Pongo | |
---|---|
Name |
Pongo |
Gender |
Male♂ |
Species |
Dog (Dalmatian) |
Appearances |
One Hundred and One Dalmatians |
Voice Actor(s) |
Rod Taylor |
Portrayed By |
James Ludwig (The 101 Dalmatians Musical) |
“ | ” |
Pongo is a male Dalmatian and the main protagonist of the franchise. His "pet" is Roger Radcliffe (1961 film), Mr. Dearly (book), or Archie Hopper (Once Upon a Time). His character was first introduced in the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith in 1956. In Disney's 101 Dalmatians (1961), he was voiced by Rod Taylor. He is featured in the live action edition 101 Dalmatians (1996), 101 Dalmatians: The Series, the cartoon sequel 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure and 101 Dalmatians Sing Along Songs and 101 Dalmatians . He is also shown as Archie Hopper's dog in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.
Appearance and Personality[]
Pongo is known for his two solid black ears and red collar. He is very intelligent, and is often looked to for advice. It is claimed that he has one of the brightest minds in dogdom, however can be puppy like on some occasions. In the movie he changes the clock and is responsible for Roger and Anita's first meeting. In each story it is his idea to use the Twilight Bark to find the fifteen puppies. He was happy and sweet to his children.
Family[]
Pongo's "pet" is Roger Dearly or Roger Radcliffe depending on the source. His mate is typically called Perdita, although originally he was married to a dog named Missis. They have fifteen puppies: Lucky, Rolly (Roly-Poly), Cadpig and Patch (the book); Pepper, Penny and Freckles (animated movie); Wizzer, Jewel, Fidget, Two-Tone and Dipstick (live-action); and three unnamed puppies (though some sources suggest they are called Blackie, Whitey and Salter).
Pongo shows to be a devoted father, a loving husband and a loyal pet. He views his "pet" Roger as his closet friend and the true reason Roger and Anita met. Even after becoming a father, Pongo remains care-free. He is extremely protective over his children, but balances it with a fun attitude which pleases his pups.
After rescuing the pups from Cruella De Vil, the "Pongos" adopt another 84 puppies. In the cartoon series two are named: Tripod and Duke, and in the book's sequel there is a female named Gay. It is unknown whether these are adopted, original, or something different altogether.
Novel[]
In the original Dodie Smith novel, Pongo is married to another Dalmatian called Missis who added Pongo to her name after their engagement. In his youth, it is said he devoured Shakespeare, in a tasty leather binding, so when Mrs. Dearly named Perdita, he knew where the name came from. He is said to have one of the brightest minds in Dogdom, despite showing traits of being playful as a Pup.
Whilst some humans have the habits of tobacco, Pongo's own form of it is chewing his basket whenever he is in deep thought on something.
When Perdita was taken in to be the puppies' foster mother, there were fears that Missis and the other pups might take a dislike to her. To prove this wrong, Pongo leapt up and opened the kitchen door, allowing both groups to mix in and prove they're okay together.
Whilst on the way to Hell Hall, a human child tries luring Pongo out with some toast, before throwing a stone and injuring Pongo, whilst Missis wished to bite the child, Pongo tells her that she shouldn't since the child is young and doesn't know any better.
When rescuing the puppies, Pongo learns from the Colonel how to open a latch on a door.
Pongo, Missis, and the puppies are soon able to return to London, where they sneak into Cruella's house and destroy her fur wardrobe. They soon return to the Dearlys.
Disney Animated Films[]
101 Dalmatians[]
In the original film, Pongo is the narrator. He is first seen in Roger's bachelor flat, feeling that a bachelor life is a bit dull for him and Roger. He then tries find his master (dogs call them pets) Roger a suitable wife. So far there's no luck until Pongo sees mates that will suit both him and Roger. Pongo changes the clock, to make Roger think that it's time for their walk, and he gets Roger to follow them into the park. Pongo tries to get their attention, by taking Roger's hat and tangling Roger and Anita up in his leash, but it causes him and the humans to fll in to a Pond. Although it seemed terrible for the two, Roger and Anita fall in love, as do Pongo and Anita's dog, Perdita. The happy couples move into a small home and Perdita becomes pregnant. The family is then visited by the villainous Cruella de Vil, who comes in the house smoking and frightens Perdita. This upsets Pongo, who growls at Cruella when she tries to get close. He does try to comfort Perdita on how their humans shall not sell their puppies to Cruella. On a stormy night in October, the puppies arrive, fifteen to be exact. During the birth there were complications and they almost lose Lucky but Roger and Pongo manage to revive him and the number remains fifteen. Cruella de Vil comes once again requesting the puppies, but due to Roger's braveness, Cruella is sent away. She gets her henchman Jasper and Horace to kidnap the puppies.
