn|Barrier|1999|pages=566-557}} and the first production to make full use of the process was ''[[Goliath II]]'' (1960).{{sfn|Finch|1975|page=122}} For ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', one of the benefits of the process was that it was a great help towards animating the spotted dogs. According to [[Chuck Jones]], Disney was able to complete the film for about half of what it would have cost if they had had to animate all the dogs and spots.<ref>{{cite interview |url=https://www.michaelbarrier.com/Funnyworld/Jones/interview_chuck_jones.htm |title=An Interview with Chuck Jones |website=Michaelbarrier.com |access-date=April 13, 2014 |archive-date=February 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207030734/http://www.michaelbarrier.com/Funnyworld/Jones/interview_chuck_jones.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

Meanwhile, [[Ken Anderson (animator)|Ken Anderson]], the studio's art director, learned a television production studio—Hurrell Productions—was using Xerography to produce television commercials featuring Disney characters.{{sfn|Ghez|2019|p=39}} Inspired by the aesthetic, Anderson experimented with a Xerox copier to directly transfer the animators' drawings onto [[Cel|transparent cels]], thereby eliminating the inking process. Anderson screened an animation test to Disney and the animators; although Disney expressed concern at the graphic style, he gave his approval stating: "Ah, yeah, yeah, you can fool around all you want to."{{sfn|Canemaker|1996|p=177}} For the stylized art direction, Anderson took inspiration from British cartoonist [[Ronald Searle]],<ref>{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PMK9MQLnRCEC&q=%22work+of+British+cartoonist%2C+Ronald+Searle%22&pg=PT82 |last = Norman |first = Floyd |author-link = Floyd Norman |title = Animated Life: A Lifetime of tips, tricks, techniques and stories from a Disney Legend |publisher = [[Routledge]] |isbn = 978-0-240-81805-4 |year = 2013 |access-date = March 23, 2016}}</ref> who once advised him to use a Mont Blanc pen and India ink for his artwork.{{sfn|Canemaker|1996|p=177}}

In addition to the character animation, Anderson also sought to use Xerography on "the background painting because I was going to apply the same technique to the whole picture."{{sfn|Canemaker|1996|p=177}} Along with color stylist [[Walt Peregoy]], the two had the line drawings be printed on a separate animation cel before being laid over the background, which gave the appearance similar to the Xeroxed animation.<ref name="Redefining the Line"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Amidi |first=Amid |url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/rip/walt-peregoy-101-dalmatians-color-stylist-rip-108028.html |title=Walt Peregoy, '101 Dalmatians' Color Stylist, RIP |website=[[Cartoon Brew]] |date=January 17, 2015 |access-date=March 23, 2016 |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322020030/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/rip/walt-peregoy-101-dalmatians-color-stylist-rip-108028.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Disney disliked the artistic look of the film and felt he was losing the "fantasy" element of his animated films.<ref name="Redefining the Line"/> In a meeting with the animation staff concerning future films, Disney angrily said, "We're never gonna have one of those goddamned things", referring to the film's art direction; he also stated, "Ken's never going to be an art director again."{{sfn|Canemaker|1996|p=178}}

Anderson took this to heart, but Disney eventually forgave him on his final trip to the studio in late 1966. As Anderson recalled in an interview:

<blockquote>He looked very sick. I said, "Gee, it's great to see you, Walt," and he said, "You know that thing you did on ''Dalmatians''." He didn't say anything else, but he just gave me this look, and I knew that all was forgiven and in his opinion, maybe what I did on ''Dalmatians'' wasn't so bad. That was the last time I ever saw him. Then, a few weeks later, I learned he was gone.<ref name="Redefining the Line"/></blockquote>

====Character animation====
[[Marc Davis (animator)|Marc Davis]] was the sole animator on Cruella De Vil. During production, Davis claimed her character was partly inspired by [[Bette Davis]] (no relation), [[Rosalind Russell]], and [[Tallulah Bankhead]]. He took further influence from her voice actress, [[Betty Lou Gerson]], whose cheekbones he added to the character. He later complimented, "[t]hat [her] voice was the greatest thing I've ever had a chance to work with. A voice like Betty Lou's gives you something to do. You get a performance going there, and if you don't take advantage of it, you're off your rocker".<ref name="Maupin_ChicagoTribune" /> While her hair coloring originated from the illustrations in the novel, Davis found its disheveled style by looking "through old magazines for hairdos from 1940 till now". Her coat was exaggerated to match her oversized personality, and the lining was red because "there's a devil image involved".{{sfn|Canemaker|2001|p=284}}

