The Sword in the Stone [45th Anniversary] [Special Edition]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

1963's The Sword in the Stone is Disney's animated take on Arthurian legend. In the midst of the Dark Ages, when England has no rightful ruler, a sword imbedded in a stone mysteriously appears in a London churchyard, bearing the inscription "Whoso pulleth out the sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king born of England." Scores of would-be kings travel to London to attempt the feat and thereby claim the throne. They all fail. Years later, in the English countryside, an 11-year-old squire nicknamed Wart (Rickie Sorensen) is devotedly helping his incompetent foster brother, Kay (Norman Alden), train to become a knight, when he meets the great magician Merlin (Karl Swenson). The well meaning, but absentminded, wizard declares himself Wart's mentor and claims that he will lead the boy to his destiny. Spirited and full of spunk, Wart (whose real name is Arthur) approaches Merlin's lessons with the same determination that he applies to Kay's hopeless training and to the monotonous chores he is assigned by his guardian. He soon finds himself accompanying Kay to London for a jousting tournament that will determine England's new king. There, Wart forgets to bring Kay's weapon to the joust, but finds an abandoned sword in a nearby churchyard -- which he effortlessly pulls out of a stone. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: Fre/Spa
• Features:
  • New! Merlin's magical academy game
  • Bonus movie shorts
  • Disney song selection
  • Music magic: The Sherman Brothers

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Adapted Score - 1963 (George Bruns)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Alan Napier - Sir Pelinore
       Martha Wentworth
       Norman Alden - Kay
       Barbara Jo Allen - Scullery Maid [uncredited]
       The Mello Men
       Karl Swenson - Merlin the Magician
       Martha Wentworth - Mad Madame Mim
       Junius Matthews - Archimedes
       Rickie Sorenson - Wart
       Martha Wentworth - Granny Squirrel
       Sebastian Cabot - Sir Ector

• Director:

  Wolfgang Reitherman

• Screenwriter:

  Bill Peet

• Book Author:

  T.H. White

• Composer (Music Score):

  George Bruns

• Editor:

  Donald Halliday

• Art Director:

  Ken Anderson

• Animator:

  Eric Larson, Hal Ambro, Milt Kahl, Hal King, John Lounsbery, Dick Lucas, Cliff Nordberg, Frank Thomas

• Animation Director:

  Ollie Johnston, Frank Thomas

REVIEW:

• The Sword in the Stone is the first solo directorial effort of famed Disney animator Wolfgang Reithermann. The lackluster animation and unimpressive musical numbers disappointed audiences upon the film's initial opening, but its tale of a stout-hearted child destined for greatness proved timeless as it lured scores of Disney fans to theaters upon its several re-releases. Based on the first book of T.H. White's tome The Once and Future King, the film blurs Arthur's story, but makes the legend accessible to very young children. If the movie's animation is not up to par, the remarkable and eccentric characters well make up for it. The skinny, bowlegged Wart (Rickie Sorenson) is as much a hero as his predecessors, the wooden Pinocchio and the big-eared Dumbo. Moreover, Merlin's (Karl Swenson) skeptical sidekick, the scholarly owl Archimedes (Junius Matthews), as well as his wacky nemesis, the sorceress Mad Madam Mim (Martha Wentworth), make the film as colorful as any of its state-of-the-art cartoon counterparts. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi