When Disney’s 101 Dalmatians was released in 1961, it became the highest-grossing movie of the year—and, at that time, the highest-grossing animated film of all time. In honor of its pup-tastic 55th anniversary, here are five more fun facts you might not know.
- There is a hidden Mickey Mouse “spot” (shaped like Mickey’s head) on almost all of the Dalmatians.
- Cruella De Vil’s personality and mannerisms were inspired by actress Tallulah Bankhead.
- Someone did a frame-by-frame count of all the spots in the movie.
The total: 6,469,952. - The spots on Lucky’s back are arranged in a horseshoe shape.
- Dodie Smith, the author of the novel on which the movie was based, got the idea when her Dalmatian gave birth to 15 puppies.
Exclusive Clip: How Technology Saved the 101 Dalmatians Animators From Drawing Millions of Spots
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