The Sword in the Stone (1963)

Director:

Wolfgang Reitherman

Writers:

Bill Peet (story)
T.H. White (book)

Release Date:

25 December 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:

Tired of living in a Medieval mess...Merlin uses all his magic powers to change a scrawny little boy into a legendary hero!

Plot:

Merlin the Magician teaches a young boy who is destined to be King Arthur.

Plot Keywords:

Sword | Squire | Merlin The Magician | Wizard | King Arthur

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Rickie Sorensen	...	Wart (voice)
Karl Swenson	...	Merlin (voice)
Junius Matthews	...	Archimedes (voice)
Sebastian Cabot	...	Sir Ector (voice)
Norman Alden	...	Sir Kay (voice)
Martha Wentworth	...	Madam Mim / Old Lady Squirrel (voice)
Richard Reitherman	...	Wart (voice)
Robert Reitherman	...	Wart (voice)
Alan Napier	...	Sir Pelinore (voice)
Ginny Tyler	...	Little Girl Squirrel (voice)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | USA:Approved (certificate #20519) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1972) | Norway:7 | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | New Zealand:G | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:o.Al.

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

The only animated Disney movie from the 1960s not to have a Platinum DVD, a sequel, a TV show, or a live-action remake.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The character Arthur, should have a British accent as he has grown up in England, but does not.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Beginning singer: A legend is sung, of when England was young, and knights were brave and bold. The good king had died, and no one could decide who was rightful heir to the throne. It seemed that the land would be torn by war, or saved by a miracle alone. And that miracle appeared in London town: The Sword in the Stone.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Mouse Factory: Knighthood (#2.4)" (1972)

Soundtrack:

That's What Makes the World Go Round

maybe not one of the 'great' Disney films, but it is quite the entertainer

I used to watch the Sword in the Stone quite a number of times as a kid, and I know why later on in my years. It's actually quite a fun little movie considering its a quasi-history lesson on how Arthur (aka 'Wart') became King of England. It includes Merlin, and his 'educated Owl' Archamedes, and a whole lot of wacky adventures trying to get Arthur, who can't read or write, into a mode of thought higher than how he's been raised. For a Disney film, as well, it's also quite the quotable film at times, with some lines and situations still sticking out in my mind years later. For example, the sequence involving Arthur and Merlin as squirrels in the trees, and a small lesson in love (or lack thereof) a lady squirrel presents in the face of danger. Or the story involving Arthur as a bird, trapped in the clutches of Madamn Mim (maybe one of the funniest sequences in any Disney movie).

So, as one can figure from what I've described (if you haven't seen the film yet), it's fairly over-the-top, loaded with silly-songs (one of which a true charmer involving Merlin's proclivity for organizing a packing up of his house) and little lessons for kids. But it actually is also funny for adults too, I'd guess, or at least funny to watch along with the kids. It may not be in the absolute peek of the period in Disney films (one may try to look to the Jungle Book or Winnie the Pooh for that, or the underrated Aristocats), however I sometimes come back to this film in my mind. It has a catchy attitude that made being in the 'dark ages' as fun as possible- Archamedes in particular is maybe one of the great side-characters in any Disney film.

Alakazam!