The Fox and the Hound
Directed by	Ted Berman Richard Rich
Produced by	Ron Miller Art Stevens Wolfgang Reitherman
Written by	Ted Berman Larry Clemmons
Starring	Mickey Rooney Kurt Russell Pearl Bailey Jack Albertson
Music by	Buddy Baker
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures Buena Vista Distribution
Release date	July 10, 1981 (USA)
Running time	83 minutes
Language	English
Preceded by	The Rescuers (1977)
Followed by	The Black Cauldron (1985)
IMDb profile

The Fox and the Hound is the twenty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. The film was first released to movie theatres in the U.S. by July 10, 1981. A direct-to-video sequel, The Fox and the Hound 2, will be released in 2006. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (509x788, 74 KB) Summary Poster of The Fox and the Hound (1981). ... Richard Rich is an American animated film director. ... Ron Miller can refer to three different people: Ron W. Miller is the son-in-law of Walt Disney and was CEO and president of Walt Disney Productions in the 1970s and 80s. ... Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 - May 22, 1985) was a famed Disney animator and one of Disneys Nine Old Men. ... Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Jonathan Jack Albertson (June 16, 1907 - November 25, 1981) was considered a complete entertainer from the old school. ... For the American composer, see Buddy Baker (composer). ... Walt Disney Pictures is an American movie studio, with off-shoot studios in Japan and other sites in the United States. ... Buena Vista production logo, 1950s. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Rescuers is the twenty-third film in the Disney animated features canon. ... The Black Cauldron (also known as Taran and the Magic Cauldron in some countries) is the twenty-fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Animation refers to the technique in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... This is a list of animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Productions/The Walt Disney Company: Official canon The following is a list of the forty-four feature films officially part of the Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) canon. ... A typical megaplex (AMC Ontario Mills 30 in Ontario, California). ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A film that is released direct-to-video (also straight-to-video) is one which has been released to the public on home video formats first rather than first being released in movie theaters. ... The Fox and the Hound 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1981 film The Fox and the Hound. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Cast

• Mickey Rooney as Tod
• Kurt Russell as Copper
• Pearl Bailey as Big Momma
• Jack Albertson as Amos Slade
• Jeanette Nolan as Widow Tweed
• Pat Buttram as Chief
• Keith Coogan as Young Tod
• Corey Feldman as Young Copper
• Sandy Duncan as Vixey
• Paul Winchell as Boomer
• Richard Bakalyan as Dinkey
• John Fiedler as The Porcupine
• John McIntire as The Grumpy Badger

Actor Mickey Rooney speaks at the Pentagon in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the USO. Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. ... Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. ... Pearl Bailey in “St. ... Jonathan Jack Albertson (June 16, 1907 - November 25, 1981) was considered a complete entertainer from the old school. ... Jeanette Nolan was an American actress who was born on December 30, 1911, in Los Angeles, California. ... Pat Buttram (born June 19, 1915 in Addison, Alabama; died January 8, 1994 in Los Angeles, California) was an American actor, famous for his many movies as a sidekick of Gene Autry playing the role of Smiley. In Gene Autry movies, Pat Buttram played a variety of sidekicks with different... Keith Coogan (b. ... Corey Feldman (4th from the left) with The Goonies cast in a 2001 reunion Corey Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor best known as a popular child star in the 1980s. ... Sandy Duncan (born February 20, 1946 in Henderson, Texas) is an American singer and actress of stage and television. ... Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Paul Winchell (December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005), born Paul Wilchin in New York, New York, was a ventriloquist and voice actor whose fame flourished in the 1950s and 1960s. ... John Fiedler (b. ... McIntire in The Asphalt Jungle Craggly-faced film actor John McIntire (June 27, 1907 - January 30, 1991) was born in Spokane, Washington and raised in Montana, growing up with ranchers and cowboys which would eventually inspire his performances in dozens of westerns later in life. ...