As with the previous Disney films, the actors provided live-action reference as an aid to the animators before the animation process begun.{{sfn|Thomas|Johnston|1981|pages=319–320}} By January 1959,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Lee Lenker|first=Maureen|date=May 20, 2021|title=Vil-A-Fied: How Mary Wickes became the 'original' live-action Cruella|url=https://ew.com/movies/mary-wickes-original-live-action-cruella/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 4, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217140802/https://ew.com/movies/mary-wickes-original-live-action-cruella/|archive-date=December 17, 2023}}</ref> [[Mary Wickes]], who had played the maid Katie in ''[[The Mickey Mouse Club]]'' serial ''[[Walt Disney Presents: Annette|Annette]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animatedviews.com/2008/walt-disney-treasuresthe-mickey-mouse-club-presents-annette/|title=Walt Disney Treasures: ''The Mickey Mouse Club Presents Annette''|last=Cyrenne|first=Randall|date=November 21, 2008|website=Animated Views|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605131309/https://animatedviews.com/2008/walt-disney-treasuresthe-mickey-mouse-club-presents-annette/|archive-date=June 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> was hired as a model for Cruella De Vil.<ref name="DrawnToBeBad" /> The live-action reference for Nanny was provided by both [[Don Barclay (actor)|Don Barclay]] and [[Barbara Luddy]], who had voiced Lady in ''[[Lady and the Tramp]]'' (1955) and [[Flora, Fauna and Merryweather|Merryweather]] in ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959).<ref name="101ForTheFan" /> [[Helene Stanley]]{{snd}}who had been a model for the [[Cinderella (Disney character)|titular character]] in ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]'' (1950) and [[Aurora (Disney)|Princess Aurora]] in ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959){{snd}}performed the live-action reference for Anita.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Dave|url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/cinderella/cinderella.html|title=Cinderella Character History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331190207/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/cinderella/cinderella.html|work=Disney Archives|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-date=March 31, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Music===
{{Main|One Hundred and One Dalmatians (soundtrack)}}
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was the first Disney animated feature film to be a non-musical. To have music involved in the narrative, Peet used an old theater trick by which the protagonist is a down-and-out songwriter. However, unlike the previous animated Disney films at the time, the songs were not composed by a team, but by [[Mel Leven]] who composed both lyrics and music.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=118}} Previously, Leven had composed songs for the [[UPA (animation studio)|UPA]] animation studio in which animators, who transferred to work at the Disney studios, had recommended him to Walt Disney.<ref>{{cite interview |url = https://animatedviews.com/2008/dalmatians-101-spot-light-on-songwriter-mel-leven/ |subject = William Leven |title = ''Dalmatians'' 101: "Spot"-light on songwriter Mel Leven |interviewer = Jérémie Noyer |publisher = Animated Views |date = March 3, 2008 |access-date = May 21, 2018 |archive-date = May 22, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180522112536/http://animatedviews.com/2008/dalmatians-101-spot-light-on-songwriter-mel-leven/ |url-status = live }}</ref> His first assignment was to compose "Cruella De Vil," of which Leven composed three versions. The final version used in the film was composed as a "bluesy number" before a meeting with Walt in forty-five minutes.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|page=118}}

The other two songs included in the film are "Kanine Krunchies Jingle" (sung by [[Lucille Bliss]], who voiced Anastasia Tremaine in Disney's 1950 film ''[[Cinderella (1950 film)|Cinderella]]''), and "Dalmatian Plantation" in which Roger sings only two lines at its closure. Leven had also written additional songs that were not included in the film. The first song, "Don't Buy a Parrot from a Sailor," a [[cockney]] chant, was meant to be sung by Jasper and Horace at the De Vil Mansion. A second song, "Cheerio, Good-Bye, Toodle-oo, Hip Hip!" was to be sung by the dalmatian puppies as they make their way into London.{{sfn|Koenig|1997|pages=118-119}} A third song titled "March of the One Hundred and One" was meant for the dogs to sing after escaping Cruella by van. Different, longer versions of "Kanine Krunchies Jingle" and "Dalmatian Plantation" appear on the [[Walt Disney Records|Disneyland Records]] read-along album based on the film.<ref name="ehrbar">{{cite web |url = https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/101-dalmatians-on-records/ |title = 101 Dalmatians on Records |first = Greg |last = Ehrbar |date = February 10, 2015 |access-date = July 4, 2017 |publisher = Cartoon Research |archive-date = September 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170917035245/http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/101-dalmatians-on-records/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

The [[Sherman Brothers]] wrote a title song, "One Hundred and One Dalmatians", but it was not used in the film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Noyer |first1=Jérémie |title=Scales and Arpeggios: Richard M. Sherman and the "mewsic" of The AristoCats ! |url=https://animatedviews.com/2008/richard-sherman-on-scoring-the-artistocats/ |website=Animated Views |access-date=2021-08-22 |date=February 4, 2008}}</ref> The song has been released on other Disney recordings, however.<ref name="ehrbar"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ehrbar |first1=Greg |title=Walt Disney's "101 Dalmatians" Long-Awaited Soundtrack Album |url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/walt-disneys-101-dalmatians-long-awaited-soundtrack-album/ |website=Cartoon Research |access-date=2021-08-22 |date=June 8, 2021}}</ref>

==Release==
===Original theatrical run===
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' premiered and was released in theaters on January 25, 1961,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/this-day/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-premieres/|title=''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' Premieres|publisher=Walt Disney Archives|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|date=January 25, 1961|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104130851/https://d23.com/this-day/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-premieres/|archive-date=January 4, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref> accompanied by the documentary ''[[The Horse with the Flying Tail]]'' (1960).<ref name="AFICatalog" /> To promote the film, an updated version of the 1957 ''[[Disney anthology television series|Disneyland]]'' episode "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World" was aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] on February 12, 1961,<ref name="Approximately101Reasons" /> featuring the footage from ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' instead of scenes from ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]'' (1957).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/best-doggoned-dog-in-the-world-the-television/|title=Best Doggoned Dog in the World, The (television)|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230216014519/https://d23.com/a-to-z/best-doggoned-dog-in-the-world-the-television/|archive-date=February 16, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

