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The Sword in the Stone (film)

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This article is about the animated film. For the original novel, see The Sword in the Stone.
The Sword in the Stone
Image:Swordposter.jpg
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman
Produced by Walt Disney
Written by T.H. White (book)
Bill Peet (story)
Starring Sebastian Cabot
Karl Swenson
Rickie Sorensen
Junius Matthews
Music by Richard M. Sherman (songs)
Robert B. Sherman (songs)
George Bruns
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s) December 25, 1963 (U.S. release)
Running time 79 minutes
Language English
Preceded by One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Followed by The Jungle Book (1967)
IMDb profile

The Sword in the Stone is the eighteenth full-length animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. The film was created and produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released to theaters on December 25, 1963 by Buena Vista Distribution. This was also the last Disney animated feature released while Walt Disney was still alive. The film was re-released in theaters in 1972 and 1983, and was released on video-cassette in 1986, 1991, 1994, and 2000.

The film is loosely based on the novel The Sword in the Stone, the first book in the anthology The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Based on Merlin's statement that The Times won't come out for another 1200 years, it is set around 600 AD.

Contents

[edit] Worldwide release dates

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The first part of the story follows the discovery and education of the future King Arthur (called "Wart" by his family) by Merlin. Arthur is a 12-year-old orphan who lives with a foster family. Searching for a lost arrow in the woods one day, he meets the wizard Merlin and his grumpy pet owl Archimedes. Merlin sees great potential in the boy and commits himself to Arthur's education, which is to consist of reading, science, and magical transformations. Merlin transforms Arthur into a fish, a squirrel and finally into a bird, which allows Arthur to achieve his dream of flight.

During his first transformation, Arthur, in fish form, is attacked by a huge pike. He learns how to outsmart the beast for a short time and is then rescued by the ordinarily hostile Archimedes (who refuses to admit it).

As a squirrel, Arthur learns about gravity before meeting a female squirrel. She falls for Arthur and repeatedly chases him to kiss him. Merlin is amused until another squirrel does the same to him. After saving Arthur from a wolf, the female squirrel is crushed to discover that her chosen partner is human in his natural form. Her broken heart, like her pursuit of him, are attributed to Merlin, who claims that when a squirrel chooses her mate, it is for life.

During his time as a bird, Arthur meets and is taken hostage by "The Marvelous Mad Madam Mim." She claims that her magicks, which are based on selfishness and trickery, are of more use than Merlin's. When Merlin finds Arthur in the possession of Mim, the two engage in a wizards' duel, which ends with Mim falling ill and being confined to her home.

Later, Arthur goes to serve as squire to his foster-brother Kay. Merlin, disappointed in Arthur, goes to twentieth-century Bermuda for a vacation. Arthur and Kay travel to a tournament in London, the outcome of which will determine the next King of England. Arthur accidentally loses Kay's sword and, frantic to find a new one before Kay is disqualified, unwittingly pulls the famous sword from the stone in the churchyard. In doing so, he fulfills the qualifications to become king.

Arthur is at first unwilling to be crowned, feeling himself insufficient. He calls on Merlin, who appears at once. When the facts of the case are made known to him, the wizard is elated, because here before him is a confirmation of what he has (presumably) seen in the twentieth century: that King Arthur would rise and lead an order of heroes. He tells Arthur about this, not without a few anachronisms.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Directing Animators

Image:Sworddvdcover.jpg

[edit] Titles in different languages

[edit] Legacy

Some of the animation cells of Arthur walking through the dark forest to find Sir Kay's arrow were later reused in a similar scene of Taran looking for Hen-Wen in The Black Cauldron.

In the Squaresoft game, Kingdom Hearts, Merlin is found in Traverse Town and trains Sora to use magic. He also gives the traveling trio weapons after completing certain tasks in the game. In Kingdom Hearts II, Merlin returns as a member of the "Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee"; however, his importance is only as a part of the story, and does not directly affect the player. Due to his expertise in magic, he is often at odds with fellow committee member Cid Highwind, who is an expert in computers and technology.

