Cruella de Vil — Based on Tallulah Bankhead
Tallulah Bankhead, known for her reputation as a crass and avaricious actress, found herself on the blocklist in the entertainment industry. While her persona might not have made her an ideal choice to voice the villainous Cruella de Vil, her personality served as the perfect muse for the character. In the final film, the talented Betty Lou Gerson provided the voice for the infamous villainess. However, Marc Davis, the animator responsible for “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” drew inspiration for the character’s essence from Tallulah Bankhead.
While Betty Lou Gerson’s cheekbone structure served as a reference point, everything else about Cruella, from her extravagant fashion sense to her ruthless determination, bore the unmistakable influence of Tallulah Bankhead’s larger-than-life persona. The decision to channel Bankhead’s personality into Cruella de Vil added a unique and captivating dimension to one of Disney’s most iconic villains.
