Spoilers for "Wish" follow.
The villains from Walt Disney Animation's feature films have traditionally been so striking and scary that the company has thought to separate them into their own brand. The brand tends to focus on Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) from 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) from 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," Ursula the Sea Witch (Pat Caroll) from 1989's "The Little Mermaid," the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne) from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Captain Hook (Hans Conreid) from 1953's "Peter Pan," Hades (James Woods) from 1997's "Hercules," and Dr. Facilier (Keith David) from 2009's "The Princess and the Frog."
Occasionally, one might find Gaston (Richard White) from 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" in the mix or Chernabog from 1940's "Fantasia." These characters are all memorable for their scary designs, their misguided lust for power or destruction, their resentment, their hatred of the world,...
The villains from Walt Disney Animation's feature films have traditionally been so striking and scary that the company has thought to separate them into their own brand. The brand tends to focus on Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) from 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) from 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," Ursula the Sea Witch (Pat Caroll) from 1989's "The Little Mermaid," the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne) from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Captain Hook (Hans Conreid) from 1953's "Peter Pan," Hades (James Woods) from 1997's "Hercules," and Dr. Facilier (Keith David) from 2009's "The Princess and the Frog."
Occasionally, one might find Gaston (Richard White) from 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" in the mix or Chernabog from 1940's "Fantasia." These characters are all memorable for their scary designs, their misguided lust for power or destruction, their resentment, their hatred of the world,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Cruella” is loaded with pop-song needle drops throughout, but it’s the oft-used Rolling Stones hit at the end that ties it all together: The studio that gave us “Maleficent” and the director of “I, Tonya” have teamed up to rehabilitate yet another villain, in a film that could have just as easily been titled “Sympathy for the de Vil.”
Yes, the dastardly fashionista who wanted to skin 101 Dalmatians just to make a coat has been officially retrofitted here, but there’s plenty to enjoy if you don’t mind the fact that this new version of the character eschews fur, canine or otherwise, and doesn’t even smoke. Purists may balk, but viewers who think of this less as a reboot of Dodie Smith’s memorable monster and more as a Disney spin on Derek Jarman’s “Jubilee” for gay 8-year-olds will find “Cruella” to be flashy fun, even...
Yes, the dastardly fashionista who wanted to skin 101 Dalmatians just to make a coat has been officially retrofitted here, but there’s plenty to enjoy if you don’t mind the fact that this new version of the character eschews fur, canine or otherwise, and doesn’t even smoke. Purists may balk, but viewers who think of this less as a reboot of Dodie Smith’s memorable monster and more as a Disney spin on Derek Jarman’s “Jubilee” for gay 8-year-olds will find “Cruella” to be flashy fun, even...
- 5/26/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
In case you needed reminding: The One Hundred and One Dalmatians franchise has never been about the dogs. No — its real star is Cruella de Vil, the acerbic, deliciously biting antagonist with an unhinged fur obsession.
Betty Lou Gerson voiced the character in the 1961 Disney animated film, investing the villain with wit, haughtiness and an understated charm. Glenn Close came next in 1996’s live-action 101 Dalmatians, all but — excuse the hyperbole — revolutionizing the role. Cruella, in Close’s claws, was sharper, more menacing and, with her untamed two-toned black-and-white hair, scarlet lipstick and maniacal laugh, frankly iconic.
To fill ...
Betty Lou Gerson voiced the character in the 1961 Disney animated film, investing the villain with wit, haughtiness and an understated charm. Glenn Close came next in 1996’s live-action 101 Dalmatians, all but — excuse the hyperbole — revolutionizing the role. Cruella, in Close’s claws, was sharper, more menacing and, with her untamed two-toned black-and-white hair, scarlet lipstick and maniacal laugh, frankly iconic.
To fill ...
- 5/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
In case you needed reminding: The One Hundred and One Dalmatians franchise has never been about the dogs. No — its real star is Cruella de Vil, the acerbic, deliciously biting antagonist with an unhinged fur obsession.
Betty Lou Gerson voiced the character in the 1961 Disney animated film, investing the villain with wit, haughtiness and an understated charm. Glenn Close came next in 1996’s live-action 101 Dalmatians, all but — excuse the hyperbole — revolutionizing the role. Cruella, in Close’s claws, was sharper, more menacing and, with her untamed two-toned black-and-white hair, scarlet lipstick and maniacal laugh, frankly iconic.