During its initial theatrical run, the film grossed $14 million in the United States and Canada,<ref name="TheMakingAndImpact">{{cite web|url=https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/making-101-dalmatians|last=Amoroso|first=Parker|title=The Making and Impact of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians''|publisher=[[Walt Disney Family Museum]]|date=March 21, 2022|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230926230403/https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/making-101-dalmatians|archive-date=September 26, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> which generated $6.2 million in distributor rentals.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|page=586}} It was the first animated feature to earn more than $10 million on its initial release,<ref name="DidYouKnow">{{cite web|last=Solomon|first=Charles|url=https://d23.com/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-did-you-know/|title=''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'': Did You Know?|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|date=January 25, 2016|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230601202314/https://d23.com/one-hundred-and-one-dalmatians-did-you-know/|archive-date=June 1, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the most popular film of the year in France,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficestory.com/france-1961-c22750275|last=Soyer|first=Renaud|date=December 10, 2011|language=fr|title=BOX OFFICE ANNUEL FRANCE 1961 TOP 30|work=Box Office Story|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-date=August 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810122240/http://www.boxofficestory.com/france-1961-c22750275|url-status=dead}}</ref> with admissions of 14.7 million ranking tenth on their all-time list.<ref name="FranceAdm">{{cite web|url=https://www.jpbox-office.com/top100.php?view=2|language=fr|title=TOP250 TOUS LES TEMPS EN FRANCE (REPRISES INCLUSES)|work=JP Box-Office|access-date=March 15, 2018|archive-date=March 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180331112258/http://www.jpbox-office.com/top100.php?view=2|url-status=dead}}</ref> The box-office success of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' allowed to pull the studio's animation department out of the financial slump caused by the underperformance of ''[[Sleeping Beauty (1959)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' two years prior;<ref>{{cite news|last=King|first=Susan|title='101 Dalmatians' was just the hit a flagging Disney needed|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-classic-hollywood-dalmatians-20150201-story.html|access-date=January 6, 2024|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 31, 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203043806/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-classic-hollywood-dalmatians-20150201-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> despite this, it did nothing to rekindle Disney's fading interest in animation,{{sfn|Barrier|1999|pages=565-566}} with him being more focused on working on [[Disneyland]] and producing live-action films by then.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|page=585}}

===Re-releases===
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was re-released theatrically in the United States in 1969, 1979, 1985, and 1991.<ref name="ASupriseHit">{{cite news|last=Stevenson|first=Richard W.|url=https://nytimes.com/1991/08/05/movies/30-year-old-film-is-a-surprise-hit-in-its-4th-re-release.html|title=30-Year-Old Film Is a Surprise Hit In Its 4th Re-Release|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=9|date=August 5, 1991|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=September 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917080748/http://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/05/movies/30-year-old-film-is-a-surprise-hit-in-its-4th-re-release.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During its first re-release in 1969, it earned $15 million.<ref name="AtTheMovies">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/02/movies/at-the-movies.html?pagewanted=all&mcubz=1|last=Darnton|first=Nina|title=At the Movies|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 2, 1987|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=September 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917032907/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/02/movies/at-the-movies.html?pagewanted=all&mcubz=1|url-status=live|page=6}}</ref> In 1979, it grossed $19 million while playing on a double bill with another Disney film ''[[The Last Flight of Noah's Ark]]'', and in its 1985 theatrical re-release, the film earned $32 million.<ref name="AtTheMovies" /> During its fourth re-release in 1991, it grossed $60.8 million,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/mpaarating.htm?rating=G&yr=1991&p=.htm|title=1991 Yearly Box Office for G Rated Movies|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=September 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917033006/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/mpaarating.htm?rating=G&yr=1991&p=.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> becoming the 17th highest-grossing film of the year in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1991/|title=Domestic Box Office For 1991|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=January 4, 2024|archive-date=January 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102070838/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1991/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1980, the film earned rentals of $8 million in France, Belgium and Switzerland.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=23|date=January 28, 1981|last=Ginsberg|first=Steven|title=Archinal On Those Hits Lurking In Disney Library Of Successes|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_variety_1981-01-28_301_13/page/23/mode/1up?view=theater|access-date=May 6, 2024|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> By 1995, the film had grossed $86 million internationally,<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Daily Variety]]|page=17|date=April 19, 1995|last=Groves|first=Don|title=O'seas Mines Big B.O.}}</ref> and in the same year it grossed $71 million overseas, bringing its international total to $157 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=1|date=January 15, 1996|last=Groves|first=Don|title=Foreign B.O. in '95 proves all the world's a screen}}</ref> The film's total domestic lifetime gross is $145 million,<ref name="GoingToTheDogs">{{cite news|last=Huff|first=Richard|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/03/13/disney-going-to-the-dogs-101-dalmatians-to-tube/|title=Disney Going To The Dogs: '101 Dalmatians' To Tube|work=[[New York Daily News]]|date=March 13, 1996|access-date=September 16, 2017|archive-date=January 4, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240104220145/https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/03/13/disney-going-to-the-dogs-101-dalmatians-to-tube/|url-status=live}}</ref> and its total worldwide gross is $303 million.<ref name="CartoonCoffers" /> Adjusted for inflation, and incorporating subsequent releases, the film has a lifetime gross of $936.2 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross_adjusted/?adjust_gross_to=2022|title=Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=January 5, 2024|archive-date=December 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231226115356/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross_adjusted/?adjust_gross_to=2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Home media===
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was first released on [[VHS]] on April 10, 1992, as part of the [[Walt Disney Classics]] video series;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-17-ca-45-story.html|last=Hunt|first=Dennis|title=Digital Cassette Becomes the Talk of the Town|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=January 17, 1992|access-date=January 5, 2024|url-access=limited|archive-date=July 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708135519/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-01-17-ca-45-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 11.1 million copies had been sold by June of that year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-12-fi-344-story.html|last=Harris|first=Kathryn|title=A Nose for Profit: 'Pinocchio' Release to Test Truth of Video Sales Theory|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 12, 1992|access-date=September 16, 2017|url-access=limited|archive-date=April 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404065122/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-06-12-fi-344-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of its release, it was the sixth best-selling video of all time.<ref name="GoingToTheDogs" /> The film was re-released on VHS and [[LaserDisc]] on March 9, 1999, as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection<ref name="DogDays">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kw4EAAAAMBAJ&dq=101+dalmatians+vhs+1999&pg=PA65|title=Dog Days|page=65|date=February 6, 1999|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=January 5, 2024}}</ref> for a limited 101-day time period.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pg0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=101+dalmatians+laserdisc+1999&pg=PA72|last=Traiman|first=Steve|title=Studios Utilize Web For Marketing Of Sell-Through Titles|page=72|date=April 17, 1999|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=January 5, 2024}}</ref> The DVD edition was originally scheduled for release in the spring of that year,<ref name="DogDays" /> but was delayed until November 11; it was released as a Walt Disney Limited Issue for a limited 60-day time period before going into [[moratorium (entertainment)|moratorium]].<ref>{{cite press release|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305113309/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Disney+to+Debut+Nine+Classic+Animated+Titles+on+DVD+for+a+Limited...-a055479044|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Disney+to+Debut+Nine+Classic+Animated+Titles+on+DVD+for+a+Limited...-a055479044|title=Disney to Debut Nine Classic Animated Titles on DVD for a Limited Time to Celebrate the Millennium|url-status=dead|location=[[Burbank, California]]|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|via=[[The Free Dictionary#The Free Library|The Free Library]]|archive-date=March 5, 2016|date=August 17, 1999|access-date=September 16, 2017}}</ref>

