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

  (Complete credited 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 first Disney animated feature with songs by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

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 Halloween Treat (1982) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Legend of the Sword in the Stone

Not much plot but great for little kids.

This is one of my all time favorite Disney films. The lyrics of the songs are clever and memorable. Who can forget "Hockety Pockety Wockey Wack?"

The characters are also very entertaining. The idea of Merlin as a clutz is unique to this version of the story. Archimedes also offers several laughs.

Though there isn't much of a plot, the development of character makes this film very entertaining.

My four year old sister loved the film. She has already watched it at least a dozen times, and I only checked it out from the library three days ago. Modern Disney bores her. I've found that young children can't sit through "Beauty and the Beast" or "Mulan." This older style of Disney catches attention and entertains.