Re: 101 Dalmatians Discussion
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2016 10:55 pm
I re-watched this film the other night because I got addicted to looking through screencaps of Cruella’s animation. Betty Lou Gerson’s voice is just…ugh… divine! And Cruella is still phenomenal—I know, I know, brand new information right there. 
But I enjoy how many of Walt’s female villains are actually quite attractive? I know Cruella is bony and her angry face is hideous, but she is often beautiful at certain points, too, just like the Queen and Maleficent (the latter is the best-looking, imo). I always wondered why Cruella didn’t die at the end (or, rather, that it wasn’t left unanswered whether she died or not)? Kind of weird to me how the car was topless, and she wasn’t harmed at all by the crash. Yeah, yeah, it's a movie.
Btw, as a child I was absolutely obsessed with Cruella’s car. I actually ended up getting into Hot Wheels cars because of the film; I would always get cars that looked like hers (or other old-fashioned cars). I have a lot of merchandise for this film, TLK, and Hercules (dwarfed of course by the merch. for TLM) that my mother bought while I was a child, too.
This is just one of my favorite movies, so many great things to say about it, and that care is at least half the reason I love this movie.
Love Nanny and Pongo so much, too, and Roger/Anita are incredibly cute together. Actually, I think this is my personal favorite Verna Felton performance (with the matriarch elephant from Dumbo coming second). The character’s just so likable and take-charge, but never obnoxious (like Flora and the Fairy Godmother tend towards, imo)—I love her. It’s always sad for me to hear that Walt hated the aesthetic of the “scratchy” films because the look of this film is gorgeous to me. I love the way the streets look in particular. The snowy rivers, snow-covered roads, and the snowbank Cruella drives down into at the end are also highlights as far as the scenery goes.
EDIT: Oh, man. LOL Somehow I mixed up Verna Felton and Martha Wentworth.
But I enjoy how many of Walt’s female villains are actually quite attractive? I know Cruella is bony and her angry face is hideous, but she is often beautiful at certain points, too, just like the Queen and Maleficent (the latter is the best-looking, imo). I always wondered why Cruella didn’t die at the end (or, rather, that it wasn’t left unanswered whether she died or not)? Kind of weird to me how the car was topless, and she wasn’t harmed at all by the crash. Yeah, yeah, it's a movie.Btw, as a child I was absolutely obsessed with Cruella’s car. I actually ended up getting into Hot Wheels cars because of the film; I would always get cars that looked like hers (or other old-fashioned cars). I have a lot of merchandise for this film, TLK, and Hercules (dwarfed of course by the merch. for TLM) that my mother bought while I was a child, too.
This is just one of my favorite movies, so many great things to say about it, and that care is at least half the reason I love this movie.
Love Nanny and Pongo so much, too, and Roger/Anita are incredibly cute together. Actually, I think this is my personal favorite Verna Felton performance (with the matriarch elephant from Dumbo coming second). The character’s just so likable and take-charge, but never obnoxious (like Flora and the Fairy Godmother tend towards, imo)—I love her. It’s always sad for me to hear that Walt hated the aesthetic of the “scratchy” films because the look of this film is gorgeous to me. I love the way the streets look in particular. The snowy rivers, snow-covered roads, and the snowbank Cruella drives down into at the end are also highlights as far as the scenery goes.EDIT: Oh, man. LOL Somehow I mixed up Verna Felton and Martha Wentworth.
I think the princess films just lend themselves to conversation more--comparing soundtracks, comparing villains, heroines, love interest, castles, romance, etc. Other films don't draw those same easy discussion points, I think. I'm hesitant to give an set answer outside of Ursula > Lady Tremaine as my top two--because my rankings often shift a little upwards, a little downwards between rankings--but I think I'd put Cruella as my third-favorite villain, unless we were to count natural threats like Monstro. Her, Yzma, and Hades are right there in the same area for me. Sometimes they switch places. Ursula definitely has the most in common with Cruella of the older villains; the Queen would be next.
