# The Fox and the Hound

The Fox and the Hound is a 1981 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is about a red fox named Tod and a hound dog named Copper who meet when young and become friends, but later become enemies as they grow up. A sequel, The Fox and the Hound 2, was released to DVD on December 12, 2006.
    Directed by Ted Berman, Richard Rich, and Art Stevens. Written by Larry Clemmons, Ted Berman, David Michener, Peter Young, Burny Mattinson, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, and Vance Gerry. Loosely based on the novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix.

## Big Mama

* Well, well, well. What have we here? A fox and a hound playing together.

## Dialogue

    Dinky: Good work, Boomer. We've got him this time.
    Boomer: I think he's in there.
    Dinky: Hey, I think I've got an idea. All right, Boomer. Now you know what to do.
    Boomer: Yeah. Leave it to me. Leave it to me.
    Widow Tweed: Who is it? Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! Shoo! Get away from there, you pesky birds! Come back here with my laundry! I don't know what's gotten into those birds. Huh? What's this? Well, bless my soul. It's a... It's a baby fox. Hi, little fella. Come here. I won't hurt you. What a wonderful little rascal you are. I wonder where his mother is. I can't leave you out here all alone. Not so fast, now. Oh, you're such a feisty little toddler. Say! That's what I'm going to call you. Tod. You know, Tod, I'm not going to be lonesome anymore.
    Amos Slade: [to Chief] I've got a surprise for you, Chief, old boy. Woah! Woah, boy! Woah! Woah! Easy! Easy! Easy! Easy! How's this one for a fine hunting dog? He's only a scrawny little runt, but he'll grow up in no time at all. We're going to call him Copper, huh? You'll get used to it, Chief. He's for you to look after from now on.
    Widow Tweed: [to Tod] Tod, stop pestering Abigail. [to Abigail] Abigail, you're going to have to be patient with Tod. He's new to the family now. Oh, of course. [as she is milking Abigail] I declare that I'll never get my chores done. [to Tod] Oh, mercy! Tod?! Tod, stop it! Abigail?! Abig-- Oh, no, not my milk! OH, NO! Easy, easy, Abigail! Steady old girl, I'll steady?! There, there. Tod?! You come here! I said... come... here. Just look what you've done! Now, don't trying butter me up. I can't stay angry at you. You little imp? Now, run along, and go outside and play. Go on, and trying stay out the mischief.
    Young Tod: Hey! It's Dinky and Boomer. Maybe you wanna play.
    [while chasing Squeeks, Boomer accidentally pecks off the branch he's standing on and has a nasty fall]
    Young Tod: What happened to you? Golly!
    Boomer: Aw, shucks! I think I bent my b-b-b-b-beak.
    Dinky: [to Boomer angrily] Now see what you've done?! You cost us our breakfast!
    Boomer: I cost us our breakfast? It was your fault!
    Dinky: What are you talking about, my fault?!
    Boomer: Oh, yeah?!
    [an argument begins with Squeeks yawning]
    Young Tod: A worm for breakfast? Yuck!
    Tod: I'm a fox. My name's Tod. What's your name, kid?
    Copper: My name's Copper. I'm a hound dog.
    Big Mama: [laughing] Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
    Amos Slade: Dagnabbit! Copper has gone and strayed off again! [to Chief] Come on, Chief! If that little rascal is gonna make me a hunting dog, he's gotta learn to mind! [he storms off into the forest to look for Copper, as Chief follows after him]
    Young Tod: Copper, you're my very best friend.
    Young Copper: And you're mine too, Tod.
    Young Tod: And we'll always be friends forever. Won't we?
    Young Copper: Yeah, forever.
    [while swimming with Tod, Copper hears Amos whistling for him]
    Amos Slade: Copper, get over here! [whistles again]
    Amos Slade: Copper!
    Young Copper: Uh-oh! I better go home.
    Young Tod: You have to? We're having too much fun.
    Young Copper: I gotta. He sounds awful mad.
    Young Tod: I'll see you tomorrow! Don't forget!
    Young Copper: I won't!
    Young Tod: Hey, Copper! What happened to you? Why, didn't you- [sees Copper with a rope tied behind his collar] Golly, you're all tied up.
    Young Copper: Yeah, it's no fun either. The master says I gotta stay home.
    Young Tod: Well then, we could play around here.
    Young Copper: Oh, no! Not with Chief around. He wakes me up late all night long with his snoring.
