Beyond the Chase

🌱 Childhood Bonds

The story commences with an orphaned red fox kit, Tod, who is adopted by the kind Widow Tweed, with the help of Big Mama the owl and her friends Dinky and Boomer. Concurrently, Widow Tweed's neighbor, hunter Amos Slade, acquires a young hound puppy named Copper, who forms a bond with Chief, an older hunting dog. Tod and Copper meet as youngsters and forge an unbreakable bond, vowing eternal friendship. However, Amos's frustration with Copper's playful wanderings leads him to leash the pup, and a subsequent chase involving Chief results in Amos threatening Tod's life if he ever trespasses again.

🍂 The Inevitable Divide

As hunting season approaches, Amos takes Chief and Copper into the wilderness. Big Mama attempts to convey to Tod that Copper will soon become his adversary, a notion Tod naively dismisses, clinging to their childhood pledge. Upon their return the following spring, both Tod and Copper have matured. Copper has become a skilled hunting dog, expected to track foxes. A late-night visit by Tod to Copper's home awakens Chief, initiating a chase. Copper, catching Tod, discreetly allows him to escape while diverting Amos. Tragically, Chief is struck by an oncoming train during the pursuit, suffering a broken leg.

🤝 A Test of Loyalty

Blaming Tod for Chief's injury, Copper and Amos vow revenge. Recognizing the danger, Widow Tweed releases Tod into a game reserve for his safety. After a challenging night in the wild, Tod is introduced to Vixey, a female fox who assists him in adapting to his new environment. The climax unfolds when Amos and Copper illegally enter the reserve to hunt Tod and Vixey. Their pursuit inadvertently provokes a ferocious bear attack. Amos becomes ensnared in his own trap, and Copper bravely confronts the bear, nearly perishing. Tod intervenes, battling the bear until both fall down a waterfall.

✨ Enduring Friendship

As Copper approaches the wounded Tod in the lake, Amos appears, rifle poised. Copper, however, positions himself protectively in front of Tod, refusing to yield. Understanding that Tod saved their lives from the bear, Amos spares the fox and departs with Copper. The film concludes with Tod and Copper sharing a final, knowing smile before their paths diverge. Back home, Widow Tweed tends to Amos's injuries, while Copper reflects on his initial meeting with Tod. Vixey joins Tod atop a hill, gazing down at the homes of Amos and Tweed, symbolizing the enduring, albeit altered, connection between the two worlds.

📜 Genesis and Early Hurdles

Walt Disney Productions secured the film rights to Daniel P. Mannix's novel in May 1967. However, active development did not commence until spring 1977, after Wolfgang Reitherman, inspired by his son's pet fox, recognized its potential as an animated feature. Initially titled The Fox and the Hounds, the plural was dropped as the narrative sharpened its focus on the two central characters.

Reitherman served as the original director alongside Art Stevens as co-director. A notable power struggle emerged between the two directors and co-producer Ron Miller over critical film segments. Miller supported the younger Stevens, urging Reitherman to delegate to junior personnel, a suggestion Reitherman initially resisted due to a lack of trust in the burgeoning animators.

🚧 Creative Conflicts and Departures

A significant point of contention was Chief's fate. In the novel, Chief dies, and animator Ron Clements advocated for this outcome, arguing it was essential for Copper's motivation. However, Art Stevens insisted on Chief's survival, stating, "Geez, we never killed a main character in a Disney film and we're not starting now!" Upper management supported Stevens, leading to the scene being modified to a non-fatal broken leg, with Randy Cartwright reanimating Copper's discovery of Chief to show he was alive.

Another dispute arose when Reitherman proposed a musical sequence featuring two swooping cranes, voiced by Phil Harris and Charo, singing "Scoobie-Doobie Doobie Doo, Let Your Body Turn to Goo." This scene was widely disliked by studio personnel, including Stevens, who deemed it "totally out of place." After extensive story conferences, the sequence was removed, leading Reitherman to concede, "I dunno, Art, maybe this is a young man's medium."

🎨 Animation Transition

By late 1978, veteran animators Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Cliff Nordberg had completed their contributions. The film marked the last project involving Disney's "Nine Old Men," who retired early in production. The animation responsibilities then transitioned to a new generation of artists, including future luminaries like John Lasseter, John Musker, Ron Clements, Glen Keane, Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Henry Selick, Chris Buck, Mike Gabriel, and Mark Dindal. These animators, graduates of the in-house training program, would become instrumental in the subsequent Disney Renaissance.

