The Sword in the Stone (1963)

A poor boy named Arthur learns the power of love, kindness, knowledge and bravery with the help of a wizard called Merlin in the path to become one of the most beloved kings in English history.

Directors:

Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi (uncredited)

Writers:

Bill Peet (story), T.H. White (based on the book by)

Stars:

Rickie Sorensen, Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sebastian Cabot	...	Sir Ector / Narrator in opening sequence (voice)
Karl Swenson	...	Merlin (voice)
Rickie Sorensen	...	Wart (voice)
Junius Matthews	...	Archimedes (voice)
Ginny Tyler	...	Little Girl Squirrel (voice)
Martha Wentworth	...	Madam Mim / Old Lady Squirrel (voice)
Norman Alden	...	Sir Kay (voice)
Alan Napier	...	Sir Pellinore (voice)
Richard Reitherman	...	Wart (voice)
Robert Reitherman	...	Wart (voice)

Storyline

Arthur (aka Wart) is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for Wart beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give Wart an education (whatever that is), believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

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Plot Keywords:

wizard | sword | owl | orphan | castle | 

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Taglines:

A legendary story. A classic in animation.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the last animated film that Disney produced, since he died during the production of The Jungle Book (1967).

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Goofs

When Arthur as a squirrel falls on the broken tree branch after being pushed by the old lady squirrel, his mouth doesn't move the first time the yells "Help!"

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Quotes

[first lines]
Minstrel: [singing] 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.

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Alternate Versions

The UK DVD version omits part of Madam Mim's first line "Sounds like someone's sick. How lovely. I do hope it's serious. Something dreadful." She now says "Sounds like someone's sick. How lovely."

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Disney Animated Films That Deserve a Live Action Movie (2016)

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Soundtracks

The Marvelous Mad Madame Mim
(1963) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Sung by Martha Wentworth

User Reviews

A lot of fun, but not among Disney's best

This is Disney's version of the legend of King Arthur and it represents an adaptation of T.H. White's children's story. Here, Arthur is a young boy who is unaware of his great destiny. He meets and befriends the great wizard Merlin who decides to give him a proper instruction and education in order to prepare him for his future.

The film has some great characters: Merlin the wizard and his intellectually trained owl Archimedes are particularly funny. The animation is very good, but this is Disney after all, so you would expect it to be like that. The film is definitely entertaining, but there are a few drawbacks as well. There are moments when it feels a little too similar to Disney's other animated features from that period. The film also incorporates a lot of plot elements from other Disney movies and the film is very predictable at times. In comparison to another Disney classic, "Sleeping Beauty", this film looks more like a secondary project.

"The Sword in the Stone" is nevertheless a good film and it is superior to many of Disney's modern efforts ("Hercules", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" or "Pocahontas" to name a few). It is very entertaining and definitely worth watching.

My rating: 7/10

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sword in the Stone

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,230,614, 27 March 1983

Gross USA:

$12,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions, Walt Disney Animation Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording) Dolby (1983 Re-Release)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1