To fill ...
Betty Lou Gerson voiced the character in the 1961 Disney animated film, investing the villain with wit, haughtiness and an understated charm. Glenn Close came next in 1996’s live-action 101 Dalmatians, all but — excuse the hyperbole — revolutionizing the role. Cruella, in Close’s claws, was sharper, more menacing and, with her untamed two-toned black-and-white hair, scarlet lipstick and maniacal laugh, frankly iconic.
To fill ...
- 5/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actress Emma Stone will be bringing the story of one of Disney's greatest villains, Cruella de Vil, on the big screen with "Cruella", and she says it comes with a fresh approach and is very "punk rock".
Disney on Saturday shared a first look of the actress as the iconic villain at the D23 Expo here. Stone could not attend the event, but shared information about the project through a video message, in which a dalmatian also made an appearance.
Also Read:?'The Simpsons' producers talks about upcoming Disney spinoffs
"Since you're such huge Disney fans, we wanted to let you know a bit about the story," Stone said, adding, "1970's set in London, it's punk rock".
In the first look of the live-action project, Stone as Cruella is seen with short permed hair with de Vil's signature black and white colour-blocked hairstyle. She is wearing a black leather checkered jacket,...
Disney on Saturday shared a first look of the actress as the iconic villain at the D23 Expo here. Stone could not attend the event, but shared information about the project through a video message, in which a dalmatian also made an appearance.
Also Read:?'The Simpsons' producers talks about upcoming Disney spinoffs
"Since you're such huge Disney fans, we wanted to let you know a bit about the story," Stone said, adding, "1970's set in London, it's punk rock".
In the first look of the live-action project, Stone as Cruella is seen with short permed hair with de Vil's signature black and white colour-blocked hairstyle. She is wearing a black leather checkered jacket,...
- 8/25/2019
- GlamSham
Emma Stone’s Cruella de Vil is significantly more punk rock than her animated counterpart.
Stone appeared via video message to debut the first look of the titular character in Disney’s “Cruella” at D23 on Saturday, also revealing that it will take place in the punk rock era of the 1970s. In the first photo, Stone is sporting Cruella’s famous two-toned hairstyle, and it seems like dalmatians are part of her squad before they started turning into her coats.
Stone stars as the “101 Dalmatians” villain, which tells her story before she was terrorizing the puppies of London as we saw her in the 1961 original. The character was originally voiced by Betty Lou Gerson in the animated film, and played by Glenn Close in a 1996 live-action remake.
The film also stars Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry, and was directed by “I, Tonya” filmmaker Craig Gillespie.
Stone appeared via video message to debut the first look of the titular character in Disney’s “Cruella” at D23 on Saturday, also revealing that it will take place in the punk rock era of the 1970s. In the first photo, Stone is sporting Cruella’s famous two-toned hairstyle, and it seems like dalmatians are part of her squad before they started turning into her coats.
Stone stars as the “101 Dalmatians” villain, which tells her story before she was terrorizing the puppies of London as we saw her in the 1961 original. The character was originally voiced by Betty Lou Gerson in the animated film, and played by Glenn Close in a 1996 live-action remake.
The film also stars Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry, and was directed by “I, Tonya” filmmaker Craig Gillespie.
- 8/24/2019
- by Alex Stedman
- Variety Film + TV
Joseph Baxter May 7, 2019
Cruella will see Oscar winner Emma Stone play the dalmatian-coat-coveting Disney villainess, Cruella de Vil.
Disney continues to power through a drive to produce live-action versions of the myriad classic animated features it's amassed over the better part of the last century. Recent examples include 2014’s Malificent, 2015’s Cinderella, 2016’s The Jungle Book and 2017's Beauty and the Beast, as well as imminent offerings in Aladdin and The Lion King, amongst others. However, one such offering, Cruella, is a prequel of sorts to the traditional story of 101 Dalmatians, which will see Emma Stone playing the ruthlessly avaricious Cruella de Vil.
Cruella will be directed by Craig Gillespie, who recently led star Margot Robbie to Oscar-nominated glory in the biopic, I, Tonya. He works off a screenplay recently rewritten by Jez Butterworth (Spectre).
In the latest Cruella news, Disney has finally dropped a release date.
