The Fox and the Hound
| The Fox and the Hound | |
|---|---|
| File:Foxhoundposter.jpg Original theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ted Berman Richard Rich Art Stevens |
| Written by | Screenplay: Ted Berman Larry Clemmons Story: David Michener Peter Young Burny Mattinson Novel: Daniel P. Mannix |
| Produced by | Ron Miller Art Stevens Wolfgang Reitherman |
| Starring | Mickey Rooney Kurt Russell Pearl Bailey Pat Buttram Sandy Duncan Richard Bakalyan Paul Winchell Jack Albertson Jeanette Nolan John Fiedler John McIntire Keith Mitchell Corey Feldman |
| Edited by | James Koford James Melton |
| Music by | Score: Buddy Baker Songs: Richard Johnson Richard Rich Jim Stafford Jeffrey Patch |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution Greater Union Organization (Australia) |
Release date | July 10, 1981 |
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12 million [1] |
| Box office | $39.9 million[2] |
The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 American animated feature loosely based on the Daniel P. Mannix novel of the same name, produced by Walt Disney Productions and released in the United States on July 10, 1981. The 24th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film tells the story of two unlikely friends, a red fox named Tod and a hound dog named Copper, who struggle to preserve their friendship despite their emerging instincts and the surrounding social pressures demanding them to be adversaries.
The film is directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich and features the voices of Kurt Russell, Mickey Rooney, Pearl Bailey, Pat Buttram, Sandy Duncan, Richard Bakalyan, Paul Winchell, Jack Albertson, Jeanette Nolan, John Fiedler, John McIntire, Keith Mitchell, and Corey Feldman. Despite originally receiving mixed reviews, the film developed a cult following and was nominated for three awards. At the time of release it was the most expensive animated film produced to date, costing $12 million.[1]
It was also the final Disney film to have all the credits in the title sequence as opposed to having end credits and have the words, "The End. A Walt Disney Production" at the end of the film, the last Disney animated film to use the Buena Vista logo, and the last Disney film in which Don Bluth was involved in its production. A direct-to-video midquel, The Fox and the Hound 2, was released to DVD on December 12, 2006. This film is rated G but it had deciptions of violence and frightening scenes.
Plot
After a young red fox is orphaned, Big Mama (Pearl Bailey) the owl, Boomer (Paul Winchell) the woodpecker, and Dinky (Richard Bakalyan) the finch arrange for him to be adopted by Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan). Tweed names him Tod (voiced by Keith Coogan), since he reminds her of a toddler. Meanwhile, Tweed's neighbor, Amos Slade (Jack Albertson), brings home a young hound puppy named Copper (Corey Feldman) and introduces him to his hunting dog Chief (Pat Buttram). Tod and Copper become playmates, and vow to remain "friends forever." Slade grows frustrated at Copper for constantly wandering off to play, and places him on a leash. While playing with Copper at his home, Tod awakens Chief. Slade and Chief chase him until they are stopped by Tweed. After an argument, Slade says that he will kill Tod if he enters his farm again. Hunting season comes and Slade takes his dogs into the wilderness for the interim. Meanwhile, Big Mama explains to Tod that his friendship with Copper cannot continue, as they are natural enemies, but Tod refuses to believe her.
Months pass, and Tod and Copper reach adulthood. On the night of Copper's return, Tod (Mickey Rooney) sneaks over to meet him. Copper (Kurt Russell) explains that while he still values Tod as a friend, he is a hunting dog now and things are different. Chief awakens and alerts Slade, a chase ensues and Copper catches Tod. Copper lets Tod go then diverts Chief and Slade. Chief maintains his pursuit onto a railroad track where he is struck by a train and wounded. Copper and Slade blame Tod for the accident and swear vengeance. Tweed realizes that her pet is no longer safe with her and leaves him at a game preserve. Big Mama introduces him to a female fox named Vixey (Sandy Duncan), then Slade and Copper trespass into the preserve and hunt the two foxes. The chase climaxes when Slade and Copper inadvertently provoke an attack from a bear. Slade trips and is caught in his own trap and drops his gun just out of reach. Copper fights the bear but is no match for it. Tod battles the bear until they both fall down a waterfall. Copper approaches Tod as he lies in the lake below when Slade appears, ready to fire at the fox. Copper interposes his body in front of Tod, and refuses to move away. Slade lowers his gun and leaves with Copper, but not before the two former adversaries share one last smile before parting. At home, Tweed nurses Slade back to health while the dogs rest. Copper, before resting, smiles as he remembers the day when he became friends with Tod. On a hill Vixey joins Tod as he looks down on the homes of Copper and Tweed.