Pongo suggests to Perdita that they try the Twilight Bark, despite Perdita telling him that it's just a gossip chain. Fortunately, Pongo's message is heard and soon the two get news of where their puppies are, and head to Hell Hall in Suffolk. Pongo and Perdita reach the De Vil Manor just as Horace and Jasper are about to kill the puppies. Jasper tries to fight off Pongo with a fire poker, but Pongo bites the thief on his butt. While the puppies follow the Colonel and Sergeant Tibbs out of the manor to safety, Pongo pulls Jasper's pants down.
Pongo expresses surprise, about how many Puppies there are, and shock to learn about Cruella's plan. He plans to get back to London, but when Patch asks about what the other puppies shall do, he firmly tells Perdita that they shall take all the puppies back, with them. The Dalmatians begin their journey back to London using a frozen tiver to hide their tracks (though Pongo's paws do slip on the ice a bit). Pongo becomes the one to count each Dalmatian while on their journey, with them taking shelter in a dairy farm and then to Damsford, where a Labrador has found a ride for them. He does attempt to cover up their tracks in the snow by using a tree branch, but Cruella still notices them. When Pongo notices that Lucky and Patch have been fighting in the soot, he gets the idea for the Dalmatians to cover themselves in soot to disguise themselves as Labradors. As Pongo is leading them to the van, melting ice reveals the puppies' disguises to Cruella, who chases after the Dalmatians in her car. Fortunately, Cruella and the Baduns crash their vehicles. Pongo and Perdita rescue the puppies, and they reunite with their families just in time for Christmas.
Patch's London Adventure[]
Pongo reappears in the film's sequel along with everyone else. Pongo admits that now that he's a family dog, things are never dull. Pongo is accidentally the true reason his son Patch felt as if he was nothing more than a Dalmatian puppy. This is because Pongo has difficulty with trying to count all the Dalmatian puppies. When he is counting in his sleep, Patch asks him what he thought his son was. Pongo is shocked at the fact that one of his own has once again disappeared. He blames himself for Patch being missing because he lost count. He, along with Perdita, Roger and Anita head back to London to look for him. When they do, he tells his son how much they missed him.
Oliver & Company[]
Pongo makes a cameo in the 1988 Disney film Oliver & Company. He is seen with Roger trying to join Dodger in the song: "Why Should I Worry".
101 Dalmatians: The Series[]
Pongo appears once again in the animated series, but has a very minor role. Pongo has moved to a farm with his family and takes the role as the responsible father of the puppies, Perdita's husband, and Roger's best friend. As shown in "The Dogs of DeVil" and "Splishing and Splashing", he is more laid back than Perdita.
In "Un-Lucky", Pongo assuresLucky about his horseshoe disappearing, saying it's just part of growing up and it'll come back in time. Lucky thinks that, because a horseshoe is a symbol of good luck, it means he'll lose his luck, but Pongo tells him that is irrelevant, and that Lucky makes his own luck through means of thinking, planning ahead, and hard work.
In "Hail to the Chief", as the three main puppies have discussed what they'd have done if either of them was chief fire dog, Pongo explains that while being chief fire dog is a thrill, it is also part of their family duty due to them being Dalmatians, and that in fact, there is a tradition beginning with their great-great-great grandfather Rolando. When Rolly points out that he (the older Rolando) looked like him (Rolly), Pongo tells him he and Perdita had hoped Rolly would follow in Rolando's pawsteps, much to the disbelief and amusement of the other puppies, much to Rolly's anger over being called fat. Pongo comforts him and tells him not to get discouraged, as when it comes to setting his goal, "If you can imagine it, you can become it."
In "Film Fatale", he, Perdita, and all of the puppies (mostly with the exception of Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot) are shown watching the Thunderbolt movie from a hill at a drive-in. This is a speaking appearance of his alongside a non-speaking Perdy. As the movie ends, Pongo reveals that he thought the main puppies knew about this movie playing because they'd left the booklet, as Lucky had been in such a hurry that none of them noticed the other ad on the same cover, and he [Lucky] frets that it is his fault they missed the movie of a lifetime, but Pongo tells him otherwise, as they can always come back tomorrow.
In "Snow Bounders", he goes camping with Roger, in the Mountains, unknowing that Lucky, Cadpig, Rolly, and Spot have stowed away. During the night, as he and Roger roast wienies, Pongo spots a flare Cruella sent up. He acts as a sniffer dog as he and Roger try to find them. When he finds the puppies and Spot with Cruella, he scolds them for their disobedience and grounds them for a week, pointing out to their protestation (especially Cadpig's because it is "cruel and unusual") that they'll survive it "if [they] work together" (like they did to survive the blizzard).
