Product Details

• Actors: Rickie Sorensen, Sebastian Cabot, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Norman Alden
• Directors: Wolfgang Reitherman
• Writers: Bill Peet, T.H. White
• Producers: Walt Disney
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 29, 1993
• Run Time: 79 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300275310
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,208 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #1 in	Video > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Knights & Ladies
  #3 in	Video > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Mythological
  #4 in	Video > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Sword & Sorcery

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Based upon T.H. White's beloved novel, this Disney-fied version chronicles the tutoring of the Once and Future King, Arthur, as handled by the magician Merlin. Sword was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upbraiding storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. But there's much to enjoy here as Merlin shows Newt, the young Arthur, things that will help him become the ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with the mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it belies the problem with most of the film--the scenes are only there for the chuckles. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Children will like it, but they won't cherish it. --Keith Simanton

Product Description

sh59 NEW, SEALED!! FREE UPGRADE TO FIRST CLASS!!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 135 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Widescreen or not...that is the question., March 27, 2003

By	D. Diamond (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (DVD)

I remember "The Sword in the Stone" as a widescreen movie, so I was dismayed to find that Disney had released this animated favorite to DVD in a cropped/pan-and-scan format. However, on further investigation, I discovered that, to my surprise, "The Sword in the Stone" was not a widescreen motion picture... at least not originally. Apparently, like "101 Dalmations" and other films of the late 1950s and early 1960s, "The Sword in the Stone" was made to be projected in one of two formats: either widescreen or full-frame, depending on the theater where it was shown. It seems that the Disney animators designed the film with a bit of 'extra picture' at the top and bottom of each frame; that way this 'extra' could be cut off without ruining the image in theaters playing it in widescreen. In other theaters, and on television, the film could be shown in a standard full-frame (1.33:1) format. So, according to Disney, the current full-frame DVD of "TSITS" is indeed the film in it's "original format'. Admittedly, it may not be the way that most of us remember this great little movie, but it is the way the folks at Disney made it.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A much overlooked animated gem!, February 11, 2005

By	John Lindsey "John" (Socorro, New Mexico USA.) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (DVD)

Sometime in the medieval ages, there is a legend about this magic stone that contains a sword and according to the legend, who so pulls out the sword from the anvil shall become king of all England. Though many tried to pull it, no miracle and the sword was forgotten for ages in an age of no laws, brutality and darkness in just which magician Merlin has trouble with the days of no kings, he then meets a young squire named "Wart" ( a.k.a. Arthur) whom is a problemic young man with a mean foster father and big foster brother, Merlin then trains Wart through education in order to become more social and on adventures that will lead him to pull the sword out of the stone.

An underrated disney classic that is a delightful story with good animation for it's time, nice songs like "Higitus Figitus" and humor makes this a definite must have for the animation DVD collector everywhere.

The DVD has some great extras like two cartoons, Behind the songs with a deleted song that never made it into the film, still frame galleries, All Abou the Magic 1957 episode or "Walt Disney Presents", Film-facts, sing-alongs and great remastering with good sound quality.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Disney Movie, June 15, 2008

By	gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Sword in the Stone (45th Anniversary Special Edition) (DVD)

THE SWORD IN THE STONE has always been my favorite Disney animated film. Why? The answer is quite simple really. I saw it when I was a kid on its initial release in the downtown theater, I had a great time and I have very fond memories of the movie and the entire experience of going to see it with my family and friends. Isn't that what Walt Disney had in mind? It wasn't until years later and I had my own child that I began to realize that not many people even remembered THE SWORD IN THE STONE or knew it even existed. I was rather flabbergasted by this not to mention all the bad press this film had received as I started researching it. My most cherished copy of this film has always been on Laserdisc, but now it looks like THE SWORD IN THE STONE is finally getting some well deserved recognition. I love this film and the artwork is very reminiscent of ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS and the relationship between Merlin and Wart and the development of those characters is pure Walt Disney. Savor the best of times. Thanks Walt.