The Fox and the Hound Theatrical Release: July 10, 1981 / Running Time: 83 Minutes / Rating: G Directors: Art Stevens, Ted Berman, Richard Rich Voice Cast: Mickey Rooney (Tod), Kurt Russell (Copper), Pearl Bailey (Big Mama), Jack Albertson (Amos Slade), Sandy Duncan (Vixey), Jeanette Nolan (Widow Tweed), Pat Buttram (Chief), John Fiedler (Porcupine), John McIntire (Badger), Dick Bakalyan (Dinky), Paul Winchell (Boomer), Keith Coogan (Young Tod), Corey Feldman (Young Copper) Songs: "Best of Friends", "Lack of Education", "A Huntin' Man", "Goodbye May Seem Forever", "Appreciate the Lady"

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Nowadays, it's the rare year that doesn't see the Walt Disney Company releasing a new animated film to theaters. But not that long ago, things were quite different. When The Fox and the Hound opened in theaters in July of 1981, it was the first new cartoon feature Disney had put out in over four years. It would also be the last of its kind for four more years to come. Sure, in that 8-year span, Disney kept moviegoing audiences entertained with increasingly polished live action productions, a handful of new featurette-length cartoon shorts, and, their biggest and most consistent box office draw, reissues of their animated hits up to thrice a year. But the creation of feature-length animation -- the domain Disney became known for and unparalleled in -- was fading from the foreground; the period saw twice as many new theme parks opened (one in Florida, one in Japan) as it did full-length animated movies. Fortunately, even with Walt Disney ten years gone and much of his pioneering staff of animators moving into retirement, The Fox and the Hound illustrated that "Disney magic" was very much still around. Children of the late '70s and early '80s, who were treated to a re-release of 101 Dalmatians in 1979 and Lady and the Tramp in March of 1980, would have been hard-pressed to notice much separating Fox and the Hound from its predecessors. Like those two, Fox exists primarily in a world of anthropomorphized canids. The film's opening seems to summon another animated Disney animal film as its inspiration (Bambi), as a young fox loses his mother. With the help of Big Mama, a soulful owl, the kit gets a home with Widow Tweed, an independent elderly woman living in the country. He also gets a name: Tod, short for "toddler" (but without the second d, you see). In his ordinary-seeming outdoor play, Tod encounters Copper, a young hound dog who himself was recently given a home with hunting man Amos Slade. Copper's mode of life differs from Tod's; where Tod has a kindly owner, indoor access, plus Big Mama and a pair of light-hearted birds (named Dinky and Boomer) in his yard, nearby Copper has a sleepy old dog named Chief as his yard-mate and an unscrupulous master who dabbles in fur trade. In spite of the differences and the fact that their kinds traditionally have a rocky relationship, Tod and Copper quickly hit it off and become, as Pearl Bailey (the voice of Big Mama) sings, the "best of friends." Though depicted briefly, the viewer truly gathers that Tod and Copper have connected in a sincere and palpable way. Amos's response -- tying up Copper -- can only relocate the fun. But soon it's time for Copper to go hunting with Amos, on a trip that will last half the year. When spring arrives, just as in Bambi, the leads have grown up and spent time away from each other. Tod and Copper's reunion is not the cheeriest, as Copper has been trained to hunt animals like foxes. Will the past friendship be rekindled or the unpromising present prove too much of a challenge? In The Fox and the Hound, the answer may not be what you'd expect. By public opinion, Fox and the Hound certainly falls in the middle of the road as far as Disney's animated classics go. Its original box office gross (just a shade under $40 million domestically) was fairly potent; it placed 14th for the year, considerably higher than the Christmastime re-release of Cinderella, but far short of the blockbuster status achieved by the year's biggest films, which included Raiders of the Lost Ark, On Golden Pond, Superman II, Arthur, and Stripes. Clearly, the new Disney animated classic was years away from being re-elevated to the type of big event it was in its advent. At the same time, Fox's performance was pretty robust next to recent films like Treasure Planet and Home on the Range, which had comparative grosses when inflation is ignored. Turning twenty-five this year, believe it or not, Fox does now seem to qualify as a "classic" based on its age. But, more importantly, there is an enduring nature of the film which leaves it both resonant and involving in ways that modern animated works all too often are not. By a record of its turn of events, Fox seems like a fairly simple and non-eventful film. Yet at its average 83-minute runtime, the movie seems to move briskly. There aren't the snappy one-liners and throwaway gags that populate today's cartoons. Things are fleshed out at their own pace, which in turn makes them compelling enough not to notice the slight paucity of plot. In the movie's climactic scene, not a single word of dialogue is uttered and yet, it is thoroughly evocative and remarkably expressive. Fox may also seem derivative. "What would Walt do?" was a credo that was in vogue during the years of Ron Miller's leadership in the late '70s and early '80s. A coming-of-age tale about animals who become friends may seem as safe and traditional as anything Disney's Feature Animation department could do. Truth be told, the movie is probably as inspired by the embraced creature-driven tales I've already mentioned plenty as it is shaped by Daniel P. Mannix's 1967 novel of the same title. Disney may have been brave enough to allow the period's live action works to venture into the "PG"-rated waters and genres beyond comedy; noteworthy output included The Black Hole, The Devil and Max Devlin, The Watcher in the Woods, Tex, and Tron. But as far as animation goes, such experimenting would not begin