Cruella Release...
Cruella will see Oscar winner Emma Stone play the dalmatian-coat-coveting Disney villainess, Cruella de Vil.
Disney continues to power through a drive to produce live-action versions of the myriad classic animated features it's amassed over the better part of the last century. Recent examples include 2014’s Malificent, 2015’s Cinderella, 2016’s The Jungle Book and 2017's Beauty and the Beast, as well as imminent offerings in Aladdin and The Lion King, amongst others. However, one such offering, Cruella, is a prequel of sorts to the traditional story of 101 Dalmatians, which will see Emma Stone playing the ruthlessly avaricious Cruella de Vil.
Cruella will be directed by Craig Gillespie, who recently led star Margot Robbie to Oscar-nominated glory in the biopic, I, Tonya. He works off a screenplay recently rewritten by Jez Butterworth (Spectre).
In the latest Cruella news, Disney has finally dropped a release date.
Cruella Release...
- 12/14/2016
- Den of Geek
Disney's next live-action remake of a vault classic -- after Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson -- is Cruella, an origin story of the fabulous, chain-smoking 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella de Vil. Betty Lou Gerson voiced Cruella in the 1961 animated version and Glenn Close donned the dalmatian garb for the '96 live-action update and its sequel. But now a new name is in the mix to play Cruella in its new, inevitably splashy incarnation: Emma Stone. Hmm. Now, I don't know what angle this origin story will take, but here's everything I know about Cruella de Vil: She's a gravel-voiced, middle-aged, character actress role. Emma Stone covers exactly zero of those requirements. And that's fine! I enjoyed Emma Stone in Birdman, Easy A, The Help, and many other movies where she plays a relatable, wittily attitudinal figure. But as Cruella de Vil? Nothing in Stone's career so far indicates...
- 1/7/2016
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
Are you ready for some puppy love? 101 Dalmatians is now available for the first time on Digital HD and Blu-ray, and in celebration, Wamg was invited to a press day for the film at the Ink & Paint building on the Walt Disney Studios Lot. While there, we got the chance to chat with Lisa Davis (English voice of “Anita”), Mimi Gibson (English voice of ‘Lucky’), and Floyd Norman (Animator). We also took a class on painting our own animation cels, which we got to keep. Check out the fun filled day below!
First, we entered a small theater where we were introduced to some of the bonus features on the blu-ray, such as the short film The Further Adventures Of Thunderbolt. The Further Adventures Of Thunderbolt was inspired by the television show that the puppies watch on the tv in the film about a crime fighting dog named Thunderbolt. We...
First, we entered a small theater where we were introduced to some of the bonus features on the blu-ray, such as the short film The Further Adventures Of Thunderbolt. The Further Adventures Of Thunderbolt was inspired by the television show that the puppies watch on the tv in the film about a crime fighting dog named Thunderbolt. We...
- 2/19/2015
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
These days, it’s all about the Disney princesses, but Perdita is merely a dog without high pedigree. As a result, she and her mate Pongo, are often overlooked. They’re certainly overshadowed by their antagonist, the Dalmatian loving Cruella De Vil, about the chew every scene in Once Upon a Time. Thank goodness, then, that Walt Disney reminds us about the utter charm contained within their 1961 release 101 Dalmatians. Out Tuesday in a handsome Diamond Combo Pack, their 17th film holds up remarkably well.
The film arrived at a precarious time for the studio as rising costs made their animated fare very expensive. Tastes were changing and they were now competing with television for the younger eyeballs so a different approach was called for. From a technological standpoint, the arrival of Xerography allowed them to streamline the filmmaking process, reducing costs. Ub Iwerks, one of the grand animators in Walt Disney’s employ,...
The film arrived at a precarious time for the studio as rising costs made their animated fare very expensive. Tastes were changing and they were now competing with television for the younger eyeballs so a different approach was called for. From a technological standpoint, the arrival of Xerography allowed them to streamline the filmmaking process, reducing costs. Ub Iwerks, one of the grand animators in Walt Disney’s employ,...