However, this transition was not without friction. Don Bluth and his team, who had animated substantial scenes, felt Reitherman was too rigid. On September 13, 1979, Bluth, Gary Goldman, and John Pomeroy, along with 13 other animators, resigned. Despite their significant work, they requested no screen credit. This mass departure compelled Ron Miller to delay the film's release from Christmas 1980 to summer 1981. New animators were hired and promoted, with veteran assistant animators providing crucial quality control. After four years of production, the film was completed, comprising approximately 360,000 drawings, 110,000 painted cels, and 1,100 painted backgrounds, with a team of 180 people, including 24 animators.

🚀 Theatrical Debut & Reissues

The Fox and the Hound premiered in theaters on July 10, 1981, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution. Its initial release was often accompanied by the short film Once Upon a Mouse. The film was later re-released theatrically on March 25, 1988.

For home media, the film first appeared on VHS on March 4, 1994, as the final entry in the Walt Disney Classics line, entering moratorium on April 30, 1995. A Region 1 DVD release followed on May 2, 2000, as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection, with a simultaneous VHS re-issue. This edition also entered moratorium in January 2006. A 25th-anniversary special edition DVD was released on October 10, 2006. The film made its Blu-ray debut on August 9, 2011, as a 30th-anniversary 3-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack, bundled with The Fox and the Hound 2. This Blu-ray featured a new digital restoration and presented the film in 1.66:1 widescreen with 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

💰 Box Office Performance

At the time of its original release, The Fox and the Hound was the most expensive animated film ever produced, costing $12 million. It proved to be a financial success, grossing $39.9 million domestically in its initial run, setting a new record for an animated film. Its distributor rentals were reported at $14.2 million, with international rentals totaling $43 million. The 1988 re-release added another $23.5 million, bringing its lifetime gross to $63.5 million.

Critiques Critical Discourse

The film received mixed reviews upon its initial release. Vincent Canby of The New York Times described it as "a pretty, relentlessly cheery, old-fashioned sort of Disney cartoon feature," noting its "overstuffed whimsy" and a climax that could "scare the daylights out of the smaller tykes." Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times praised the animation but criticized the story for being too safe, arguing it limited growth by avoiding "rage, from pain, from loss." David Ansen of Newsweek suggested it was not intended for adults, despite some "sticky-sweet songs."

Conversely, Richard Corliss of Time magazine lauded the film for its intelligent exploration of prejudice, highlighting its powerful moral message about how biased attitudes can corrupt even the deepest relationships. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times also praised it as a "thoughtful meditation on how society determines our behavior," marking a departure for Disney. Retrospective reviews have varied, with TV Guide giving it four out of five stars, commending its "heart" and animation quality. Michael Scheinfeld of Common Sense Media rated it 4 out of 5, noting its "thoughtful examination of friendship and includes some mature themes, especially loss."

Jerry Beck considered the film "average" but praised Pearl Bailey's voice work and Glen Keane's detailed animation of the bear fight. Leonard Maltin found it "charming," "warm, and brimming with personable characters," approaching "the old Disney magic at times," despite relying on "formula cuteness." Craig Butler of AllMovie called it "warm and amusing, if slightly dull," but lauded its climax and animation. Rob Humanick of Slant Magazine viewed it as a transition point, combining the best qualities of old and new animation generations, placing it near "benchmark-status works." Rotten Tomatoes reported a 75% approval rating based on 28 reviews, with a consensus that it is "a likeable, charming, unassuming effort that manages to transcend its thin, predictable plot." Metacritic assigned a score of 65 based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

📚 Comic Adaptations

Beyond the film, the characters of The Fox and the Hound extended into various comic adaptations, featuring new adventures unconnected to the movie's plot. These expanded the universe and continued the characters' stories for fans.

• The Lost Fawn: Copper uses his keen sense of smell to help Tod locate a lost fawn.
• The Escape: Tod and Vixey embark on a mission to rescue a Canadian goose from a bobcat.
• The Chase: Copper is tasked with safeguarding a sleepwalking Chief.
• Feathered Friends: Dinky and Boomer go to great lengths to protect one of Widow Tweed's chickens from a coyote.

A comic adaptation of the film itself, illustrated by Richard Moore, was serialized in newspapers as part of Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales. Additionally, a comic book titled The Fox and the Hound offered new adventures. From 1981 to 2007, various Fox and the Hound Disney comic stories were produced internationally in Italy, Netherlands, Brazil, France, and the United States.

🎬 The Sequel

An intermediate follow-up film, The Fox and the Hound 2, was released directly-to-DVD on December 12, 2006. This sequel's storyline is set during Tod and Copper's youth, preceding the events of the latter half of the original film. It explores Copper's temptation to join a band of singing stray dogs known as "The Singin' Strays," which consequently jeopardizes his cherished friendship with Tod. The film received critical panning, with reviewers largely dismissing it as a weak imitation of its predecessor.

📜 References