Wolfgang Reitherman was a German–American animator, director, animation director, sequence director and producer for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Often noted as one of the "Nine Old Men", he directed a total of seven consecutive Disney animated feature films from One Hundred and One Dalmatians to The Rescuers. He was also assigned to direct The Fox and the Hound with Art Stevens as co-director, but was resigned in 1979, although remained as co-producer. Animators Ted Berman and Richard Rich overtook directing The Fox and the Hound as their directorial debuts. Reitherman had already started becoming a director for the studio with the 1957 short film The Truth About Mother Goose, which was co-directed by Bill Justice.
As for One Hundred and One Dalmatians, it is his only 101 Dalmatians credit, and directed the film with Hamilton Luske and Clyde Geronimi.