When Dodie Smith first introduced Cruella de Vil in her novel The One Hundred and One Dalmatians, she called immediate attention to the villain’s outfit. The book’s human protagonists, Mr. and Mrs.

Disney’s upcoming live-action film, “Cruella,” is a prequel to “101 Dalmatians.” Emma Stone plays the title character of Cruella de Vil, showing her backstory as a budding designer in 1970s London.

For decades, Cruella de Vil has been known as one of Disney’s most evil characters. “Cruel” and “devil” are literally in her name. She’s on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 Greatest ...