IMDb RATING
7.1/10
108K
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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 histo... Read allA 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.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.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Rickie Sorensen
- Wart
- (voice)
Sebastian Cabot
- Sir Ector
- (voice)
- …
Karl Swenson
- Merlin
- (voice)
Junius Matthews
- Archimedes
- (voice)
Martha Wentworth
- Madam Mim
- (voice)
- …
Norman Alden
- Sir Kay
- (voice)
Alan Napier
- Sir Pellinore
- (voice)
Richard Reitherman
- Wart
- (voice)
Robert Reitherman
- Wart
- (voice)
Jack Albertson
- Knight in Crowd #1
- (uncredited)
Barbara Jo Allen
- Scullery Maid
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Fred Darian
- The Minstrel in opening sequence
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
James MacDonald
- The Wolf
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- …
Tudor Owen
- Knight in Crowd
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Thurl Ravenscroft
- Black Bart
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Wolfgang Reitherman
- Clyde Geronimi(earlier film clips) (uncredited)
- David Hand(earlier film clips) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough Walt Disney never knew it, he himself was character designer Bill Peet's model for Merlin. Peet saw them both as argumentative, cantankerous, but playful and very intelligent. Peet also gave Merlin Walt's nose. This was the second instance in which Walt unknowingly served as model for a wizard, the first being the wizard Yensid from the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia (1940). This explains why the character was given the name Yensid. This read backwards is Disney.
- GoofsThroughout the entire film Wart's voice keeps on changing from being child-like to adult-like. One of the easiest spots to notice this is in the throne room towards the end when Wart is trying to get somebody else to take his place. He says "Oh Archimedes, I wish Merlin were here!" in his adult voice, then the camera goes to a distant view and he calls "Merlin, Merlin" in his child voice.
- Alternate versionsThe 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."
- ConnectionsEdited into The Jungle Book (1967)
- SoundtracksThe Legend of the Sword in the Stone
(1963) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Sung by Fred Darian
Featured review
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!
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!
helpful•295
- Quinoa1984
- Jan 9, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Die Hexe und der Zauberer
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $12,000,000
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,230,614
- Mar 27, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $12,000,000
- Runtime1 hour 19 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1(original & negative ratio, open matte)
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![Junius Matthews, Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, and Martha Wentworth in The Sword in the Stone (1963)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODc2MjAyZDYtNWYwZi00YTQwLWE0ZDMtMjM2NTJmYWMxMmQ0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTQxMTIxMTk@._V1_QL75_UX90_CR0,2,90,133_.jpg)
Top Gap
By what name was The Sword in the Stone (1963) officially released in India in English?
Answer