Dodie Smith Dorothy 'Dodie' Smith was the author of the much-loved story for children The Hundred and One Dalmations, which has been adapted for the screen several times, most notably in the classic Walt Disney animation. Dodie Smith was born in 1896. She entered the Academy of Dramatic Art in 1914 and, after a period of time as an actress, she wrote her first play, Autumn Crocus, in 1931. Its success led to her making a name as a playwright, before moving to the United States with her husband during the 1940s. It was here that she began writing novels, including her first - I Capture the Castle - in 1948, The Hundred and One Dalmatians in 1956 and The Starlight Barking in 1967. Dodie Smith died in 1990 but her books for children, particularly her tales about those loveable Dalmatians, continue to charm generations of animal lovers.