So, we’re doing this, the first faux update on the site. But, some may protest, some of it surely was real. If, for some reason, that is important to you, feel free to cite sources. I found the standard sanctimonious denials anyone would give for a not-a-period-piece film heavily featuring fur fashion released in 1996. 101 Dalmatians is most assuredly an opportunity missed, but hey, take comfort in the fact that Disney did make a live-action Cruella movie where she wears fur for more than 5 seconds.
101 Dalmatians – The Film
Based on an animated film based on a book, this was one of Disney’s earlier attempts to dip into the pool of live-action remakes that does not rely quite so heavily on CGI animals (there may still be a few). It is the story of a fashion visionary with a passion for the objectively best type of textiles who is constantly foiled by the evil schemes of a few dumbasses and their dogs. Or something like that…
101 Dalmatians – The “Furs”
The grand entrance of Cruella herself (Glenn Close) with a fake fur muff and stole.
We get some brief glimpses of the work of the House of De Vil, again, all fake.
There is a nicely framed shot of Cruella and the stole.
Since we’re doing faux, we could pile on feathers.
Plus, this particularly fakey faux tiger skin.
Next up, a lengthy scene with this faux hat. If you like this hat, you will see it a lot.
See, it’s the same color split as her hair. Fashion!
Up next is a rather difficult-to-clock faux muff, so here is a cap from a lightning flash. Like many pieces in this film, it is shot in the dark, which makes it easier to obscure the quality of the fake.
They follow this one up with a brief shot of Cruella wearing this jacket. We can only sigh at the tragic losses in the endangered plush cheetah population.
Okay, here we go. If you’re going to argue something in the film may be real fur, I’ll allow the possibility this could be it. The film’s “marquee” fur is still mostly lamb or wool.
Here’s a link to some hi-res images that even claim it is mink. Multiple contradictory sources say nothing in the film was real fur, including the principal designer Anthony Powell.
As I mentioned, it is shot terribly, even if it’s real. The entire Act 3 climax is at night and only gets darker from there when the action moves to a barn interior.
Finally, I submit the following, which is most certainly fake. Since this one is fake, the rest most certainly could be.
At the risk of confirming the obvious: I do not like the “fur” fashion in this film. It’s cool if it’s important to you and “formative.” I was already “formed” when it hit theaters and was… unimpressed. Not that I expected anything else; it was 1996, after all. One does not get forged in the mega fox crucible of the 1980s and feel the least bit compelled by a parade of synthetic creations, most more fake than the last.
Where does it stack up? Well, for a movie about a lady who loves fur, it has about 9 minutes of a 103-minute runtime with the thing she loves most in it. I should note a couple of other things. First, Glenn Close did a great job. Unlike the portrayal of another of my favorite characters, this one was fine. The script and the acting really brought the character to life. It’s just disappointing it wasn’t released in 1986.
- Feather + Faux Fur Runtime: approx 9 minutes
- Film Runtime: 103 minutes
- On-Screen Ratio: 9%
Crazy that I would review a movie with so much faux fur. I mean, I should probably have a separate site for entirely fake stuff, like “faux.furglamor.com” or something. But I probably won’t review any more faux-only films for a long time. In the meantime, whatever would I use “faux.furglamor.com” for? I guess I’ll figure something out…
Find-a-Fur: 101 Dalmatians, 1996
(all times are approximate and are affected by the cut of the film)
- 06:30 – 08:00 – outfit 1
- 31:20 – outfit 2
- 39:20 – outfit 3 ?
- 1:01:30 – outfit 4
- 1:03:20 – outfit 5 (the big one)
- 1:13:20 – ”
- 1:15:50 – ”
- 1:20:35 – 1:27:50 – ”
Fur Fashion Gallery: 101 Dalmatians, 1996
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