- 2/8/2015
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Pick your favorite spot to watch—anytime and anywhere—and get ready for a fun-filled adventure with the Diamond Edition of 101 Dalmatians! Pongo, Perdita and their super-adorable puppies are in for thrills, hilarious spills and an epic action-packed adventure when they face off with Cruella De Vil, Disney’s most fabulously outrageous villainess. When Cruella dognaps all of the Dalmatian puppies in London, brave animal heroes launch a daring plan to save all puppies from Cruella’s clutches! Unleash all the excitement and suspense of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, a beloved classic you’ll want to share with your family again and again!
Cast: Rod Taylor (Inglorious Bastards, The Birds) as Pongo, J. Pat O’Malley (The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland) as Jasper and Betty Lou Gerson (The Fly, Cats Don’t Dance) as Cruella de Vil
Producer: Walt Disney
Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton S. Luske and Clyde Geronimi
Writers: Story by Bill Peet.
Cast: Rod Taylor (Inglorious Bastards, The Birds) as Pongo, J. Pat O’Malley (The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland) as Jasper and Betty Lou Gerson (The Fly, Cats Don’t Dance) as Cruella de Vil
Producer: Walt Disney
Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton S. Luske and Clyde Geronimi
Writers: Story by Bill Peet.
- 11/4/2014
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
What happens when you take San Francisco and mash it together with the anime aesthetic of Neo Toyko? Well if you're Disney Animation Studios, you toss in robots and telekinetics then sprinkle with a group of teens loosely based on Japanese Sentai (think 'Sailor Moon' or 'Power Rangers'). Shake it together with an Origin Story™ and you've got the basis for 'Big Hero 6.' Earlier today Disney released the first official trailer for their latest in-house CGI offering. And quite frankly, it looks adorable. Who doesn't love a robot who manifests drunken behavior when his battery runs low? But while the characters and comedic timing in the trailer shine through, repeat viewings reveal a couple of sly Easter Eggs. What? You don't actively seek out the hidden gems lurking in the background animation of every Disney film? Are you new here? The trailer focuses on an exchange between...
- 7/15/2014
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
Next year, Walt Disney Pictures is bringing to the big screen Angelina Jolie as Maleficent , a live-action take on the iconic villainess from the studio's 1959 animated classic, Sleeping Beauty . Today, The Hollywood Reporter brings word that another villain-led feature is on the way with Cruella , following the story of 101 Dalmatians ' Cruella de Vil. De Vil, who originated in Dodie Smith's 1956 book, "The Hundred and One Dalmatians," was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson in Disney's 1961 animated adaptation and played by Glenn Close in the 1996 live-action take (as well as in that film's 2000 sequel, 102 Dalmatians ). Smith also briefly revisited the character in her lesser-known science fiction sequel book, "The Starlight Barking." Aline Brosh McKenna,...
- 9/30/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Brrrrrr. Why am I chilly? Because it's December? Or is it because Cruella de Vil's cheekbones are icy shards of sinew, and I'm dreaming of snuggling them? You just don't know.
Thank God for 101 Dalmatians, the swingin', droll-as-hell Disney animated classic from 1961. Though on the surface 101 Dalmatians is a simple tale of a quaint London couple who own dalmatians and find themselves tangling with dognappers, it's also a showcase of sophisticated characters who are fun and real, even if some of them are talking dogs who've developed a doggy Amber Alert system called The Twilight Bark. Dodie Smith's classic children's book remains timeless in cinematic form, and really sassy too, on occasion. Here are five other reasons 101 Dalmatians may be the Best. Movie. Ever.
1. Cole Porter would've given his gay left nut to write, "Cru-ella! Cru-ella de Villll!"
A quick plot refresher: Struggling songwriter Roger owns an upstanding dalmatian...
Thank God for 101 Dalmatians, the swingin', droll-as-hell Disney animated classic from 1961. Though on the surface 101 Dalmatians is a simple tale of a quaint London couple who own dalmatians and find themselves tangling with dognappers, it's also a showcase of sophisticated characters who are fun and real, even if some of them are talking dogs who've developed a doggy Amber Alert system called The Twilight Bark. Dodie Smith's classic children's book remains timeless in cinematic form, and really sassy too, on occasion. Here are five other reasons 101 Dalmatians may be the Best. Movie. Ever.
1. Cole Porter would've given his gay left nut to write, "Cru-ella! Cru-ella de Villll!"
A quick plot refresher: Struggling songwriter Roger owns an upstanding dalmatian...
