The comedy knocked "Star Trek: First Contact" into second place with an estimated take of $25.35 million, followed by "Space Jam" with $17.9 million.
The success of "101 Dalmatians" was no surprise. The movie was pushed by a huge marketing campaign and had the Thanksgiving weekend to itself. The only other openings were for a trio of limited-release films: "The Crucible" played at just one theater while "Ridicule" and "Sling Blade" were on three screens each.
"Dalmatians," a live-action version of the 1961 animated feature, stars Glenn Close as an evil fashion designer who wants to turn puppies into a fur coat.
The opening took the record for a five-day Thanksgiving opening from "Back to the Future 2," which debuted with $43 million in 1989.