By Dodie Smith
One Hundred and One Dalmatians has been my fave Disney animation for as long as I can remember. Some years ago, I re-watched it with my daughter and she really loved it.
The opening credits had also reminded me that the movie was based on a book by Dodie Smith. I had read the I Capture the Castle, which has been a personal favourite, so I just had to have my own copy of The One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Not long after, I ordered a new hardbound edition anticipating that my daughter may enjoy that too when she’s able to read. It’s been sitting in her bookshelf for a few years and just recently, her 10 yo self had picked up the book to read on her own volition!
It also made me realize I hadn't yet read the book myself. So as soon as my daughter finished, I started reading it. I wasn't disappointed -- it was just absolutely charming and delightful. Even though I only got to the part where Pongo and Missus were making their arduous journey to Suffolk, I asked the kid if she'd like to watch the movie again. She agreed, wanting to watch it that very evening, and so we did (I, ahem, still had the file in the storage drive). It'd been at least a few years, so she didn't remember much of it, so for her it was like watching it a new again!
Watching the film again for the umpteenth time has not lessened my love for it. I can also better appreciate the wonderful job the Disney folks did by adapting the source material for their animated film. I also learned some interesting things:
· Dodie Smith was a consultant for the film, and her story was based on how her own dalmatians had 15 puppies!
· When she was writing the book, she had actually hoped that Disney would turn it into a film!
· I didn't realize that 'Sleeping Beauty' was a flop when it came out, which left the studio with a tight budget for 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians', but I think (with the help of Xerox technology) it had worked to their advantage.
· Not only was the animation gorgeous, but equal attention was paid to the writing, characterization, voice work, music and the inspired idea of basing Cruella de Vil’s looks on actress Tallulah Bankhead!
I also loved how Disney kept the 'What's My Crime?' television show from the book, but adding the klever Kanine Krunchies commercial. It also made sense that the two 'nannies' became one character, and the two female dalmatians, Missus and Perdita, were also merged as one.
Some trifling details I noticed now that I'm older (and more cynical)... for instance, how in the movie, Mr Dearly, was a struggling musician with a stay-at-home wife, yet he could afford a townhouse (albeit a modest one) in central London and pay for a full-time housekeeper. In the book, Mr Dearly was a finance wizard who helped the government eradicate debt, and in doing so, was rewarded a nice house in a plum neighbourhood. However, it did make aesthetic sense for the movie to turn Mr Dearly into a musician so the film could have its catchy musical numbers!
Dodie Smith also wrote a lesser known sequel to The One Hundred and One Dalmatians – it’s called The Starlight Barking, and I’m determined to find a nice hardcover edition of that too! However, it’s a little harder to find, and it’s looking like I may have to order a used copy from the UK…
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