- 12/3/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
I've already talked about intentional thrills in Tuesday's Best Movie Ever? subject Halloween, so to celebrate All Hallow's Eve, we're inspecting the flipside: nine unintentionally scary movie moments. I couldn't handle these as a kid, and I still can't handle them now. They're scrumdiddylumptiously traumatizing!
1. Willy Wonka's climactic freakout in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Plenty of Willy Wonka moments qualify as frightening -- the perilous ferry ride, Violet Beauregarde's blueberry explosion, the austere presence of Slugworth -- but angry Gene Wilder is a scary thing. His freakout at the chocolate factory's sole survivor Charlie has been turned into an ever-present internet meme, but I still can't shake the chills of his screamy "You Lose! Good Day, sir!" Trivia note: Did you know that Gene Wilder was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1968 for The Producers but lost to The Subject Was Roses' Jack Albertson, who...
1. Willy Wonka's climactic freakout in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Plenty of Willy Wonka moments qualify as frightening -- the perilous ferry ride, Violet Beauregarde's blueberry explosion, the austere presence of Slugworth -- but angry Gene Wilder is a scary thing. His freakout at the chocolate factory's sole survivor Charlie has been turned into an ever-present internet meme, but I still can't shake the chills of his screamy "You Lose! Good Day, sir!" Trivia note: Did you know that Gene Wilder was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1968 for The Producers but lost to The Subject Was Roses' Jack Albertson, who...
- 10/31/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
101 Dalmatians
Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Written by Bill Peet
Starring Betty Lou Gerson, Rod Taylor, Ben Wright
One of the great ironies of xerography is that, while it was created to help cut costs for the animation arm of the Walt Disney Company, it was first used in a way that was, surprisingly, creatively ambitious. Xerography was a process that Ub Iwerks adopted for the use of animation in the late-1950s; it’s not really hyperbole to say that xerography saved animation at Walt Disney as we know it. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, and reading these columns, don’t worry. I haven’t received a sharp blow to the head, nor has an alien replaced me. I can’t stand most of the xerographic films from Disney from the 1960s and 1970s. (There are exceptions, of course, but in general,...
Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman
Written by Bill Peet
Starring Betty Lou Gerson, Rod Taylor, Ben Wright
One of the great ironies of xerography is that, while it was created to help cut costs for the animation arm of the Walt Disney Company, it was first used in a way that was, surprisingly, creatively ambitious. Xerography was a process that Ub Iwerks adopted for the use of animation in the late-1950s; it’s not really hyperbole to say that xerography saved animation at Walt Disney as we know it. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, and reading these columns, don’t worry. I haven’t received a sharp blow to the head, nor has an alien replaced me. I can’t stand most of the xerographic films from Disney from the 1960s and 1970s. (There are exceptions, of course, but in general,...
- 10/6/2012
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
I hate the end of the summer. Doesn't matter that I'm out of school or living in Los Angeles where it's as eternally sunny as the set of Oklahoma!, but autumn means the death of whimsy and the rebirth of darkness. That's all! Sigh! I refuse to cope. As a tribute to the trillions of children marching back to homeroom this year, I'm toasting one of my favorite kiddy movies ever and the definitive Disney caper, Aladdin.
Surely there are plenty of you who prefer the giddiness of The Little Mermaid or the majesty of Beauty and the Beast, but for me, Aladdin is Walt's definitive latter-day exhibition of style and chutzpah. And it's effing funny. And almost every character is lovable and openly crazy. Without further ado, let's investigate the five key reasons why Aladdin may just be the best movie ever.
1. Aladdin is the finest Disney prince.
Artwork...
Surely there are plenty of you who prefer the giddiness of The Little Mermaid or the majesty of Beauty and the Beast, but for me, Aladdin is Walt's definitive latter-day exhibition of style and chutzpah. And it's effing funny. And almost every character is lovable and openly crazy. Without further ado, let's investigate the five key reasons why Aladdin may just be the best movie ever.
1. Aladdin is the finest Disney prince.
Artwork...
- 9/4/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
It’s Ladies’ Night at the Complex.
We’ve covered a pretty broad spectrum of shady characters over the past few months around here, but with Mother’s Day coming up in a few weeks, we felt it entirely appropriate to tip our collective hats to all the wonderful women that keep us under a thin layer of sweat. Presenting the ten meanest, craziest, and most scandalous chicks to ever set the screen on fire.