until after Fox was released. New management came in, released the surprisingly dark, long-in-production fantasy The Black Cauldron, made just half as much as Fox and the Hound and upbeat musicals starring animals quickly returned. Still, there are modern sensibilities about this film which work to its benefit. A sense of real adventure and drama, which had largely been absent since the last-supervised-by-Walt project, The Jungle Book (1967), are complemented by a distinct moviemaking style. This tone is established in a dramatic opening sequence which finds credits overlaid as they would be a live action film today. Though a period piece, the film features dialogue that does not take it into overly cute or dated areas. The music, on the other hand, does age the film a bit. But it's low-key and sufficiently spread out so as not to detract from the proceedings. The one song with lasting power -- "Best of Friends" -- is not performed by a character on screen. The others tend to be like Lady and the Tramp's "What is a Baby?" - they're delivered and are kind of musical, but are not likely to stay in your mind or end up covered on a Disneymania CD. I've been mostly praiseworthy with Fox and the Hound and when given a fair shake, I think most viewers would respond in the same way. So, why hasn't this picture emerged as the definitive animated film for a certain generation? I suppose that the lack of traditionally crucial elements (music, witty dialogue, the fantastic) that provides a favorable departure from formula also contributes to the movie not leaving as vivid an impression on audiences. There aren't many scenes to re-enact, songs to sing, or jokes to share. Characters may be partly to blame as well. Tod and Copper are playful and have their diverging life calls, but beyond that, there isn't much to say. Human characters Amos and Widow Tweed appear to have more depth to them (or they at least hint at it), but they take a background to their pets. Supporting characters are not given much flair: Big Mama lives up to her namesake by being both large and matronly, but the shortage of screen time and clever dialogue leaves the others unable to join the ranks of memorable side personalities like Jiminy Cricket, Flower, Iago, or even Meeko. The love interest introduced near the end of the film, Vixey, essentially exists as Tod with eyelashes and a female voice. There is also the fact that Disney began releasing their animated films to VHS just a few years after this movie was sent to theaters. Fox received a theatrical re-release in 1988, and it performed well, but not as well as a reissue of Bambi would four months later. Now, this doesn't explain why Fox's reception pales, in terms of video sales and general popularity, next to plenty of older classics and more recent ones alike. But the different context is worth considering, as is the fact that the movie's timing and production era have excluded it from being linked with either Walt's early golden ages or the contemporary-minded, Broadway-flavored musicals. In turn, that has limited its opportunities for exposure, a point equally true of all the films from The Aristocats through Oliver & Company. By today's standards, the animation of The Fox and the Hound seems a little crude. While its lines are not as free-flowing as some of its predecessors, it's almost always clear you're watching a cel-animated flick. There is a tiny but noticeable disconnect between the characters and the predominantly organic world they inhabit. Still, there's a nice liveliness to character actions and the visuals, while not as revolutionary or observation-sparking as Walt-era works, do serve the movie's feel well. For a Disney animated film of its time, Fox's voice cast is more reputable than most. It is comprised of a mix of actors known primarily for live action work and those whose voiceovers have proved more lasting. The former are more likely to be recognized by name, the latter by association, but almost the entire cast contributed to other films for the studio. Young Tod is voiced by "Keith Miller", who would become better known as Keith Coogan, teenaged star of Touchstone's Adventures in Babysitting and Disney's Cheetah. Similarly, the voice of Young Copper is provided by Corey Feldman, only a few years away from teen icon status. Jack Albertson, of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and "Chico and the Man" renown, speaks for Amos. The pair of gentle comic relief birds are voiced by live action Disney vet Dick Bakalyan and Paul Winchell, who essentially makes Boomer an avian Tigger. Likewise, John Fiedler channels his Hundred Acre Wood persona (Piglet) for his tiny role as a sympathetic Porcupine. As Chief, Pat Buttram had his duties down pat; it was the fourth straight Disney cartoon for which he was asked to portray a talking animal. In adulthood, the titular protagonists are voiced by Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell. Separated by 30 years in age, the actors might seem odd choices to be portraying similarly-aged best of friends. Neither one sounds especially like himself. As is true for most of the characters, while the pair's vocals do not stay linked to the characters, they do seem like sufficient matches. I wouldn't be talking about The Fox and the Hound today if it wasn't popular enough to be revisited on DVD. Sadly, its 25th Anniversary Edition seems more like an effort to remind viewers of the film in expectation of December's (unnecessary, from the looks of it) direct-to-video release of The Fox and the Hound 2 than to improve upon the movie's Gold Collection DVD, released in May of 2000, or celebrate the movie's appeal and significance. DVD Details 1.33:1 Fullscreen Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French, Spanish) Subtitles: English; Closed Captioned Release Date: October 10, 2006 Single-sided, dual-layered disc (DVD-9) Suggested Retail Price: $29.99 Black Keepcase with Embossed, Holographic Cardboard Slipcover VIDEO and AUDIO It would have been so nice if this DVD included a widescreen version of the film. It could have cleared up a mystery that has been boggling the minds of Disney animation fans for over six years now. That mystery can be summed up in two contradictory questions: 1) Why would The Fox and the Hound be animated for the 1.33:1 ratio, when four years earlier The Rescuers was apparently designed for 1.66:1 and when movie theaters were becoming increasingly equipped for widescreen exhibitions? 