Plot summary

A young fox kit is left orphaned when his mother is killed. A kindly owl, named Big Mama, arranges him to be adopted by the compassionate Widow Tweed as a pet on her farm and names him Tod. Shortly after that, Tweed's neighbour, an ill tempered hunter named Amos Slade, brings home a young hound puppy named Copper. A Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) A fox is a member of any of 27 species of small omnivorous canids. ... Families Strigidae Tytonidae An owl is a member of any of about 220 (222 currently known) species of solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey in the order Strigiformes. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ...

The two young animals meet and quickly form a fast friendship they feel will last forever. However, Tod's visit to Slade's farm goes disastrously wrong when he inadvertently awakens the hunter's mean older dog, Chief, who promptly chases him throughout the farm with Slade shooting at him as well. Although the pursuit is stopped by the furious Widow Tweed, the belligerent Slade makes it clear that he intends to kill Tod at his first opportunity.

However, the matter is shelved for the moment with hunting season commencing and Slade takes his dogs into the wilderness for the interim. Months pass, and Copper becomes an excellent hunting dog while Tod refuses to believe that his friendship with him will be gone when the dog returns. Upon Copper's return, Tod meets him only to find that his friend can barely tolerate his presence beyond a warning to keep his distance from now on for his own sake.

However, Chief awakens and chases Tod along with Slade while Copper reluctantly deciding to relent in his assumed role in his hunting role to divert Tod's pursuers. However, Chief maintains the pursuit up on a railroad track trestle when a fast-moving train suddenly approaches. Tod is able to duck under the vehicle, but Chief is struck and wounded. Finding Chief wounded, Copper swears revenge on Tod.

Realizing that Tod cannot safely stay on her farm now, Tweed leaves him at a nature preserve. Although Tod has a difficult time adjusting, Big Mama helps by introducing him to a beautiful vixen, named Vixey, and the two hit it off well (in no time at all Vixey is commenting on how many kits she thinks would be a good number, thought she does it so subtly that Tod is just confused).

However, the vengeful Slade and Copper trespass into the preserve to kill Tod with leghold traps and guns. The result is a harrowing chase throughout the forest that climaxes when Slade and Copper inadvertantly provoke an attack from a disturbed bear. Against his better judgement, Tod intervenes to save his friend and lures the bear on to a fallen trunk that breaks and sends the two falling down a waterfall. Trapper redirects here. ... Genera A bear is a large mammal of the order Carnivora, family Ursidae. ... Hopetoun Falls near Otway National Park, Victoria, Australia A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water, often in the form of a stream, flowing over an erosion-resistant rock formation that forms a sudden break in elevation. ...

Tod survives and meets Copper at shore, who is stunned at Tod's heroism for his sake in spite of current events. However, Slade does not share any gratitude and suddenly appears, still vindictively eager to kill the fox. Copper makes the moral decision of interposing his body in front of Tod and Slade, reluctant to kill his best hound for a petty vendetta against a fox who had just saved their lives, is forced to relent and return home. The fox and hound share one final smile before going their separate ways. Amos Slade hurts his leg from the traps he left, and Tweed helps him recover. Amos Slade and Widow Tweed become good friends.

In the end, Tod and Copper reconcile that they may never be able to hang out together like they used to, but their love and friendships can still be cherished through their memories.

Both Copper and Tod at the very end are also shown sadly smiling in a very touching scene with the reflection of their past promise in their minds, that they "will ALWAYS be good friends...forever..."

Release History

The Fox and the Hound was released in theaters in 1981 and 1988. It was released in VHS, and was the last video on the "Classics Collection" in 1994. This movie was not included in the "Masterpiece Collection". It was released in the "Gold Collection" in 2000.

Critical reaction

The Fox and the Hound remains unusual among Disney films in that it (together with 1995's Pocahontas) does not have a traditional happy ending (This is rather disputed, but generally regarded to be the case in spite of the difficulty which comes with trying to judge a "happy ending" objectively). Pocahontas is the thirty-third animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... For the slang meaning of happy ending, see here. ...