    [Tod foolishly goes into Chief's barrel to watch him sleeping]
    Young Copper: Oh, don't go in there! He can get awful mean. He's cranky.
    Young Tod: Gee willikers. Is he ever big? His ears aren't as big as yours, Copper.
    Young Copper: That's not the part you've gotta worry about.
    Young Tod: [foolishly checks Chief's teeth] Wow! Look at those teeth!
    Young Copper: That's the part you gotta worry about!
    Chief: I'm gainin' on him. He won't get away.
    Young Copper: He's waking up! Get out, Tod!
    Young Tod: No, he's not. He's having a dream.
    Chief: When I get him cornered, I'll... It's a big old badger.
    Young Tod: Copper, [chuckles] he's chasing after a badger.
    Chief: No, no, no. It's not a badger. It's a f... It's a fox. [notices Tod] A FOX?!
    Young Copper: Run, Tod! Run!
    Widow Tweed: [about Tod, as she is cooking dinner] Poor little tyke. It's a shame I'll have to keep him cooped up. [laughing] Oh, ho, ho, ho! [to Tod, who is about to head out through the front door] Tod, stop looking at me like that. It's not my fault, you know. You caused a lot of trouble yesterday. [sounds of Copper barks] Oh, now what are they up to?! Why, it looks like Amos is going on a hunting trip. A long one, from the looks of it. Well, good riddance. [goes back to her cooking]
    Amos Slade: [tries to fix his truck up] Doggone meddlin' female shootin' up my radiator! Dad rad it! [kicks his truck in the front] Get it goin'! [his truck finally works right] There. Now, that's more like it. [to his truck] Keep running, girl. [to Copper, who is still tied up] Copper, Chief and I are gonna teach you how to hunt and track down those varmints. Yes, siree. It's about time. Attaboy.
    Chief: [to Copper] Get back in the rear, you little half pint. You're goin' to have to earn your right to sit in the front.
    Amos Slade: Well, we're out of here until spring.
    Big Mama: [to Tod] Tod, what are you doing over here, honey?
    Young Tod: I forgot to say goodbye to Copper, but I'm too late.
    Young Tod: Chief? I'll outfox that dumb dog any time.
    Big Mama: Now, hold it just one minute, honey. Didn't you learn anything yesterday? Listen up, Tod, and listen good, because it's either education, or elimination. Now, why does Chief got the fox on the run? Because he's got a hunter, and the hunter's got a gun. Lack of education. Along comes a hunter with a buckshot load.
    Boomer: KER-B-B-B-B-B-BLAM!
    Dinky: Lack of education.
    Young Tod: Why, that's... that's awful. Those poor things.
    Big Mama: I'm sorry, Tod. Honey, Copper's gonna come back a trained huntin' dog. A real killer.
    Young Tod: Oh, no. Not my friend Copper. He won't never change.
    Big Mama: I hope you're right, Tod.
    Young Tod: And we'll keep on being friends forever. Uh, won't we, Big Mama?
    Big Mama: Darlin', forever is a long, long time. And time has a way of changin' things.
    Big Mama: He's a huntin' dog, and you're a fox.
    Tod: What difference does it make?
    Copper: Oh, it's good to be back home. Ain't it, Chief? Chief? Chief? Hey, what's the matter with you? Are you still feeling sore from the trip? Let's have some fun.
    Chief: Lay off, Copper, you overgrown pup, you! Oh, let go! Dagnabbit! Let go, I say!
    Copper: Okay, okay, okay.
    Chief: You know, that was your trouble on the hunt.
    Copper: I think I did a good job tracking down those varmints for you.
    Chief: Well, trackin' and smellin' ain't enough. You gotta think nasty.
    Copper: [upon seeing Tod] I thought that was you, Tod. I heard you coming. Boy, you've really grown.
    Tod: You have too, Copper. I saw you coming back with Chief and the hunter.
    Copper: It's great to see you, Tod. [looks back at Chief, who is trying to sleep] But you know, you-- You shouldn't be over here. You're gonna get us both into a lot of trouble.
    Tod: Look, I-- I just wanted to see you. We're still friends, aren't we?
    Copper: [makes a sad glare] Tod... those days are over. I'm a hunting dog now. [Tod becomes surprised, then feels sad] You-- You better get out of here before old Chief wakes up.
    Tod: Oh, Chief. [chuckles] He doesn't worry me.
    Copper: [whispers, as Chief is barely awakening] Tod, I'm serious. You're fair game as far as he's concerned.
    Amos Slade: It's that fox again!
    Widow Tweed: Oh, no, no, no! They're going after Tod!
    Amos Slade: After him, boys! Get him, doggies! Go get him!