2) Why would Disney choose The Fox and the Hound as the only animated classic from the studio's catalogue to appear on DVD in an aspect ratio it was not intended for? The standstill that ensues is something like this: the "Hmm, I don't know. That's odd." response to each of these questions represent a pair of unmoved flippers and the unenlightened customer is the pinball (if you will) which, with this DVD release, simply falls through and accumulates no points (knowledge) in the process. The Gold Collection disc's packaging originally had the common-to-VHS disclaimer about the film being modified to fit the screen. This was subsequently changed to state that the movie was presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio, approximately 1.33:1. Anyone who found themselves in a projection booth in 1981 would tell you that would have been quite unusual. But without seeing a clear note to exhibitors advising of an aspect ratio and without first-hand witnessing of the cels and the filmed frames, we are left to speculate and simply wonder if the 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation is right. If, say, a 1.66:1 or 1.85:1 widescreen transfer was made available, would it be a pure matting of the frame presented here, would it reveal more on the sides, or would it do a little of both? Again, mere fodder for pondering. Screencap from the Gold Collection DVD Screencap of same frame on 25th Anniversary Edition DVD While we may not know if the 1.33:1 ratio is accurate or not (and the framing gives us few clues), we can easily judge this presentation next to the Gold Collection's. Sadly, though, the results do not report universal improvement. The Gold Collection transfer was lightly plagued by a number of issues; it had some flickering, graininess, an appearance of video more than film, plus the occasional scratch or assorted print intrusion. This Anniversary Edition does not seem to eliminate any of these things, exhibiting most of the same shortcomings. A/B comparisons reveal almost no difference; in some scenes, the color palette seems brightened a tad and others find the light white speckles toned down. But this is definitely not a dramatic restoration, even if the average bit rate here (6.97 Mb/sec) is noticeably higher than before (5.89 Mb/s). The softness and inconsistency that could be forgiven 6½ years ago are less acceptable in today's DVD marketplace. On the whole, the two releases look very similar; some shots even appeared a tiny bit more worn in the new edition, a few looked better presumably due to enhanced compression techniques, but most were alike enough to make discerning the pair a chore. The one thing that seems pretty certain is that there is not enough picture improvement to merit an upgrade solely on that, unless you are insistent upon having the best transfer available and are willing to place value on even small gains. In the sound department, the movie jumps from Dolby Surround to full Dolby Digital 5.1. It sounds like the Gold Collection disc's mild distortion is lessened here and that the 25th Anniversary presentation adds a little more depth and clarity, while slightly rendering the track less dated. Neither mix is overly involving and the entirely unacquainted may be disappointed when they consider that the film emanated from the same decade as say, Oliver & Company and Little Mermaid and 30-40 years after movies that have been given engulfing mixes for DVD. Nevertheless, the dialogue all remains entirely intelligible, and the appealing score holds up nicely. BONUS FEATURES A genuinely underwhelming slate of bonus features makes this release not the special Anniversary Edition expected and only a trifle more appealing than the Gold Collection disc. First is Music & More's only listing, a sing-along for "The Best of Friends" (2:28). It's essentially identical to the song's appearance in the movie, only the picture is fuzzier and accompanied by a Mickey silhouette bouncing over colored lyrics. Oh, and there's a small plug for the feature's home, a Sing Along Songs volume which has not been ported over to DVD. The next two extras fall under the Games & Activities header and are equally fluffy. The "Forest Friendship Game" offers yet another variation on the type of set-top "hide and seek" activity found on the Bambi and Lady and the Tramp II DVDs. Though the object of the game is to find Tod, slightly more fun is had in not finding him, as the supporting characters you incorrectly uncover are briefly profiled in narrated 10-second clips. In the alternate Find and Match mode, you must identify the supporting character's friend from 3-choice lineups, which sometimes yields slightly different (but no longer) buddy snippets. Either way, the three screens to search are always exactly the same, giving this game very little replay value, even for the assumed target audience of 3-to-6-year-olds. The name and design are different, but the Disney Storytime DVD storybook feature is essentially just like the old Gold Collection read-alongs. "New Best Friends" tells a tale involving, Todd, Copper, the porcupine, and Chief. It's aimed at very young readers, so simplicity is key. You choose from "Read-Along" and "Read-To-Yourself"; the more passive choice offers a bit more fun in the way of animation (both clips and some new barely-animation), Big Mama banter, and a couple of instances where you can select Dinky and Boomer to hear what they have to say. Note that this is considerably different from the read-along found on the Gold Collection disc, which merely retold the story and offered a lot more words per page.