Italian postcard by Grafiche Biondetti, Verona, no. 128/2. Image: Walt Disney Productions, 1980. Photo: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
Belgian postcard by Edicorna. Image: Walt Disney Productions, 1980. Image: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
French postcard by Editions G. Ricard, Paris, no. WD 12/57. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Photo: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981). The French film title is Rox et Rouky.
Two old comrades forced to become enemies
The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981), based on the book by Daniel P. Mannix, is about Tod and Copper, an adopted red fox and a to-be hunting hound. It was produced by Ron Miller, Wolfgang Reitherman, and Art Stevens.
After a young red fox is orphaned, Big Mama the owl and her friends, Dinky the sparrow and Boomer the woodpecker, arrange for him to be adopted by a kindly farmer named Widow Tweed, who names him Tod. The kindly old widow nurses Tod back to health.
Right next door, bitter old hunter Amos Slade brings home a young hound puppy named Copper to be groomed as a hunting dog. He introduces him to his old hunting dog, Chief, who is at first annoyed by him but then learns to love him. One day, Tod and Copper meet, and the two pups become inseparable playmates, pledging eternal friendship.
Amos grows frustrated at Copper for constantly wandering off to play and places him on a leash. While playing with Copper outside his barrel, Tod accidentally awakens Chief. Amos and Chief chase him until they are stopped by Tweed. After an argument, Amos threatens to kill Tod if he trespasses on his property again. Hunting season comes, and Amos takes Chief and Copper into the wilderness for the interim. Meanwhile, Big Mama, Dinky, and Boomer attempt to explain to Tod that Copper will soon become his enemy. However, he naively insists that they will remain friends forever.
The following spring, Tod and Copper reach adulthood. Copper returns as an expert hunting dog who is expected to track down foxes. Late at night, Tod sneaks over to visit him. Their conversation awakens Chief, who alerts Amos. A chase ensues, and Copper catches Tod but lets him go while diverting Amos. Chief catches Tod as he attempts an escape on a railroad track, but an oncoming train strikes him, resulting in him falling into the river below and breaking his leg. Enraged by this, Copper and Amos blame Tod for the accident and vow vengeance. Realising Tod is no longer safe with her, Tweed leaves him at a game reserve. After a disastrous night on his own in the woods, Big Mama introduces him to Vixey, a female fox who helps him adapt to life there.
Italian postcard by Grafiche Biondetti, Verona, no. 128/1. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
Belgian postcard by Edicorna, 1980. Photo: Walt Disney Productions. Image: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981). Sent by mail in 1986.
Belgian postcard by Edicorna. Image: Walt Disney Productions, 1980. Image: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
A charming film that is vastly underrated
The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981) lacks the proverbial Disney happy ending and feel-good formula that is the framework for most Disney films. Thanks to its bittersweet delivery and surprising realism, The Fox and the Hound is one of the better Disney productions after the death of Walt Disney.
Walt Disney Productions first obtained the film rights to the novel by Daniel P. Mannix in 1967. Ten years later, actual development on the film would start in spring 1977. It marked the last involvement of the remaining members of Disney's Nine Old Men, which included Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Though they had involvement in the early development of the film, it was ultimately handed over to a new generation of animators following the retirement of the old animators. As such, it was the first film for future directors, including Tim Burton, John Musker, Henry Selick, Brad Bird, and John Lasseter.
The production of the film was troubled. Halfway through production, Don Bluth left Disney, taking many of Disney's best animators with him. Other animators resigned or passed away, and some drawings were stolen. New animators were hired and promoted to fill the ranks. To compensate for the lack of experience of the new animators, much of the quality control would rely upon a network of veteran assistant animators. Further concerns were raised over the handling of the scene in which Chief is hit by a train, which was originally planned to result in his death. After debating the handling of the scene, the filmmakers decided to change the death into a non-fatal injury, by which he merely suffers a broken leg. The film's release was delayed from Christmas 1980 to summer 1981. Though Bluth and his team had animated substantial scenes, they asked not to receive screen credit.
Four years after production started, the film was released to cinemas by Buena Vista Distribution. The American voice actors are remarkable. Keith Mitchell and Corey Feldman provided the voices of Young Tod and Young Copper. Pearl Bailey was the kind-hearted teacher to Tod, Big Mama. Jeanette Nolan was the second choice for Widow Tweed after Helen Hayes turned down the role. An odd choice was Mickey Rooney for Tod. Eli Copperman at IMDb: "But he's able to come off as brash and young as ever in his sly role, and Kurt Russell gives off a brooding yet innocent presence of Copper maturing in his later years." At the time of its release, it was the most expensive animated film produced to date, costing $12 million. The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981) was a financial success, earning $39.9 million domestically. It was nominated for three awards, of which it won one. It was re-released to theatres in 1988. An intermediate follow-up, The Fox and the Hound 2 (Jim Kammerud, 2006), was released directly-to-DVD.
At the time, reviews were mixed, but at IMDb, the reviewers are more positive. Eli Copperman at IMDb: "The Fox and the Hound feels like a fascinating case study of the Disney studio getting itself back up on its feet after the death of its founder. While it might not have been as strong in its execution as its concept, it does at least have its moments of impact that understandably resonated with its own generation." Bethany Cox at IMDb: "I found the ending when Copper saves Tod's life and vice versa very moving, as well as the scenes in the forest - Widow Tweed taking leave of Tod is a real tearjerker. It did actually show that friendship isn't always forever, which is true to some extent, but loyalty is. I have heard complaints about Boomer and his friends slowing the film down, but I honestly thought their antics were really funny and actually added to the charm that the film already had. This was one of my favourites, and still moves me, but in conclusion to me now, it is a charming film that is vastly underrated." We agree, this is an underrated classic.
Italian postcard by Grafiche Biondetti, Verona. Photo: Walt Disney Productions. Image: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
French postcard by Editions G. Picard, Paris, no. WD 12/59. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Photo: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981). The French title was Rox et Rouky.
French postcard by Editions G. Picard, Paris, no. WD 13/62. Image: Walt Disney Productions. Photo: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981). The French title is Rox et Rouky.
Italian postcard by Grafiche Biondetti, Verona, no. 128/3. Image: Disney. Image: publicity still for The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, 1981).
Sources: Eli Copperman (IMDb), Bethany Cox (IMDb), Wikipedia (English and Dutch) and IMDb.
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