His demotion to a side character is mentioned in "The Making Of...", where he mentions that "the producers decided to go for a 'younger' look."
According to some production material (scripts, storyboards, etc.) he and Perdita use a wagon inside the barn as their bedroom.
Episodes Where Pongo has a speaking role[]
- "Home is Where the Bark Is"
- "No Train, No Gain"
- "The Dogs of DeVil"
- "Lucky to be Alone"
- "Four Stories Up"
- "You Say It's Your Birthday"
- "Lord of the Termites"
- "Hail to the Chief"
- "Food for Thought"
- "Film Fatale"
- "Snow Bounders"
- "Splishing and Splashing"
- "Un-Lucky"
- "The Making Of..."
- "Animal House Party"
- "Dalmatian Vacation"
House of Mouse[]
Pongo makes several cameo appearances in the television series House of Mouse. Pongo's most notable appearance is where the House of Mouse had a black and white day, a tribute to the classic black and white cartoons. When Mickey Mouse informs the club of the tribute, Pongo comments, "It's about time." In this series Michael Bell does both the speaking and vocal effects.
DTV Doggone Valentine[]
Pongo makes an appearance in Disney's Valentine special, one before an advert break, heading to the kitchen with the puppies after listening to Weird Al's "Eat It."
The special then shows an abridged version of the animated 101 Dalmatians movie.
Video Games[]
Pongo makes a minor appearance in Kingdom Hearts, having been transported to Traverse Town with Perdita due to the destruction of their world. During the escape, his owners, Roger and Anita, disappeared during the destruction and the 99 puppies were separated and scattered across other worlds. Sora must locate the puppies throughout Kingdom Hearts and send them back to Perdita in Traverse Town. To return Sora's helpfulness, Pongo and Perdita give gifts to Sora. When Sora sealed Kingdom Hearts, Pongo, Perdita, and all of her children, returned home.
In the 101 Dalmatians: Animated Storybook, Pongo acts as a narrator for two pages; the first one being where Roger wakes up, and the third being when he arranges Roger and Anita's meeting in the park. Here, he is voiced by Michael Gough.
In an early demo version of 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue, Pongo would have been in Dipstick's role. Based on their dialogue, it is possible that this was either a placeholder name, or the game was intended to be focused about Pongo and Perdita's pups (Patches and Dottie, rather than Domino and Oddball in the demo version) before being changed in production to be set about the time of 102 Dalmatians, possibly to coincide with the film.
Theme Parks[]
Pongo makes no live appearances at the park but holds a few tributes. At Walt Disney World Resort's Disney Al-Star Resort, an over-sized statue of Pongo can be seen at the 101 Dalmatians section of the hotel. Pongo's image can also been seen on the window of the Main Street Fire House, in Disneyland Paris, and appears in one of the Shop Windows, both there and in the California Park.
Pongo is also featured in the Walt Disney World interactive game, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Here, Pongo acts as the guide for the mission to defeat Cruella and teams up with the park guest and Merlin the Wizard in a quest to stop Cruella from retrieving the crystal of the Magic Kingdom. In this attraction, Pongo communicates with the park guests through barks translated by Merlin. Pongo also has a spell card called "Pongo's Soot Bucket".
Pongo is featured in the Disney Fantasy cruise attraction, Midship Detective Agency. Here, Pongo's puppies are once again stolen. To save them, he teams up with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy, to search through the ship to find them.
Pongo also appears, along with Perdita and the Dalmatian pups, during the artist names in the animator's palette show on Disney Magic.
Once Upon a Time[]
In the ABC series Once Upon a Time, Jiminy Cricket's Storybrooke counterpart, Archie Hopper, has a Dalmatian named Pongo.
According to the show creators, one of the reasons why Archie's dog is Pongo is because that Dalmatians look like the most magical of all canines.
During the Curse[]
When the dark curse brings the Enchanted Forest inhabitants to Storybrooke, Pongo becomes Archie's companion pet.
When Emma and Henry arrive in Storybrooke, Archie shows up, carrying his umbrella and walking his dog. Archie asks what Henry is doing there and if he is alright. Henry says he is fine, and pets the dog. After Archie, Henry, and Emma are done talking they part ways.
While Archie and Pongo are having their daily walk, they pass by Mr. Gold as they both cross a road.
