Hello, hello, hello, how is everyone doing? Well, I hope. It has been another disastrous week that even now I’m struggling to write about — I had a doctor’s appointment on Friday to find out some test results and to get a referral to see two different specialists but the doctor point blank refused to comply, instead, he forced me to go to hospital and have a couple of tests done including a Mental Health Assessment just because of how I look (I am of naturally slim build) thankfully after waiting a couple of hours and defending my case and condition which also causes me to have problems with absorbing nutrients and food, they let me go home, but it caused me so much trauma and upset (due to my past) that the work I’d done to get myself feeling safe again (which has taken me over 10 years to do) completely went down the drain altogether because some idiot doctor wouldn’t believe me, what has happened to ‘Never judge a book by its cover?’, to stop this from happening to anyone else who suffers with ME/CFS, me and my mum started a petition for it to be mandatory for medical professionals to learn about the condition instead of judging people who have it and misdiagnosing them or mistreating them, it would be greatly appreciated if you could sign the petition and share it with others, just click the link >>Here<<

Anyway, moving on, because I’ve been so down lately and poorly, something I can always count on (apart from my family) is Disney films, which I’m sure a lot of people can relate to, and one of my all-time favorites that I have loved ever since I was a toddler is 101 Dalmatians, and as much as I love the 1961 animation film, I love the 1996 live-action version just as much too! And when I found out today it is actually the 28th anniversary of the film’s release in the U.S., I just knew I had to do a post to celebrate this old-time classic, so here are some facts you might not know.

Run Time: 1 hour 43 Minutes
Directed By: Stephen Herek

Summary:

Computer game developer Roger and fashion designer Anita have three things in common: They both live in London, they are single, and they both own a Dalmatian. As their paths cross one day, for Roger’s Dalmatian Pongo and Anita’s Dalmatian Lady Perdita, it’s love at first sight and the two dogs take the initiative to introduce their owners to each other. Luckily for the love-struck Dalmatians, Roger and Anita also fall in love, and soon get married. Everyone is excited when they find out that both Anita and Perdita are expecting. When Perdita has 15 adorable Dalmatian puppies, their happiness is complete. But not for long: Anita’s remorseless boss, Cruella de Vil, is obsessed with the idea of having an outfit made from Dalmatian puppy fur. After an unsuccessful attempt to buy the puppies from Roger and Anita, Cruella hires two henchmen, Jasper and Horace, to “dog-nap” them, along with every other Dalmatian puppy in London. As the police seem unable to solve the crime and locate the missing puppies, Pongo and Perdita team up with other dogs and animals in the neighborhood, determined to save their puppies from evil Cruella having them turned into a fashionable coat. Will they be able to save their 15 little pups plus a few more additions or has Cruella got her ultimate wish? Watch the movie and find out!

Main Cast:

Glenn Close — Cruella DeVil
Jeff Daniels — Roger
Joely Richardson — Anita
Joan Plowright — Nanny
Hugh Laurie — Jasper
Mark Williams — Horace
John Shrapnel — Skinner
Tim McInnerny — Alonzo

Facts About 101 Dalmatians

The movie was filmed at Shepperton Studios in Middlesex where the sets were made as puppy-proof as possible. This included special “puppy-sized steps” in both Cruella De Vil’s mansion and Roger and Anita’s townhouses. These were extra-wide and very shallow to prevent tumbles.

All the Shepperton sets were sprayed with disinfectant to prevent pups from picking up any germs. And all the film’s human stars had to step through disinfectant footbaths before entering the “puppy zone”.

230 Dalmatian puppies and 20 adult Dalmatians were used during filming.

A major task for this movie was finding and training more than two hundred Dalmatian puppies.

Despite her character’s passion for fur coats, Glenn Close insisted her costumes be made from fake fur.

For her character Cruella DeVil, Glenn Close based her vocal enunciations on Joanna Lumley’s Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous (1992), most especially Lumley’s plummy vocal quality.

Ever the stickler for authenticity and method acting, Glenn Close insisted that she actually perform the fall into the vat of molasses and not use a stunt double.