Alert: Spoilers abound.
10. Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway, Mommie Dearest, 1981)
Mean broads aren’t all fictional. Believe it or not, there are real live firebreathing witches that walk the very terra firma upon which you stand. So tread lightly, my friend.
Joan Crawford’s reputation as a mean old bag was no secret in 1981 when Mommie Dearest hit the screen. However, it took Faye Dunaway channeling her maniacal soul to really get the message across to the movie-going public.
We’ve covered a pretty broad spectrum of shady characters over the past few months around here, but with Mother’s Day coming up in a few weeks, we felt it entirely appropriate to tip our collective hats to all the wonderful women that keep us under a thin layer of sweat. Presenting the ten meanest, craziest, and most scandalous chicks to ever set the screen on fire.
Alert: Spoilers abound.
10. Joan Crawford (Faye Dunaway, Mommie Dearest, 1981)
Mean broads aren’t all fictional. Believe it or not, there are real live firebreathing witches that walk the very terra firma upon which you stand. So tread lightly, my friend.
Joan Crawford’s reputation as a mean old bag was no secret in 1981 when Mommie Dearest hit the screen. However, it took Faye Dunaway channeling her maniacal soul to really get the message across to the movie-going public.
- 4/18/2012
- by Josh Converse
- Boomtron
The saying goes that the hero of your story is only as great as your villain, On podcast #124 I made a bold statement that the key difference between classic Disney movies and Pixar films is their villains. I love Pixar films, but in my mind classic Disney movies like The Jungle Book and The Lion King are still superior films, principally because they all have the missing ingredient Pixar lacks; iconic, classic and memorable villains. Pixar films are anything but weak, some credit must go towards the heroic characters who inspire courage, hope and charm their ways into our hears, but the same can't be said about the Pixar characters whose job it is to create havoc and fear with their malicious deeds. Whether you love or hate Disney, it cannot be denied that they have come up with some greatest on screen villains in movie-making history. Here is my...
- 6/11/2009
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Turner Feature Animation dishes out some fancy footwork with "Cats Don't Dance", a delightful animated musical that conjures up a blend of those all-singin', all-dancin' vintage Hollywood extravaganzas and those deftly satirical Looney Tunes installments of the '30s and '40s.
These animated animals have a particularly impressive pedigree -- songs by Randy Newman, singing by Natalie Cole and choreography consultation by the late Gene Kelly. Add fine character voice work by the likes of Scott Bakula, Kathy Najimy, Don Knotts and Betty Lou Gerson (the original Cruella DeVil) and bright deco art direction by Brian McEntee ("Beauty and the Beast"), and the result is a fun-for-the-entire-family production that also functions as a gentle parable about ethnic diversity and the American Dream.
Arriving just in time for the Easter break, "Cats Don't Dance" should handily tap into the less-than-crowded family market.
Bakula draws upon his Broadway roots as the voice of Kelly-esque Danny, a song-and-dance cat who leaves Kokomo, Ind., behind for the bright lights of Hollywood, circa 1930.
But the idealistic tabby quickly learns that talent and drive just aren't enough to cut it in a town where animals are relegated to the background, occasionally allowed to utter a "moo" here and an "oink" there, while humans occupy the spotlight.
More than getting her share is Darla Dimple (Ashley Peldon), the reigning darling of L.B. Mammoth Studios. She's an on-camera Shirley Temple and an off-camera Lady Macbeth who calls upon her faithful goon, Max (a hybrid of Erich von Stoheim and the Terminator) to ensure no one attempts to steal her thunder.
The voice talent is uniformly excellent. Bakula, in both speaking and singing mode, combines the right mix of naivete and moxie as the dreaming feline; while the cat's meow, the cynical Sawyer (spoken by Jasmine Guy, sung by Cole), summons up both Doris Day and Cyd Charisse. Also fun are Najimy as a perpetually happy hippo; Knotts as a morose turtle; Gerson as a jaded diva of a fish with the soul of Tallulah Bankhead; John Rhys-Davies as a distinguished pachyderm; and Peldon as the petulant Darla.
Animation veteran Mark Dindal, directing from a screenplay credited to four individuals, makes sure the proceedings move briskly (if, at times, noisily) but never condescendingly. The generous references to Hollywood's colorful Golden Age make the picture amusing for grownups, while the bright blend of traditional and computer-generated visuals draw the young.