Although the film was a financial success, the general reaction by film critics to the film was mixed. Many were disappointed that the predominantly young creative staff, many of whom had only recently joined the company, had produced a film that seemed very conservative in both concept and execution. Other critics, like Richard Corliss of Time Magazine, praised the film for its intelligent story about prejudice. He argued the film shows that prejudiced attitudes can poison even the deepest relationships, and the film's bittersweet ending delivers a powerful and important moral message to audiences. Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films. ... Richard Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports, and has distinguished himself for his clever way with words. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ... For with(out) prejudice in law, see Prejudice (law). ... A moral is a one sentence remark made at the end of many childrens stories that expresses the intended meaning, or the moral message, of the tale. ...

Information

The storyline was loosely based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Mannix. for others of similar name, see Daniel Mannix (disambiguation) Daniel Pratt Mannix IV, usually called Daniel P. Mannix (October 27, 1911-January 29, 1997), was a Pennsylvania-born author and journalist whose best-known work is the 1967 novel The Fox and the Hound on which the Disney movie was...

The co-directors for the film were Ted Berman (December 17, 1919 - July 15, 2001), Richard Rich and Art Stevens. December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Richard Rich is an American animated film director. ...

Berman previously had credits as a character animator for the 1961 feature film One Hundred and One Dalmatians and writer for the 1977 film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. He would later be co-director for the 1985 film The Black Cauldron. An animator is one who is involved in the process of animation. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... One Hundred and One Dalmatians (often shortened as 101 Dalmatians) is the seventeenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a full-length animated film produced by Walt Disney Productions and first released on March 11, 1977. ... This article is about the year. ... The Black Cauldron (also known as Taran and the Magic Cauldron in some countries) is the twenty-fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ...

Rich had been a Disney employee since 1972 but this was his first major assignment. He would also serve as a co-director for The Black Cauldron. He would later found the Rich Animation Studios. Their best known film is arguably the 1994 film The Swan Princess. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ... A 1994 film based on the ballet Swan Lake. This was the last film to rely on traditional hand drawn animation. ...

Stevens was previously credited as a character animator for the 1953 Peter Pan, the previously mentioned One Hundred and One Dalmatians and the 1973 Robin Hood. He had also previously directed the 1977 film The Rescuers. 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... Peter Pan is the fourteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Robin Hood was a animated film by Walt Disney Studios, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Rescuers is the twenty-third film in the Disney animated features canon. ...

Originally, the writers of the film wanted Chief to die when he got hit by the train, to make Copper's revenge against Tod more extreme. However, that idea was scrapped because of the mistakes the Disney crew learned from making "Bambi" and a similar event in "Lady and the Tramp." Like Bambi, Tod's mother is also killed, but she was only on screen for three minutes, unlike Bambi's mother being a major character. Nonetheless some viewers find the death of Tod's mother to be as shattering as that of Bambi's. Bambi is the fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942 and produced by Walt Disney. ... Lady and the Tramp is the fifteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ...

Trivia

• In the scene where Tod tries to find shelter in the woods during a rainstorm, we see a family of ducks in animation lifted from Disney's 1942 feature Bambi. Also borrowed in the movie are a twice-appearing family of quail (again from Bambi) and a squirrel whose appearance is identical to Wart / Arthur as a squirrel in The Sword in The Stone.
• The last Disney animated feature to end simply with a "The End; Walt Disney Productions" credit, like all previous Disney films after Alice in Wonderland (All credits were at the beginning). The next Disney animated film, The Black Cauldron, was the first to have closing credits.
• Tim Burton did design work on the film, as he worked for Disney at the time.

Bambi is the fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942 and produced by Walt Disney. ... Alice in Wonderland is the thirteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... The Black Cauldron (also known as Taran and the Magic Cauldron in some countries) is the twenty-fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ...

External links

• A profile of the film and its characters
• The Fox and the Hound at the Internet Movie Database

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about actors, films, television shows, television stars, video games and production crew personnel. ...