Glenn Close confirmed in an interview that she had to work in the molasses for a few weeks after shooting the scene where Cruella falls into the vat. She found this rather unpleasant

Of the original fifteen puppies, six are named – Lucky, Jewel, Dipstick, Fidget, Two Tone, and Whizzer. Whilst Penny, Freckles, Rolly, and Pepper, puppies known by names from One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), are not seen or mentioned in this movie.

No real animals took part in a scene that was regarded as potentially hazardous. Animatronic models – courtesy of Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and computer-generated images courtesy of Industrial Light and Magic – were used as stunt doubles.

No real traffic was allowed anywhere near when the scenes were shot on location. Even Trafalgar Square was entirely sealed off.

The two movies that the original puppies are watching on television are The Aristocats (1970) and Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), both Disney movies.

The video game 101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor (1997) featured scenes from Roger’s finished video game at the end of this movie.

Hugh Grant was originally considered to play Roger before Jeff Daniels was cast as Roger instead.

Jeff Daniels (Roger) says that on more than one occasion, he heard an authoritative voice on the dog-strewn set shout “Sit!” and immediately plopped himself into a chair only to be told, “Not you, Jeff.”

Filmmakers rubbed Jeff Daniels’ face with raw hot dogs in order to get the puppies to lick him on cue.

This movie was Glenn Close’s first Disney film. It is also widely considered one of her best performances ever.

Glenn Close initially rejected the role of Cruella due to scheduling conflicts with the stage musical “Sunset Blvd”. The producers then offered the role to Sigourney Weaver, who also declined. Cathy Moriarty did a screentest for the role, but was later deemed too frightening for a children’s movie. By that time, Close had ended her run on Broadway, and when the producers offered her the role again, she accepted.

Glenn Close is allergic to tobacco, so she smoked herbal cigarettes throughout this movie.

The car that Cruella DeVil drives is a 1974 Panther DeVille.

Hidden Mickey: In the scene where Anita realizes that Cruella has taken the puppies, there is a statue behind her of Mickey Mouse, out of focus, on the dresser.

Writer and producer John Hughes made more money from this movie than any other movie in his career, because his contract gave him a piece of the merchandising profits.

In almost every John Hughes produced movie, at least one bad guy was being electrocuted. In this movie, two bad guys are electrocuted by an electric fence.

Horace and Jasper’s appearances and personalities are based on Harry and Marv respectively, from Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), which were also written and produced by John Hughes.

When Glenn Close appeared on the set as Cruella in full fright wig, make-up, and costume, one of the dogs playing Perdy repeatedly tried to sneak away.

According to Disneystrology, Pongo is forty-two (in human years) with his birthday on October 1 (Disney World’s opening day in 1971). He is older than Perdita, who is forty (in human years) with her birthday on July 6.

Actress Joan Plowright, who plays Nanny, was attracted by the idea of appearing in a happy family film that her grandchildren would love as much as her.

The 160th Live-Action film produced by Disney.

With an overall lifetime gross of around $320.7 million worldwide and strong reviews from critics, One Hundred and One Dalmatians still stands as one of Disney Animation’s most highly acclaimed films. But for many people, one of the biggest reasons for the film’s success was its legendary main antagonist, Cruella de Vil, a sinister heiress who kidnaps all but two of the titular 101 Dalmatians so that she can use their fur for coats. Since then, Cruella has easily been one of Disney’s most iconic villains, and sure enough, when it comes to the original film’s live-action remake, many would agree that the best thing about it is Cruella herself, portrayed by the legendary Glenn Close. Close’s version took the cake, as Cruella’s sinister plan of using puppy dalmatians for a luxurious fur coat was downright evil. With Cruella’s conniving laugh, personality, and flare, she is what made the film one of my all-time favorites as well as the adorable puppies.

Thank you for visiting my blog and reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed learning about the iconic classic live-action remake as much as I enjoyed writing it! Have a lovely day, and enjoy the rest of your week. I shall see you next time!