    Amos Slade: Copper! Copper! Copper!
    Copper: Tod, I don't want to see you get killed. I'll let you go this one time.
    Amos Slade: [notices Chief cornering Tod on the train tracks] There they are! Old Chief's got him on the run! [when a fast moving train suddenly approaches, Tod gasps, and ducks, because of his size, but not Chief, who has to jump] Jump, Chief! Jump! [Chief obeys, but in the fall, breaks his leg, and lands in a lake]
    Copper: Tod, if it's the last thing I do, I'll get you for this!?
    [after Chief's train accident, Amos storms over to Widow's house]
    Dinky: Big Mama! Wake up! Wake up! There's trouble!
    [inside Widow's house, Tod wakes up and fearfully hides himself]
    Widow Tweed: Tod! What is it? [notices the door being banged] What on Earth?
    Amos Slade: Widow! Get out here!
    Widow Tweed: [opens the door] Why, Amos! What are you--?!
    Amos Slade: Where is he? Where is he?! I know he's in there!
    Widow Tweed: [angrily pushes Amos back out] Now just a minute. You can't come barging onto my property, Amos Slade! [slams the door behind him]
    Amos Slade: That fox of yours almost killed Chief, and I'm gonna get him! [Widow latches the door] You can't keep him locked up forever!
    Badger: Hold it, sonny! Back off! Consarn it! Where do you... Where do you think you're going?!
    Tod: Oh, excuse me. I was just trying to...
    Badger: You barge in on someone's house like you own it! Tarryhooting around in the woods! Waking folks up in the middle of the night!
    Tod: I honestly didn't know anybody lived here. And, well, I...
    Badger: Well, you know it now! Now, get off my property! Go on! Beat it!
    Porcupine: [to Tod] I've been watching you, sir. You can stay with me, if you want to.
    Tod: That's very nice of you.
    Porcupine: Come with me.
    Big Mama: Tod! Tod! Tod! Tod! Oh, my wings ain't what they used to be.
    Vixey: And very handsome?
    Big Mama: He's gotta be around here somewhere.
    Porcupine: [yawning]
    Tod: Ow! What happened?! Where am I?!
    Badger: So! It's you again! You barged in on me last night! And now, you...
    Tod: [angrily] I... I didn't mean to!
    Badger: Just look at the mess you made! Dagnabbit, you clumsy bonehead!
    Tod: I'm sorry! It was an accident!
    Badger: Excuses, excuses!
    Porcupine: [to the Badger from his tree, excitedly] Mr. Digger, sir, it was so too an accident.
    Badger: You keep out of this, you walking pincushion!
    Porcupine: [angriest] Huh! [softly] You shouldn't be so grumpy to someone, who's new around in the neighborhood.
    Badger: A stranger, eh?! [to Tod] Why don't you go back to where you come from?!
    Tod: What?!
    Badger: Well, go on! Get going! Go on!
    [Last line]
    Dinky: Sh, sh, sh. This is it. We've got him for sure now
    Boomer: Oh, my gosh! [Dinky/Boomer screamed]
    Dinky: What happened?
    Boomer:: Hey, there's something funny about those eyes, Dinky.
    Dinky: Nah, it couldn't be. Could it?
    Big Mama: [Chuckles] Bye, Squeeks, bye. Good luck, honey.
    Amos Slade: Ouch! You're killing me! Ouch!
    Widow Tweed: Amos Slade. Will you hold still? You're behaving like a child.
    Amos Slade: Well for gosh sakes! You're hurting my foot, woman.
    Widow Tweed: Nonsense. Your foot is mending fine. You'll soon be yourself. Oh! Land sakes. I don't know if I'll like that. [Laughing]
    Amos Slade: Ow! Be careful!
    Chief: Huh! He's sure making a big fuss over a little old hurt leg.
    [a sleeping Copper remembers good times with Tod]
    Young Tod: Copper, you're my very best friend.
    Young Copper: And you're mine too, Tod.
    Young Tod: And we'll always be friends forever, won't we?
    Young Copper: Yeah. Forever.

## About The Fox and the Hound

* I'd seen that movie before. It was nothing new or fresh or risky in there; it was another "churn 'em out."
** Don Bluth Interview with Don Bluth, IGN (2000)

## 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 - The Porcupine
* John McIntire - The Badger
* Dick Bakalyan - Dinky
* Paul Winchell - Boomer
* Keith Mitchell - Young Tod
* Corey Feldman - Young Copper
* Candy Candido - The Bear
* And Squeeks "The Caterpillar"

## External links

* Official website
* The Fox and the Hound quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* The Fox and the Hound at Allmovie
* The Fox and the Hound at Mojo
* The Fox and the Hound at Rotten Tomatoes