SHE’S a woman so evil she was willing to try abducting 99 puppies so she could kill them and use their fur to create the perfect coat.
When author Dodie Smith created Cruella de Vil, she didn’t want readers to feel sorry for the villainess but rather to be totally horrified by the extent of her narcissism and cruelty.
But Cruella, the new Disney remake of the tale starring Emma Stone, which examines her backstory does exactly the opposite – and after seeing all the traumatic things that happened to the poor woman in childhood you’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel a bit more sympathetic towards her.
But surely if Dodie was still alive she would have hated this new spin that has been put on her famous classic.
Hardly. I think she would have enjoyed the new Cruella movie, which is currently on circuit. She would have relished the revival of her own fame as Cruella’s creator and would have loved the incarnation of Cruella de Vil as a fashion queen.
After all, Dodie once set herself up as a designer of outlandish clothes. In fact she has such a passion for tall, high-crowned hats with feathers, ruff collars, high heels and colourful shawls that the people in the flat opposite hers would watch her dressing and break into applause as she left for work.
She had cards printed that read: “DODIE SMITH, Quaint Clothes for Queer Customers”. But most of all, what she would have loved about the movie is the money – “the Disney lolly”, as it came to be known in her household.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 24 June 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 24 June 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life