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101 Dalmatians celebrates its 55th anniversary today. Get ready to indulge in a treat of Kanine Krunchies and discover 12 fascinating facts about Disney's iconic doggy adventure.
1. ROGER AND ANITA'S SURNAME WAS "DEARLY."
In the original novel by Dodie Smith (known for I Capture the Castle), Roger and Anita’s last name was Dearly, not Radcliffe. Disney likely changed it because they already had two similarly named couples: Jim Dear and Darling from Lady and the Tramp, and George and Mary Darling from Peter Pan. Additionally, in the book, Roger is depicted as a “financial wizard” instead of a struggling musician.
2. DODIE SMITH HAD A DALMATIAN NAMED PONGO.
Dodie Smith named her main male dog after a Dalmatian pup her husband gifted her in 1934: Pongo.
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3. THE MOVIE FEATURES OVER SIX MILLION SPOTS.
No surprise you're spotting them everywhere—there are 6,469,952 spots in total, spread across 113,760 frames. Pongo sports 72 spots, while Perdita has 68. The remaining spots are on their puppies.
4. IT WAS THE FIRST FILM TO USE XEROX TECHNOLOGY.
No need to worry about the animators developing carpal tunnel—101 Dalmatians was the first feature film to implement Xerox technology, which transferred drawings onto cels, saving time, money, and a lot of hand strain.
Disney
5. WALT DISNEY WASN'T FOND OF THE VISUAL EFFECT OF THAT XEROX TECHNOLOGY.
The Xerox method is what gave the film its sketchy, rough look, in contrast to the clean lines seen in previous Disney animations. Walt Disney reportedly wasn't a fan of the gritty visual style.
6. CRUELLA DE VIL NARRATED CINDERELLA.
Despite being one of Disney’s most notorious villains, Cruella De Vil shares her voice with a far gentler character: the narrator of Cinderella. Betty Lou Gerson, a radio star, provided the voices for both roles.
7. THE DOGS ARE GREY, NOT WHITE.
The dogs aren’t actually white—they’re a very light shade of grey. Pure white would have been too glaring on film and didn’t suit the snowy scenes.
8. LADY AND THE TRAMP MAKE A CAMEO.
If you pay close attention during the Twilight Bark scene, you’ll notice several familiar faces from Lady and the Tramp: Jock, Peg, Bull, Lady, and the Tramp (in silhouette).
9. "THE TWILIGHT BARK" BECAME THE COMPANY'S NEWSLETTER.
Later on, Disney Feature Animation adopted the name “The Twilight Bark” for their internal newsletter.
10. THE MOVIE WAS MEANT TO BE MORE MUSICAL.
Though the film only features three songs, several others were written, including a cockney tune titled “Don’t Buy a Parrot from a Sailor,” originally intended to be performed by Horace and Jasper. You can find the lyrics here.
11. ZSA ZSA GABOR INSPIRED CRUELLA DE VIL'S LOOK.
Voice actress Lisa Davis revealed that Walt Disney based Cruella's appearance on the iconic Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor. “Zsa Zsa Gabor was a huge celebrity at the time, known for her love of fur coats, so Walt thought it would be fun to give her a Zsa Zsa Gabor vibe,” Davis said. Though Davis was known for her spot-on Zsa Zsa impression, she felt more suited to voice Anita. After reading some of Anita's lines, Walt agreed she was a perfect match.
12. THERE'S A NOD TO DISNEY'S "SILLY SYMPHONIES."
A subtle reference to Disney’s early “Silly Symphony” series appears in the form of the cartoon “Springtime,” which is playing on the TV when Jasper and Horace are babysitting the puppies.
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