The story of The Hound that thought He was a Raccoon is about as kid-friendly as possible: a bloodhound puppy, Nubbin, is raised by a raccoon, Mala, and befriends his raccoon brother, Weecha. Yes, raccoons name their young. It's common knowledge. Of course, how they get to this point isn't as kid-friendly as one might think. Like many movies made in the sixties and before, "no animals were hurt during this production" wasn't exactly a top priority. In fact, it's a little hard to believe that all of the animal excursions presented for the pleasure of the viewing audience didn't result in at least some form of injury to the animals. When two raccoons get into what appears by all indications to be a vicious fight, it's a little difficult to imagine they're just acting. Are raccoons that good?
The dogs don't fare much better. They run and tumble and get into scraps themselves but don't have nearly the fighting viciousness as the raccoons do. Still, they get off easier than they did in Disney's other adventure, Nikki, Wild Dog of the North, in which the animal cast found themselves strangled, tossed, and thrown into dog fights that looked a little too real.
Also familiar to anyone who knows Disney is the tendency that his movies have to kill off characters with a remarkable lack of subtlety. Most kids first experience with death probably came at the hands of a Disney movie and, more often than not, it's a parent. Spoiler alert, it's a parent here, too. As well as some of the raccoon kids. Say what you will about Disney, the man didn't pull any punches.
Rex Allen narrated the tale and no one was better suited than he. Allen was a cowboy star in the forties and fifties, singing his way through one adventure after another. Many times, he teamed up with Slim Pickens. Later, in the early sixties, he had a hit with one of the most bizarre songs ever recorded, Don't Go Near the Indians, in which the narrator falls in love with an Indian girl only to learn that his father's real son was kidnapped by Indians so his father kidnapped him from the Indians to raise him as his own and the girl he's having a relationship with is his sister. No, really, that's the song.
Allen would narrate dozens upon dozens of these short subjects for Disney and his countrified, homespun voice was comforting and engaging all at once. His voice would become familiar to an entire generation raised on Disney. When Disney first opened up Disneyland, he even had Allen narrate some of the attractions, including the Hall of Presidents.
The Hound that Thought He was a Raccoon is one of the forerunners of the live action animal tale and Disney Studios were pioneering in their efforts. While these short adventure tales are lesser known than later hits like Milo and Otis or the Benji films, they pack a hell of a lot more punch. Yes, the scenes can be hard to watch at times but Disney understood kids and got that they could take rougher lessons than most people thought they could. The Hound that Thought He was a Raccoon is a movie that is definitely for kids but still doesn't hold back from showing the darker side. In other words, it's a Disney movie, and a pretty good one at that.
Direction: Tom McGowan
Screenplay: Albert Aley, Rutherford Montgomery
Music: Buddy Baker, William Lava
Producer: Winston Hibler
Editing: George Gale
Sound: Robert O. Cook
Cast: Rex Allen (Narrator), Oscar Busch (Jeff Emery), Mala (Herself), Weecha (Himself), Nubbin (Himself).
By Greg Ferrara