By 2007, ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' underwent a digital restoration<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://dvdizzy.com/101dalmatians-platinumedition-pressrelease-0304.html|title=101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition|location=[[Burbank, California]]|work=[[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment]]|publisher=UltimateDisney.com|date=October 31, 2007|access-date=January 5, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220331070328/https://www.dvdizzy.com/101dalmatians-platinumedition-pressrelease-0304.html|archive-date=March 31, 2022}}</ref> and was released as a two-disc Platinum Edition DVD on March 4, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movieweb.com/exclusive-video-special-feature-from-101-dalmatians-platinum-edition-dvd/|title=EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Special Feature from 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition DVD!|last=Gallagher|first=Brian|date=February 25, 2008|website=[[MovieWeb]]|access-date=January 5, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20211026161516/https://movieweb.com/exclusive-video-special-feature-from-101-dalmatians-platinum-edition-dvd/|archive-date=October 26, 2021}}</ref> The set included a behind-the-scenes documentary ''Redefining the Line: The Making of One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', two additional featurettes{{snd}}''Cruella de Vil: Drawn to Be Bad'' (dedicated to the talents behind the creation of the eponymous character) and ''Sincerely Yours, Walt Disney'' (covering Disney's correspondence with Dodie Smith), deleted songs, a virtual gallery of concept art and other production photos, theatrical trailers, radio and TV spots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animatedviews.com/2008/101-dalmatians-platinum-edition-dvd-review/|title=''One Hundred And One Dalmatians'': Platinum Edition|last=Simon|first=Ben|date=March 7, 2008|website=Animated Views|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609175714/https://animatedviews.com/2008/101-dalmatians-platinum-edition-dvd-review/|archive-date=June 9, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> It returned to the [[Disney Vault]] on January 30, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://insidepulse.com/2009/12/12/back-to-the-disney-vault/|title=Back into the Disney Vault|last=Leamons|first=Travis|date=December 12, 2009|website=Inside Pulse|access-date=January 5, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20201004003937/https://insidepulse.com/2009/12/12/back-to-the-disney-vault/|archive-date=October 4, 2020}}</ref>