Production
The story was loosely based on Daniel Mannix's 1967 novel of the same name. The book had a more realistic story; it dealt with the quest of a hunter and his dog Copper to shoot Tod after he killed the hunter's new dog Chief. The novel was mainly about Tod's life in the woods. While he was raised by humans he was not childhood friends with Copper and none of the animals spoke. The story was changed to make it more suitable for a family film; instead of a story about the life and death of a fox, it became a parable about how society determines one's role despite his or her better impulses.[3]
Production of the film began in 1977.[4] The film marked a turning point in the studio: Walt Disney's "nine old men" did initial development of the animation, but by the end of production the younger set of Disney animators completed the production process.[5][6][7] Wolfgang Reitherman was producer, and championed staying true to the novel, and Larry Clemmons was head of the story team. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston did much of the early development of the main characters. The newer generation of animators, such as Don Bluth, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, and John Musker, would finalize the animation and complete the film's production. These animators had moved through the in-house animation training program, and would all play an important role in the Disney Renaissance of the eighties and nineties.[5]
However, the transition between the old guard and the new resulting in arguments over how to handle the film. Reitherman has his own ideas on the designs and layouts that should be used, but the newer team backed Stevens. Animator Don Bluth declared Disney's work "stale" and walked out with eleven others to form his own studio. With 17% of the animators now gone, production on The Fox and the Hound was delayed.[4] Bluth had animated Widow Tweed and her cow, Abigail, and his team worked on the rest of the sequence. The exodus of so many animators forced the cancellation of the film's original Christmas 1980 premiere while new artists were hired.[8] Four years later the film was finished. Approximately 360,000 drawings, 110,000 painted cels, 1,100 painted backgrounds made up the finished product. A total of 180 people, including 24 animators, worked on the film.[4]
In the original screenplay, Chief was slated to die the same as in the novel, but Stevens did not want to have an on-screen death and modified the film so that he survived, like Baloo in The Jungle Book, and Trusty in Lady and the Tramp.[8]
Release
The Fox and the Hound premiered in theaters on July 10, 1981.[8] It was re-released to theaters on March 25, 1988. Its first home video release, on VHS format, came on March 4, 1994 as the last video of the "Walt Disney Classics" collection (it was not included in the "Masterpiece Collection"). On May 2, 2000, it was released to Region 1 DVD for the first time under the "Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection". A 25th anniversary special edition DVD, featuring a remastered version of the film and a disc of extras, was released on October 10, 2006.
Reception
The film was considered a financial success,[2]. In The Animated Movie Guide, Jerry Beck considered the film "average", though he praises the voice work of Pearl Bailey as Big Momma, and the extreme dedication to detail shown by animator Glen Keane in crafting the fight scene between Copper, Tod, and the bear.[8] In The Disney Films, Leonard Maltin also notes that the fight scene between Copper, Tod, and the bear received great praise in the animation world. Maltin felt the film relied too much on "formula cuteness, formula comedy relief, and even formula characterizations".[9] Overall, he considered the film "charming" stating that it is "warm, and brimming with personable characters" and that it "approaches the old Disney magic at times."[10]
Richard Corliss of Time Magazine, praised the film for an intelligent story about prejudice. He argued that the film shows that biased attitudes can poison even the deepest relationships, and the film's bittersweet ending delivers a powerful and important moral message to audiences.[11] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Times also praised the film, saying that "for all of its familiar qualities, this movie marks something of a departure for the Disney studio, and its movement is in an interesting direction. The Fox and the Hound is one of those relatively rare Disney animated features that contains a useful lesson for its younger audiences. It's not just cute animals and frightening adventures and a happy ending; it's also a rather thoughtful meditation on how society determines our behavior."[3]
The film gained a considerable following and it was awarded a Golden Screen Award at the Goldene Leinwand Awards in 1982. It was also nominated for a Young Artist Award and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film. It has a "fresh" 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 21 reviews with a 6.7 score, with a consensus that states, "The Fox and the Hound, is a likeable, charming, unassuming effort that manages to transcend its thin, predictable plot". Among users, the film scored 87% with a 7.1 rating.[12]
Use in other media
As well as adaptations of the film itself, comic strips featuring the characters also appeared in stories unconnected to the film. Examples include The Lost Fawn, in which Copper uses his sense of smell to help Tod find a fawn who has gone astray;[13] The Chase, in which Copper has to safeguard a sleepwalking Chief;[14] and Feathered Friends, in which the birds Dinky and Boomer have to go to desparate lengths to save one of Widow Tweed's chickens from a wolf.[15]
A comic adaptation of the film, drawn by Richard Moore, was published in newspapers as part of Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales.[16] A comic-book titled The Fox and the Hound followed, with new adventures of the characters. Since 1981 and up to 2007, a few Fox and the Hound Disney comics stories were produced in Italy, Netherlands, Brazil, France and USA.[17]
Midquel
A direct-to-video midquel, The Fox and the Hound 2, was released on December 12, 2006[18] The film takes place during Tod and Copper's youth, before the events of the later half of this film.
References
- ^ a b Ansen, David (July 13, 1981). "Forest Friendship". Newsweek: 81.
- ^ a b "The Fox and the Hound (1981)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ a b Suntimes.comRoger Ebert's review of the film
- ^ a b c "The Fox and the Hound Movie History". Disney Archives. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
- ^ a b Finch, Christopher: "Chapter 9: The End of an Era", pages 260-266. The Art of Walt Disney, 2004
- ^ Variety.comVariety information on Disney Animation school and new animators starting with this film
- ^ AWN.com Reference from Animation World Magazine, reference for this section
- ^ a b c d Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press. pp. 86–87. ISBN 1556525915.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2000). "Chapter 3: Without Walt". The Disney Films. p. 275.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2010). Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. p. 490. ISBN 0451227646.
- ^ Time.comTime magazine review.
- ^ The Fox and the Hound Movie Reviews, Pictures
- ^ inducks.org
- ^ inducks.org
- ^ inducks.org
- ^ A. Becattini, L. Boschi, La produzione sindacata, 1984, p. 55.
- ^ List of comics on Inducks
- ^ http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/the-fox-and-the-hound-2.html
External links
