The Fox and the Hound facts for kids

The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 American animated movie made by Walt Disney Productions. It is the 24th Disney animated movie. The story is based on a 1967 book by Daniel P. Mannix with the same name.

The movie tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a young red fox named Tod and a hound dog named Copper. Even though they are best friends, their natural instincts and the people around them try to make them enemies. The movie was directed by Ted Berman, Richard Rich, and Art Stevens. Famous actors like Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell lent their voices to the characters.

Making the Movie

How the Idea Started

Walt Disney Productions bought the rights to make this movie in 1967. However, the actual work on the film did not begin until the spring of 1977.

New Animators Take Over

The Fox and the Hound was a special movie because it was the last one to involve some of Disney's original, very experienced animators. These animators were known as Disney's Nine Old Men. Two of them were Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.

As the older animators retired, a new generation of artists took over. But the original animators still helped a lot in the early stages of making the movie. This film also marked the first work for future famous directors like Tim Burton, Brad Bird, and John Lasseter.

Challenges During Production

Making the movie was not always easy. Its release was delayed by more than six months. This happened because a group of animators, led by Don Bluth, suddenly left Disney.

There was also a big discussion about what would happen to the character Chief. In the original book, Chief dies after being hit by a train. However, the movie makers decided that Chief would survive with a broken leg instead. This change caused some disagreement among the people working on the film.

Release and Success

The Fox and the Hound first came out in movie theaters on July 10, 1981. It was released by Buena Vista Distribution. The movie was very successful at the box office. It earned $39.9 million in the United States and was the 14th highest-grossing movie of that year.

At the time, it was the most expensive animated movie ever made, costing $12 million. The movie was shown in theaters again on March 25, 1988. Later, a follow-up movie called The Fox and the Hound 2 was released directly to DVD on December 12, 2006.

Home Viewing

The movie was first released on VHS tapes on March 4, 1994. It was later released on Region 1 DVD for the first time on May 2, 2000. A special 25th anniversary DVD edition came out on October 10, 2006.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, The Fox and the Hound was released on Blu-ray on August 9, 2011. This release included a new digital restoration, making the movie look better than ever. It was also available in a combo pack with The Fox and the Hound 2.

Characters and Voice Actors

Here are the main characters and the actors who gave them their voices:

• Mickey Rooney as Tod (the fox)
• Kurt Russell as Copper (the hound dog)
• Pearl Bailey as Big Mama (an owl who helps Tod)
• Jack Albertson as Amos Slade (Copper's owner)
• Sandy Duncan as Vixey (a female fox)
• Jeanette Nolan as Widow Tweed (Tod's owner)
• Pat Buttram as Chief (Amos Slade's older dog)
• John Fiedler as The Porcupine
• John McIntire as The Badger
• Dick Bakalyan as Dinky (a finch)
• Paul Winchell as Boomer (a woodpecker)
• Keith Mitchell as Young Tod
• Corey Feldman as Young Copper

Awards and Recognition

The Fox and the Hound received a Golden Screen Award in Germany in 1982. In the same year, it was also nominated for a Young Artist Award and the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film.

The Story Continues

A follow-up movie, The Fox and the Hound 2, was released directly to DVD on December 12, 2006. This movie tells a story about Tod and Copper when they were younger. It happens before the later parts of the first movie.

In the second movie, Copper wants to join a band of singing stray dogs. This new interest tests his friendship with Tod. Many critics did not like the follow-up, saying it was not as good as the first movie.

Images for kids

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  The departure of Don Bluth, as well as several other animators, caused the film's original release date of Christmas 1980 to be delayed by over six months.

See also

In Spanish: The Fox and the Hound para niños