The Fox and the Hound

Released in 1981 as the twenty-fourth animated feature in the Disney canon, The Fox and the Hound was a transitional work for the studio. It was the last film to involve the original Nine Old Men animators, several of whom retired during production. Directed by Richard Rich, Art Stevens, and Ted Berman, the film adapts Daniel P. Mannix's 1967 novel, though it softens the book's considerably darker conclusion. The story follows Tod, an orphaned fox raised by a widow, and Copper, a hound puppy trained to hunt foxes. Their childhood friendship is tested as they mature into their prescribed roles.

The production employed cost-saving measures, including limited animation in some sequences, and the $12 million budget was modest for a Disney animated feature at the time. The voice cast included Mickey Rooney as Tod, Kurt Russell as Copper, and Pearl Bailey as Big Mama the owl. Bailey's character was originally written as male but was rewritten to accommodate her casting. The film grossed $29.8 million worldwide, a respectable but not spectacular sum. Its soundtrack, composed by Buddy Baker, features songs performed by Bailey and Jack Albertson, and the score has a pastoral, Americana quality.

Though not regarded as one of Disney's strongest entries, the film has endured as a quiet, emotionally honest story about the impossibility of certain friendships. It was re-released theatrically in 1988 and has maintained steady home video sales. A direct-to-video sequel, The Fox and the Hound 2, came out in 2006 to generally negative reviews. The original film is often discussed for its mature themes and its tearjerker ending, which has been referenced in other media and parodied in popular culture.[edit]

A young fox kit, orphaned and alone, is found by Widow Tweed, a kind elderly woman living on a farm in the rural American countryside. She names him Tod and raises him as a pet, despite the warnings of her neighbor Amos Slade, a hunter who keeps a pair of hounds. Meanwhile, Slade brings home a new hound puppy named Copper, intending to train him as a hunting dog. Tod and Copper meet by chance in the forest and, ignoring their natural instincts, become fast friends. They play together, explore the woods, and promise to remain friends forever, unaware of the forces that will pull them apart.

As the seasons pass, Tod and Copper grow older. Copper is trained by Slade to track and hunt foxes, while Tod is warned by his animal friends, Big Mama, a wise owl; Dinky, a finch; and Boomer, a woodpecker, that he can no longer trust Copper. The tension escalates when Tod accidentally disrupts Slade's property, prompting the hunter to declare war on the fox. Copper, now a full-grown hound, is torn between his loyalty to his master and his childhood bond with Tod. Slade's older hound, Chief, becomes Tod's primary pursuer.

Tod is taken by Widow Tweed to a game reserve to keep him safe, but Slade follows with Copper. In the forest, Tod meets a vixen named Vixey and begins to adapt to life in the wild. But Slade's relentless hunt forces a confrontation. The forest animals rally to protect Tod, but the chase culminates in a dangerous encounter with a bear. Copper, ordered to attack Tod, hesitates, remembering their friendship. The bear attacks Slade, and Tod and Copper must work together to drive it away. Slade, witnessing their cooperation, finally relents and spares Tod. The film ends with Tod and Copper meeting as adults in the forest, acknowledging their different paths but reaffirming their bond before parting.[edit]