Roger and Anita are living the perfect life. They’re young newlyweds, each the owner of a beautiful Dalmatian dog, and while they’re not very rich in money, they feel they have everything they could possibly want, with the possible exception of a hit song idea for Roger, who is a composer. To make things even better, Perdita, the female Dalmatian, is going to have puppies, and Pongo, the male, couldn’t be more pleased.
But there’s a fly in the ointment, or perhaps we should say, a flea. Cruella DeVil, the most evil woman in town, has spotted (ha ha) the dogs and thinks they would make a beautiful fur coat. She’s crazy about fur, or maybe she’s just crazy, as she sets out a plan to kidnap the puppies once they’re born and make them into a wrap. Puppy fur is softer than adult fur, and she wants the softest, coziest coat she can get.
The day of the birth arrives, and imagine everyone’s surprise when puppy after puppy after puppy is born! Fifteen in all, darling in every way. They’re white at this point, but as they get older, their spots will appear. Cruella can hardly wait. Meanwhile, she’s been snatching puppies left and right, gathering up enough fur to create a masterpiece.
When she pulls her stunt and sends in her thugs to take the babies, Pongo and Perdita are beside themselves. Utilizing a system of communication called “the twilight bark,” they go outside and send the message that their puppies have been taken. The nearest dog hears the message and passes it on until all the dogs in the county are barking, and soon word returns that the puppies have been spotted (sorry, I couldn’t help it) in a remote location, along with several other Dalmatian puppies.
With the help of their animal friends, Pongo and Perdita set out to the rescue, and through a wild, madcap chain of events, manage to bring the puppynappers to justice, as well as their mean boss. Roger uses Cruella as inspiration for a song, which grants them enough royalties that they can afford to feed not only Pongo and Perdita’s large family, but all the animals they rescued as well, a total of 101 Dalmatians.
A classic from the master storyteller Walt Disney and loosely based on the book by Dodie Smith, this is a film you’ll watch again and again.
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