''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was released for the first time on [[Blu-ray]] in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/101-Dalmatians-Blu-ray/45080/|title=101 Dalmatians Blu-ray (United Kingdom)|date=September 3, 2012|website=Blu-ray.com|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117012051/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/101-Dalmatians-Blu-ray/45080/|archive-date=January 17, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In North America, it was released on Diamond Edition Blu-ray and [[Digital HD]] on February 10, 2015,<ref name="DiamondEdition">{{cite web|url=https://www.rotoscopers.com/2014/11/03/101-dalmatians-diamond-edition-officially-announced-cover-art-and-details/|title='101 Dalmatians' Diamond Edition Officially Announced: Cover Art and Details!|last=Wright|first=Gary|date=November 3, 2014|website=Rotoscopers|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230323152315/http://www.rotoscopers.com/2014/11/03/101-dalmatians-diamond-edition-officially-announced-cover-art-and-details/|archive-date=March 23, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> featuring a new making-of featurette ''Lucky Dogs'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/revisit-disney-classic-the101-dalmatians-diamond-edition/|last=Deitchman|first=Beth|title=Revisit a Disney Classic with the ''101 Dalmatians'' Diamond Edition|date=February 12, 2015|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20150326042905/https://d23.com/revisit-disney-classic-the101-dalmatians-diamond-edition/|archive-date=March 26, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> the animated short ''The Further Adventures of Thunderbolt'' (based on the ''Thunderbolt'' TV show in the film),<ref name="HitByFullThunderbolt" /> a 1961 version of the ''Disneyland'' episode "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World", and several bonus features from the previous DVD release.<ref name="DiamondEdition" /> The set was re-released as a limited Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for the Disney Movie Club on November 6, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/101-Dalmatians-Blu-ray/221057/|title=101 Dalmatians Blu-ray (Limited Release)|date=November 6, 2018|website=Blu-ray.com|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110215611/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/101-Dalmatians-Blu-ray/221057/|archive-date=January 10, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> On September 24, 2019, ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' was re-released for HD digital download and on Blu-ray as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2019/08/26/101-dalmatians-and-sleeping-beauty-released-as-part-of-the-walt-disney-signature-collection-blu-rays-in-september/|title="101 Dalmatians," "Sleeping Beauty" Released as Part of The Walt Disney Signature Collection Blu-rays in September|date=August 26, 2019|website=Laughing Place|access-date=January 6, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405203046/https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/2019/08/26/101-dalmatians-and-sleeping-beauty-released-as-part-of-the-walt-disney-signature-collection-blu-rays-in-september/|archive-date=April 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
In its initial release, ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' received acclaim from critics, many of whom hailed it as the studio's best release since ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937) and the closest to a real "Disney" film in many years.<ref>{{cite book |last = Eliot |first = Marc |title = Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince |pages = 255–256 |publisher = Birch Lane Press |isbn = 978-1559721745 |year = 1993}}</ref> [[Howard Thompson (film critic)|Howard Thompson]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "While the story moves steadily toward a stark, melodramatic "chase" climax, it remains enclosed in a typical Disney frame of warm family love, human and canine." However, he later opined that the "[s]ongs are scarce, too. A few more would have braced the final starkness."<ref>{{cite news |last = Thompson |first = Howard |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1961/02/11/archives/disney-film-on-dogs.html |title = Disney Film About Dogs |newspaper = The New York Times |date = February 11, 1961 |access-date = September 16, 2017 |archive-date = September 7, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180907183242/https://www.nytimes.com/1961/02/11/archives/disney-film-on-dogs.html |url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' claimed that "While not as indelibly enchanting or inspired as some of the studio's most unforgettable animated endeavors, this is nonetheless a painstaking creative effort."<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://archive.org/details/variety221-1961-01/page/n363/mode/2up/ |title = One Hundred and One Dalmatians (Color) |magazine = Variety |page = 6 |date = January 18, 1961 |access-date = February 22, 2020 |via = [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> A review in ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine praised the film as "the wittiest, most charming, least pretentious cartoon feature Walt Disney has ever made."<ref>{{cite magazine |url = https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,826879,00.html |title = Cinema: Pupcorn |magazine = Time | date = February 17, 1961 |access-date = September 16, 2017 |archive-date = April 27, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170427095800/http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,826879,00.html |url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' felt all children and adults will be "highly entertained by Walt Disney's latest, a semi-sophisticated, laugh-provoking, all cartoon, feature-lengther in Technicolor."<ref>{{cite magazine |url = http://www.archive.org/stream/harrisonsreports43harr#page/n13/mode/2up |title = One Hundred and One Dalmatians An All-Cartoon Feature |magazine = Harrison's Reports |volume = 43 |issue = 3 |page = 11 |date = January 21, 1961 |access-date = February 22, 2020 |via = Internet Archive}}</ref> Dodie Smith also enjoyed the film where she particularly praised the animation and backgrounds of the film.<ref name="SincerelyYours"/>

Contemporary reviews have remained positive. Reviewing the film during its 1991 re-release, [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', while giving the film three stars out of four, asserted that "it's an uneven film, with moments of inspiration in a fairly conventional tale of kidnapping and rescue. This is not one of the great Disney classics - it's not in the same league with ''Snow White'' or ''Pinocchio'' - but it's passable fun, and will entertain its target family audiences."<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/101-dalmatians-1991 |title = 101 Dalmatians |last = Ebert |first = Roger |website = [[RogerEbert.com]] |date = July 12, 1991 |access-date = September 16, 2017 |archive-date = September 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170917080624/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/101-dalmatians-1991 |url-status = live }}</ref> ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' film critic [[Gene Siskel]], in his 1991 review, also gave the film three stars out of four.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/07/12/boyz-n-the-hood-visits-las-mean-streets/ |last = Siskel |first = Gene |title = 'Boyz N The Hood' Visits L.a.'s Mean Streets |newspaper = Chicago Tribune |date = July 12, 1991 |access-date = September 16, 2017 |archive-date = September 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170917080807/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-07-12/entertainment/9103180951_1_tre-styles-boyz-hood |url-status = live }}</ref> Ralph Novak of ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' wrote "What it lacks in romantic extravagance and plush spectacle, this 1961 Disney film makes up for in quiet charm and subtlety. In fact, if any movie with dogs, cats, and horses who talk can be said to belong in the realm of realistic drama, this is it."<ref>{{cite magazine |last = Novak |first = Ralph |url = https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-101-dalmatians-vol-36-no-3/ |title = Picks and Pans Review: 101 Dalmatians |magazine = People |date = July 29, 1991 |access-date = September 16, 2017 |archive-date = September 17, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170917075943/http://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-101-dalmatians-vol-36-no-3/ |url-status = live }}</ref> However, the film did receive a few negative reviews. In 2011, Craig Berman of [[MSNBC]] ranked it and its 1996 remake as two of the worst children's films of all time, saying that, "The plot itself is a bit nutty. Making a coat out of dogs? Who does that? But worse than Cruella de Vil's fashion sense is the fact that your children will definitely start asking for a Dalmatian of their own for their next birthday."<ref>{{cite web |url = https://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44260962/ns/today-entertainment/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121005004001/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44260962/ns/today-entertainment/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = October 5, 2012 |title = Someone save Bambi's mom! Worst kid films |publisher = MSNBC |access-date = April 13, 2014}}</ref>