Archie is having a drink in his office while Pongo sits beside him. Later, at the entrance to the collapsed Storybrooke Mine, Pongo runs across the crater and begins to sniff around the entrance. When Archie and Henry get trapped in the mine, Pongo barks next to Ruby who is sitting on the hill of the crater amongst the townspeople who are all worried about the safety of Archie and Henry. Regina looks annoyed at the dog and turns her attention back to what she was doing. After the mine crater explodes, Pongo barks from the firetruck and Emma rushes over to the firetruck to let him out. The Dalmatian begins to sniff the ground in search of his owner and eventually stops at a particular piece of ground. They discover the air shaft. At the end, Archie is safe and Pongo approaches him.
As Archie is taking a late night walk with Pongo, they run into Emma and have a brief discussion.
When Ruby answers the phones at the sheriff's station, a frightened Miss Ginger calls about a prowler lurking around her house. Ruby assures her that there is no prowler and that it's only Pongo.
After the Curse[]
Pongo is the only witness to Archie's simulated murder created by Cora. Using the dream catcher given to her by Mr. Gold, Emma is able to see the false events that have been perceived by the dog.
He attends Archie's false funeral, and afterwards Marco and Emma decides that now that Archie is gone, it would be good for Henry to keep him. Henry is thrilled at this and takes Pongo outside to clean him up. Later on, Emma and Henry notice that Pongo is acting strangely. Soon afterwards, they get a visitor at the door who turns out to be Archie, alive and well. He tells them the true events of what happened, and that Cora was the one who kidnapped him to make it look like he was murdered by Regina.
He had appeared with Cruella in the episode "Sympthy for the DeVil". Cruella uses her animal control powers on Pongo in order for her to abduct Henry and hold him hostage. Under Cruella's power, Pongo acts more rough and makes sure Henry doesn't escape. When Cruella is knocked from the cliff, Pongo is back to his normal personality.
Other Appearances[]
In The Wonderful World of Disney episode "Adventures in Color", Pongo makes a brief cameo chasing after Ludwig Von Drake after the professor pulled out a large piece of steak to illustrate how dogs see in color.
Pongo can be briefly seen at the start of "The Saga of Windwagon Smith" amongst the inhabitants of the town.
In Star Search, the pups wish to see Thunderbolt appear at the park, but Pongo and Perdita are concerned that since they are such a large group, it would cause issues. Pongo, however, sets off to see if he can get Thunderbolt to come to them (Perdita noticing that he seems just as excited as the pups are). He then returns with Thunderbolt, but learns that Lucky and Freckles have headed off to the park by themselves, and Sgt. Tibbs has already gone ahead to investigate. Pongo arrives to see that Lucky, Freckles and Sgt. Tibbs are being attacked by a vicious dog named Apocolips. Pongo is able to take on Apocolips in a battle, causing the dog to get stuck in the banner on the park stage. This heroism makes Lucky and Freckles see their parents as heroes.
In the book Descendants: Isle of the Lost, Pongo and Perdita are shown to be on the council of sidekicks, able to communicate with Prince Ben (son to Belle and The Beast) with a translation device on Ben's ear.
During the meeting, Pongo admits that while looking after ninety-nine pups can cause him a lack of sleep, he and Perdita are concerned about their pups' education. Prince Ben then passes the "Puppy Grant" benefit to offer financial aid to the Dalmatians, something which Grumpy claims Pongo shall appreciate.
They are also referred to in Descendants: Return to Isle of the Lost, where Doc (one of the Seven Dwarfs) explains that they are touring one hundred and one colleges.
Trivia[]
- According to Disney animators, Pongo has 72 spots.
- According to Disneystrology, his birthday is October 1st.
- According to the DisneyLife app, his pet peeve is humans who think they're as smart as canines.
- By size and behavior, in human years, he is 42 years old.
- In a number of Mel Brooks films, the name Pongo is used. Robin claims to have a dog named Pongo in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, while in Spaceballs, the name of the critic who is doing a review about a film called Rocky 5,000 is also called Pongo. Mel Brooks has confirmed this to be an intentional homage to 101 Dalmatians, as he himself has also had Dalmatians that he calls Pongo or Perdita.
- If you listen closely, when Pongo and Perdita attack Jasper and Horace, their growls and snarls sound like Tramp's.
- Also, some of their growls and snarls are recycled sound effects from Old Yeller when he was fighting the wolf.
- Pongo's bark is later given to Toby from The Great Mouse Detective.
Known Puppies
Males | |
Lucky | |
Patch | |
Rolly | |
Freckles | |
Wizzer | |
Females | |
Cadpig | |
Penny | |
Jewel | |
Two-Tone |