Clocking in at a slender 76 minutes, the picture is preceded by a new Warner Bros. animated short produced (but not directed) by the legendary Chuck Jones.
CATS DON'T DANCE
Warner Bros.
A Turner Feature Animation presentation
A David Kirschner production
Director Mark Dindal
Producers David Kirschner, Paul Gertz
Screenwriters Roberts Gannaway,
Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser, Theresa Pettengill
Executive producers David Steinberg,
Charles L. Richardson, Sandy Russell Gartin
Art director Brian McEntee
Music Steve Goldstein
Songs Randy Newman
Color/stereo
Voices:
Danny Scott Bakula
Sawyer Jasmine Guy/Natalie Cole
Woolie John Rhys-Davies
Tillie Kathy Najimy
Darla Dimple Ashley Peldon
L.B. Mammoth George Kennedy
Flanigan Rene Auberjonois
Cranston Hal Holbrook
T.W. Don Knotts
Francis Betty Lou Gerson
Running time -- 76 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
These animated animals have a particularly impressive pedigree -- songs by Randy Newman, singing by Natalie Cole and choreography consultation by the late Gene Kelly. Add fine character voice work by the likes of Scott Bakula, Kathy Najimy, Don Knotts and Betty Lou Gerson (the original Cruella DeVil) and bright deco art direction by Brian McEntee ("Beauty and the Beast"), and the result is a fun-for-the-entire-family production that also functions as a gentle parable about ethnic diversity and the American Dream.
Arriving just in time for the Easter break, "Cats Don't Dance" should handily tap into the less-than-crowded family market.
Bakula draws upon his Broadway roots as the voice of Kelly-esque Danny, a song-and-dance cat who leaves Kokomo, Ind., behind for the bright lights of Hollywood, circa 1930.
But the idealistic tabby quickly learns that talent and drive just aren't enough to cut it in a town where animals are relegated to the background, occasionally allowed to utter a "moo" here and an "oink" there, while humans occupy the spotlight.
More than getting her share is Darla Dimple (Ashley Peldon), the reigning darling of L.B. Mammoth Studios. She's an on-camera Shirley Temple and an off-camera Lady Macbeth who calls upon her faithful goon, Max (a hybrid of Erich von Stoheim and the Terminator) to ensure no one attempts to steal her thunder.
The voice talent is uniformly excellent. Bakula, in both speaking and singing mode, combines the right mix of naivete and moxie as the dreaming feline; while the cat's meow, the cynical Sawyer (spoken by Jasmine Guy, sung by Cole), summons up both Doris Day and Cyd Charisse. Also fun are Najimy as a perpetually happy hippo; Knotts as a morose turtle; Gerson as a jaded diva of a fish with the soul of Tallulah Bankhead; John Rhys-Davies as a distinguished pachyderm; and Peldon as the petulant Darla.
Animation veteran Mark Dindal, directing from a screenplay credited to four individuals, makes sure the proceedings move briskly (if, at times, noisily) but never condescendingly. The generous references to Hollywood's colorful Golden Age make the picture amusing for grownups, while the bright blend of traditional and computer-generated visuals draw the young.
Clocking in at a slender 76 minutes, the picture is preceded by a new Warner Bros. animated short produced (but not directed) by the legendary Chuck Jones.
CATS DON'T DANCE
Warner Bros.
A Turner Feature Animation presentation
A David Kirschner production
Director Mark Dindal
Producers David Kirschner, Paul Gertz
Screenwriters Roberts Gannaway,
Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser, Theresa Pettengill
Executive producers David Steinberg,
Charles L. Richardson, Sandy Russell Gartin
Art director Brian McEntee
Music Steve Goldstein
Songs Randy Newman
Color/stereo
Voices:
Danny Scott Bakula
Sawyer Jasmine Guy/Natalie Cole
Woolie John Rhys-Davies
Tillie Kathy Najimy
Darla Dimple Ashley Peldon
L.B. Mammoth George Kennedy
Flanigan Rene Auberjonois
Cranston Hal Holbrook
T.W. Don Knotts
Francis Betty Lou Gerson
Running time -- 76 minutes
MPAA rating: G...
- 3/21/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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