On the [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average score of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads, "With plenty of pooches and a memorable villain (Cruella De Vil), this is one of Disney's most enduring, entertaining animated films."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/101_dalmatians|title=One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161109021553/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/101_dalmatians|archive-date=November 9, 2016|url-status=live}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> {{Metacritic film prose|83|10|ref=yes|access-date=3 November 2024}}

[[Cruella De Vil]] ranked 39th on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains|AFI's list of "100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains"]].<ref>{{cite web |title = AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains |url = http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf |work = afi.com |access-date = March 31, 2014 |archive-date = March 28, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140328082215/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{main|101 Dalmatians (franchise)}}
[[File:Cruella de Vil.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Cruella De Vil regularly appears as a [[meetable character]] at the [[Disney Parks and Resorts]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Dunlap|first=Alex|url=https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/10/enjoy-a-sinister-soiree-with-cruellas-halloween-hide-a-way-party-at-magic-kingdom-park/|title=Enjoy a Sinister Soiree with Cruella's Halloween Hide-A-Way Party at Magic Kingdom Park|website=Disney Parks Blog|date=October 11, 2019|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230611070524/https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/10/enjoy-a-sinister-soiree-with-cruellas-halloween-hide-a-way-party-at-magic-kingdom-park/|archive-date=June 11, 2023|url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
Since the original release of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' in 1961, Disney has taken the property in various directions.

=== Television series ===
In 1996, it was announced that an animated television series based on the film would be created through a partnership between [[The Disney Afternoon#Disney-Kellogg's Alliance|Disney and Kellogg’s]].<ref name="GoingToTheDogs" /> Co-produced by [[Disney Television Animation|Walt Disney Television Animation]] and [[Jumbo Pictures]], ''[[101 Dalmatians: The Series]]'' aired in [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] and on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1997 to 1998.<ref name="PlusOneIncredibleVillain">{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/celebrate-60-years-of-101-dalmatians-plus-one-incredible-villain-cruella-de-vil/|last=Deitchman|first=Beth|title=Celebrate 60 Years of ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians''—Plus One Incredible Villain, Cruella De Vil|date=January 25, 2021|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=January 7, 2024|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230929210917/https://d23.com/celebrate-60-years-of-101-dalmatians-plus-one-incredible-villain-cruella-de-vil/|archive-date=September 29, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[101 Dalmatian Street]]'' is the second TV series with a plot in the 21st century, with a new art style and a concept loosely based on the source material. Set 60 years after the original film, the show mostly focuses on a completely new family of Dalmatians, (who are descendants of Pongo and Perdita) who all live without a human in [[Camden Town]].

=== Sequel ===
A [[direct-to-video]] sequel to the original animated film, ''[[101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Hettrick|first=Scott|date=June 13, 2003|title=A Fetching Sequel to Dalmatians|url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2003/06/13/a-fetching-sequel-to-dalmatians/|work=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|access-date=January 7, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240107191035/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2003/06/13/a-fetching-sequel-to-dalmatians/|archive-date=January 7, 2024}}</ref> was released in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/newsletter/jan2003/feature.html|title=An All-New Dalmatians Adventure Comes To DVD And Video January 21|date=January 2003|publisher=Disney DVD And Video Newsletter|website=[[Disney.com]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813025029/http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/newsletter/jan2003/feature.html|archive-date=August 13, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The main focus of the sequel is Patch, the loneliest of puppies, feeling "lost in a sea of spots". After he gets left behind during the Radcliffe's moving day, he encounters his TV hero, Thunderbolt, who enlists him on a publicity campaign.

