How One Hundred and One Dalmatians Saved Disney



Once upon a time, animation in feature films was a tedious, expensive process. Each animation cel went through numerous processes. First they were hand-sketched, then cleaned up, then copied, then colored. The 1959 film Sleeping Beauty required a million animated cels that went through numerous hands, at a cost of six million dollars. And then it only made five million in its initial run. Something had to change.

Take a closer look at Walt Disney’s 1961 animated One Hundred and One Dalmatians film, and you may notice its animation style looks a little different from its predecessors. With its dark outlines defining characters from backgrounds, its departure from the subtle and sensitive animation of Sleeping Beauty just two years prior was considered jarring to some.

That’s because the film is completely Xeroxed. The technology, invented by American physicist Chester Carlson in the 1940s, completely streamlined the animation process, and ultimately saved Disney’s beloved animation department.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians proved that a good story and cute animals were more important than beautiful artwork, or at least more cost-effective. Read how Disney adopted Xerox technology and how it changed the industry at Smithsonian.


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"...a good story and cute animals were more important than beautiful artwork"- Disney movies are very stylized, and they always have been- for example, Sleeping Beauty's art style was intentionally vertical. The artwork in Dalmations is very good- Disney always had a high standard, so to imply that it isn't or that Disney was just cheaping out is a bit silly. Not every style appeals to every palette, and some styles, like those in 101 Dalmatians and Aristocats, are more a product of the time they were made in. Besides, the backgrounds in those movies, while simple, are still well drawn, but also allow for the main focus to be on the characters in the foreground, which is as it should be.
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That was the first Disney movie I ever saw.And at least they didn't push the poor puppies off the cliff edge like lemons !

Sit, Rick ! Good dog, now lime down.
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I think you have to address the issues of culture too when looking at who is to blame for diet. Coca cola ads abund with the statement, 'Coke adds life and everyone needs a bit of life'....'A Mars a day helps you work rest and play'..catchy and memorable...and we are like monkeys and copy behaviour...and parents can't be left out of this equation...as mum's and dad's influence too...economics...yes the poor will say a £1.99 chicken and chips meal is the cheapest way to feed a family...I've seen the results in their lives...'cos some people do this daily...bad...pie ads on tv are trying to make pies look sexy ..interesting isn't it!
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Eating healthy foods and engaging in exercise is a personal responsibility. I fear the government with the power to control what I eat or force me to work out.
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I was an obese child (& adult), struggling with my weight all my life. I can remember when I ate school lunches in elementary school, they were processed foods way back when and it has gotten worse since then.
When will we wake up and see the food that is being heavily advertised to us is killing our children and ourselves???!!!
This YouTube documentary (Killer At Large)is from 2008. The US Surgeon General states that obesity is the largest threat in America. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iBHm5zji_Y)
I have taken back my health & life by eating whole foods and taking supplements that support every metabolic function in my body.I never felt better.
I pray that America will wake up and teach our children about the dangers of processed, refined foods, sugar, flour and the dangers of eating an empty nutritious diet. Also, like Jamie Oliver, I wish they would wake up and feed our children healthy food at school so they have a good foundation.
I read a study that our children also have the highest rates of diabetes, high blood pressure & heart problems at a very young age. That are likely to see our children die young.
How sad!
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