[edit] Trivia

  • Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston said that Milt Kahl's animations of Sir Kay and Sir Hector were "the best human figures ever done at the studio". [citation needed]
  • When Sir Hector and Kay are in the kitchen fighting against the enchanted dishware, Sir Hector yells and swings his sword so hard that it hits Kay on the head; Jasper and Horace in One Hundred and One Dalmatians are animated in the same way during the fight scene with Pongo and Perdita.
  • The climactic battle between Merlin and Mad Madam Mim is often cited by animation experts as some of the best character animation to that date. The characters go through numerous physical transformations, yet retain their definition of their character throughout the battle (Merlin's guises are blue and wear his glasses and have his moustache or beard, while Mim's guises are pink and have her hair). [citation needed]
  • This was the first animated feature scored by the Sherman Brothers.
  • The R2 DVD release has a scene trimmed by the BBFC involving Mad Madame Mim's first encounter with Wart. In the current version she says "Sounds like someone's sick, how lovely!" In the proper uncut version she continues with "I do hope it's serious, something dreadful!" She then sees Wart, who was transformed into a bird by Merlin in an earlier scene, in the fireplace.

[edit] Soundtrack Listing

  • "A Most Befuddling Thing"
  • "Blue Oak Tree"
  • "Mad Madame Mim"
  • "That's What Makes the World Go Round"
  • "Higitus Figitus"
  • "The Legend of the Sword in the Stone"

[edit] See also

[edit] References

This does not cite its references or sources.
You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations. This article has been tagged since June 2006.

[edit] External links

Disney theatrical animated features
Official canon (Walt Disney Animated Classics)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) • Pinocchio (1940) • Fantasia (1940) • Dumbo (1941) • Bambi (1942) • Saludos Amigos (1942) • The Three Caballeros (1944) • Make Mine Music (1946) • Fun and Fancy Free (1947) • Melody Time (1948) • The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) • Cinderella (1950) • Alice in Wonderland (1951) • Peter Pan (1953) • Lady and the Tramp (1955) • Sleeping Beauty (1959) • One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) • The Sword in the Stone (1963) • The Jungle Book (1967) • The Aristocats (1970) • Robin Hood (1973) • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) • The Rescuers (1977) • The Fox and the Hound (1981) • The Black Cauldron (1985) • The Great Mouse Detective (1986) • Oliver & Company (1988) • The Little Mermaid (1989) • The Rescuers Down Under (1990) • Beauty and the Beast (1991) • Aladdin (1992) • The Lion King (1994) • Pocahontas (1995) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) • Hercules (1997) • Mulan (1998) • Tarzan (1999) • Fantasia 2000 (1999) • The Emperor's New Groove (2000) • Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) • Lilo & Stitch (2002) • Treasure Planet (2002) • Brother Bear (2003) • Home on the Range (2004) • Chicken Little (2005) 
Upcoming:  Meet the Robinsons (2007) • American Dog (2008) • Rapunzel (2009) • The Frog Princess (20??)

Live-action films with animation

The Reluctant Dragon (1941) • Victory Through Air Power (1943) • Song of the South (1946) • So Dear to My Heart (1949) • Mary Poppins (1964) • Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) • Pete's Dragon (1977) • Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) 
Upcoming:  Enchanted (2007)

DisneyToons Studio animated features

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp (1990) • A Goofy Movie (1995) • Doug's 1st Movie (1999) • The Tigger Movie (2000) • Recess: School's Out (2001) • Return to Never Land (2002) • The Jungle Book 2 (2003) • Piglet's Big Movie (2003) • Teacher's Pet (2004) • Pooh's Heffalump Movie (2005)

Other theatrical animated features

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) • James and the Giant Peach (1996) • Dinosaur (2000) 

See also: Pixar
de:Die Hexe und der Zauberer

fr:Merlin l'enchanteur (Disney) it:La spada nella roccia he:החרב באבן (סרט 1963) ja:王様の剣 pt:The Sword in the Stone ru:Меч в камне (мультфильм) fi:Miekka kivessä sv:Svärdet i stenen (film)

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