=== Live-action adaptations ===
A live-action remake of the 1961 film, ''[[101 Dalmatians (1996 film)|101 Dalmatians]]'', was released in 1996;<ref>{{cite news|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|date=November 27, 1996|title=A Cruella World|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-27-ca-3244-story.html|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103044531/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-27-ca-3244-story.html|archive-date=January 3, 2023|url-access=limited}}</ref> unlike the animated film, none of the animals had speaking voices in this version.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/glenn-close-cruella-de-vil-1234958015/|title=Hollywood Flashback: Glenn Close First Brought Cruella de Vil to Life in 1996|last=Abramovitch|first=Seth|date=May 28, 2021|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207125758/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/glenn-close-cruella-de-vil-1234958015/|archive-date=December 7, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> It was followed by a sequel, ''[[102 Dalmatians]]'', in 2000.<ref>{{cite news|last=Howe|first=Desson|date=November 24, 2000|title='Dalmatians': One Too Many|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/102dalmatianshowe.htm|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127224435/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/102dalmatianshowe.htm|archive-date=November 27, 2017}}</ref> A live-action version of Cruella De Vil is featured as one of the main antagonists in the fourth season of the fantasy television series, ''[[Once Upon a Time (TV series)|Once Upon a Time]]'' (produced by Disney-owned [[ABC Studios]]).<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Abrams|first=Natalie|date=December 11, 2014|title=Exclusive: 'Once Upon a Time' bosses tease the Queens of Darkness|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/12/11/once-upon-time-cruella-ursula-maleficent-spoilers/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 3, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230416051307/https://ew.com/article/2014/12/11/once-upon-time-cruella-ursula-maleficent-spoilers/|archive-date=April 16, 2023}}</ref> Cruella is one of the four main villains in the 2015 television film ''[[Descendants (2015 film)|Descendants]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Snetiker|first=Marc|date=June 16, 2014|title='Descendants': Meet the evil kids of Disney villains -- PHOTO|url=https://ew.com/article/2014/06/16/disney-descendants/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230606123014/https://ew.com/article/2014/06/16/disney-descendants/|archive-date=June 6, 2023}}</ref> which follows the teenage children of Disney's iconic heroes and villains (including Cruella's son, Carlos).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tvline.com/news/descendants-cast-photo-maleficent-daughter-cruella-son-525620/|title=First Look: Meet the ''Descendants'' of Maleficent, Cruella & Other Big Bads|last=Webb Mitovich|first=Matt|date=June 16, 2014|website=[[TVLine]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230817100134/https://tvline.com/news/descendants-cast-photo-maleficent-daughter-cruella-son-525620/|archive-date=August 17, 2023}}</ref> A 2021 live-action [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]], ''[[Cruella (film)|Cruella]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=D'Alessandro|first=Anthony|date=August 20, 2019|title=Amy Adams 'Woman In The Window' Will Now Open In Early Summer, 'Cruella' Moves To 2021|url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/emma-stone-cruella-amy-adams-woman-in-the-window-disney-fox-release-date-changes-1202677451/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929144120/https://deadline.com/2019/08/emma-stone-cruella-amy-adams-woman-in-the-window-disney-fox-release-date-changes-1202677451/|archive-date=September 29, 2020|access-date=August 20, 2019|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> focuses on the origin of the eponymous character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a27479704/cruella-movie-release-cast-plot-trailer/|title=Cruella: Cast, release date, trailer and everything you need to know|last=Sandwell|first=Ian|date=February 17, 2021|website=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=January 3, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409223538/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a27479704/cruella-movie-release-cast-plot-trailer/|archive-date=April 9, 2023}}</ref> A sequel to this film is currently in development.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Thompson|first1=Jaden|last2=Malkin|first2=Marc|date=January 5, 2024|title=Emma Stone Says Disney's 'Cruella' Sequel Is a 'Work in Progress'|url=https://variety.com/2024/film/news/emma-stone-cruella-2-sequel-disney-1235862702/|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=January 11, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109195503/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/emma-stone-cruella-2-sequel-disney-1235862702/|archive-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref>

=== Other media ===
The characters from ''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' make [[cameo appearance]]s in the television series ''[[House of Mouse]]'', with Cruella De Vil featured as one of the main villains in the stand-alone feature ''[[Mickey's House of Villains]]'' (2002).<ref>{{cite web |date=September 2002 |title=Disney's Greatest Villains Together For The First Time Ever In "Mickey's House Of Villains" |url=http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/newsletter/sep2002/spotlight_01.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230307045624/http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/newsletter/sep2002/spotlight_01.html |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=[[Disney.com]] |publisher=Disney DVD And Video Newsletter}}</ref> Like other [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] characters, the film's characters have cameo appearances in the short film ''[[Once Upon a Studio]]'' (2023).<ref>{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Zach |date=October 16, 2023 |title=How ''Once Upon a Studio'' Reacquaints Fans with Beloved but Rarely Seen Characters |url=https://d23.com/how-once-upon-a-studio-reacquaints-fans-with-beloved-but-rarely-seen-characters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018174254/https://d23.com/how-once-upon-a-studio-reacquaints-fans-with-beloved-but-rarely-seen-characters/ |archive-date=October 18, 2023 |access-date=January 3, 2024 |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]}}</ref>

In the first ''[[Kingdom Hearts (video game)|Kingdom Hearts]]'' game, a side quest consists of [[Sora (Kingdom Hearts)|Sora]] tracking down the 99 puppies whose world has been destroyed and returning them to Pongo and Perdita, who have been given shelter in Traverse Town by [[Squall Leonhart]].

