Original Production Animation Cel of Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961

Original Production Animation Cel of Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961

Original hand painted production animation cel of Cruella De Vil from "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," 1961, Walt Disney Studios; Set on a lithographic background; Size - Cruella De Vil: 6 1/4" x 8 1/2", Image 8 3/4" x 12 1/2"; Unframed.

"Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you; no evil thing will." - Roger

One Hundred and One Dalmatians (commonly known as 101 Dalmatians) is a 1961 full-length animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions. Adapted from Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel of the same name, the film stars Rod Taylor as the voice of Pongo and Cate Bauer as Perdita, with Betty Lou Gerson delivering an unforgettable performance as the glamorous yet villainous Cruella de Vil. Beyond its enduring story and characters, the film is especially notable for its innovative and distinctive animation style, which marked a pivotal turning point in the history of Disney animation.

The stylistic shift seen in 101 Dalmatians was born largely out of necessity. Disney’s previous animated feature, Sleeping Beauty (1959), was extraordinarily expensive to produce and suffered a significant financial loss at the box office. During its production, Walt Disney reportedly confided to animator Eric Larson, “I don’t think we can continue, it’s too expensive.” Since animation was the foundation of the Disney studio, Walt was determined to find a way to keep producing animated features while dramatically reducing costs.

A crucial breakthrough came from animator and technical innovator Ub Iwerks, who had been experimenting with Xerox photography as a tool for animation. By 1959, Iwerks had successfully modified a Xerox camera to transfer animators’ original pencil drawings directly onto animation cels. This revolutionary process preserved the spontaneity, energy, and individuality of the pencil lines while eliminating the labor-intensive hand-inking stage, resulting in significant savings of both time and money. The limitation, however, was that the process produced a scratchy black outline and lacked the refined elegance of traditional inked cels. Rather than disguising this constraint, 101 Dalmatians embraced it, giving the film its bold, graphic, and modern aesthetic.

Among the film’s most enduring achievements is the creation of Cruella de Vil, who—alongside Maleficent—ranks among the most beloved and iconic Disney villains. Both characters were animated by the legendary Marc Davis, one of Disney’s famed “Nine Old Men.” Cruella originated in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel, but it was Davis’s visual interpretation that cemented her place in popular culture. Drawing from Smith’s characterization, Davis, with storyman Bill Peet, radically transformed Cruella’s appearance: making her razor-thin, exaggerating her oversized fur coat, and heightening her angular, almost predatory silhouette. Her long cigarette holder was modeled on one Davis himself used, adding an air of decadent affectation.

Davis also drew inspiration from larger-than-life Hollywood personalities such as Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis, and Rosalind Russell. As Davis later explained, Cruella’s movement was designed to be consistently unsettling—“like someone you wouldn’t like.” He further noted that part of her behavior was inspired by “one woman I knew who was just a monster—she was tall and thin and talked constantly. You never knew what she was saying, but you couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

Completing the character was the electrifying voice performance by Betty Lou Gerson. Having previously worked with Disney as the narrator for Cinderella (1950), Gerson delivered a career-defining performance as Cruella de Vil. Her shrill, imperious delivery—particularly the now-iconic exclamation, “Anita, darling!”—has become deeply ingrained in Disney pop culture and remains instantly recognizable decades later.

This animation cel captures Cruella de Vil at her most quintessential: she is full figure, her right arm raised in a dramatic wave, eyes wide open, a wicked grimace curling across her face. She wears her classic mink coat and holds her cigarette and holder delicately in her right hand, embodying both elegance and menace. It is a superb example of Disney villain animation and a striking representation of the bold Xerox-era style. An exceptional addition to any Disney Villains collection or serious animation art collection.

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