==See also==
* [[List of highest-grossing animated films]]
* [[List of highest-grossing films in France]]
* [[List of American films of 1961]]
* [[List of animated feature films of the 1960s]]
* [[List of Walt Disney Pictures films]]
* [[List of Disney theatrical animated feature films]]
* {{Section link |Second weekend in box office performance |Second-weekend increase}}
{{Portal bar |Disney |Cartoon |Film |United States |1960s}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|last=Allan|first=Robin|title=Walt Disney and Europe: European Influence on the Animated Feature Films of Walt Disney|url=https://archive.org/details/waltdisneyeurope0000alla|year=1999|publisher=John Libbey & Co|isbn=978-1-8646-2041-2|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Barrier|first=Michael|title=Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age|url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodcartoon00barr|year=1999|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-1980-2079-0|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Barrier|first=Michael|title=The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmanlifeo00barr|year=2007|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-5202-5619-4|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Beck|first=Jerry|title=The Animated Movie Guide|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]]|isbn=978-1-5565-2591-9|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck_f1r9|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Canemaker|first=John|title=Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists|publisher=[[Hachette Books|Hyperion Books]]|year=1996|isbn=978-0-786-86152-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Canemaker|first=John|title=Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation|url=https://archive.org/details/waltdisneysnineo0000cane|year=2001|publisher=Disney Editions|isbn=978-0-786-86496-6|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dakin|first1=Glenn|first2=Victoria|last2=Saxon|title=Disney Villains The Essential Guide New Edition|publisher=[[DK (publisher)|DK Publishing]]|year=2020|isbn=978-0-7440-3483-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Finch |first=Christopher |title=The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0810990075/ |chapter=Chapter 10: Limited Animation |year=1975 |orig-year=1973 |publisher=[[Abrams Books|Harry N. Abrams]] |isbn=978-0-810-99007-4 |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last1=Frankham|first1=David|last2=Hollifield|first2=Jim|title=Which One Was David?|year=2015|publisher=BearManor Media|isbn=978-1-5939-3218-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IJukDwAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Gabler|first=Neal|title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination|url=https://archive.org/details/waltdisneytriump0000gabl|year=2006|publisher=[[Vintage Books]]|isbn=978-0-6797-5747-4|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Ghez|first=Didier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9l2vDwAAQBAJ|title=They Drew as They Pleased Vol. 5: The Hidden Art of Disney's Early Renaissance|publisher=[[Chronicle Books]]|year=2019|isbn=978-1-797-20410-9}} 
* {{cite book|last=Grove|first=Valerie|title=Dear Dodie: The Life of Dodie Smith|url=https://archive.org/details/deardodielifeofd0000grov/mode/2up|year=1996|publisher=[[Chatto & Windus]]|isbn=978-0-7011-5753-1|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hollis|first1=Tim|last2=Ehrbar|first2=Greg|title=Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records|year=2023|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|isbn=978-1-4968-5127-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFm9EAAAQBAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Koenig|first=David|title=Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks|url=https://archive.org/details/mouseunderglasss0000koen|publisher=Bonaventure Press|isbn=978-0-9640-6051-7|year=1997|url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book|last=Maltin|first=Leonard|title=The Disney Films|url=https://archive.org/details/disneyfilms0000malt|year=1995|publisher=Disney Editions|isbn=978-0-7868-8527-5|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Peet|first=Bill|title=Bill Peet: An Autobiography|url=https://archive.org/details/billpeetautobiog00peet|url-access=registration|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]]|isbn= 978-0-3956-8982-0|year=1989}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Dave|title=Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered|url=https://archive.org/details/disneytriviafrom0000smit/mode/2up|publisher=Disney Editions|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4231-7857-6|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Scott|first=Keith|title=Cartoon Voices of the Golden Age, 1930-70 Vol. 1|year=2022|publisher=BearManor Media|isbn=979-8-8877-1008-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|title=Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse To Hercules|url=https://archive.org/details/disneysartofanim0000thom_c5f8/mode/2up|publisher=Disney Editions|year=1997|isbn=978-0-7868-6241-2|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last1=Thomas|first1=Frank|last2=Johnston|first2=Ollie|title=Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life|year=1981|publisher=[[Abbeville Press]]|isbn=978-0-7868-6070-8|url=https://archive.org/details/TheIllusionOfLifeDisneyAnimation/mode/2up|url-access=registration}}
*{{cite book|last1=Thomas|first1=Frank|last2=Johnston|first2=Ollie|title=The Disney Villain|year=1993|publisher=Disney Editions|isbn=978-1-5628-2792-2}}
* {{cite book|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood|publisher=BearManorMedia|year=2010|isbn=978-1-5939-3511-5}}
* {{cite book|last=Webb|first=Graham|title=The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features and Sequences, 1900-1999|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedfilmency0000webb|url-access=registration|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7864-4985-9}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}

{{101 Dalmatians}}
{{Disney theatrical animated features}}
{{Navboxes |list1 =
{{Wolfgang Reitherman}}
{{Clyde Geronimi}}
{{Hamilton Luske}}
{{Walt Disney Animation Studios}}
}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:One Hundred And One Dalmatians}}
[[Category:101 Dalmatians films]]
[[Category:1961 adventure films]]
[[Category:1961 animated films]]
[[Category:1961 children's films]]
[[Category:1961 comedy films]]
[[Category:1961 films]]
[[Category:1960s adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:1960s American animated films]]
[[Category:1960s children's adventure films]]
[[Category:1960s children's animated films]]
[[Category:1960s children's comedy films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:American adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:American animated feature films]]
[[Category:American children's animated adventure films]]
[[Category:American children's animated comedy films]]
[[Category:Animated films about dogs]]
[[Category:Animated films about families]]
[[Category:Animated films about talking animals]]
[[Category:Animated films based on British novels]]
[[Category:Animated films based on children's books]]
[[Category:Animated films set in country houses]]
[[Category:Animated films set in London]]
[[Category:English-language adventure comedy films]]
[[Category:Films about pets]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by Clyde Geronimi]]
[[Category:Films directed by Hamilton Luske]]
[[Category:Films directed by Wolfgang Reitherman]]
[[Category:Films produced by Walt Disney]]
[[Category:Films scored by George Bruns]]
[[Category:Films set in abandoned houses]]
[[Category:Films set in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Bill Peet]]
[[Category:Rotoscoped films]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films]]