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 (121 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300275310
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 124 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.

25 of 29 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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Disney's best classics, December 5, 2000

By	retrowens (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

"The Sword in the Stone" is one of my top 5 favorite Disney films of all time. A young orphan boy who is bossed around too much by his family, meets Merlin, a marvelous wizard who befriends the boy and teaches him many great lessons. Soon Merlin, Wart, and Merlin's educated pet owl, Archimedes, are all having fun and spending a lot of valuable time together. These lessons and the magic wonders of Merlin could help the boy succeed instead of fail like his whole family is pretty much doing. Also, there's another great mystery. Whoever removes a mysterious sword from the stone will become King of England.

Everything about "The Sword in the Stone" is great. I've seen just about all the Disney films and I definitely have to say that "The Sword in the Stone" is the funniest one of all the ones I've seen. Archimedes the owl with his grouchy personality and the squirrel chases are especially hilarious. Also, Merlin will change himself and Wart to a fish, squirrel, and later change Wart into a bird, and those are some of the most memorable parts of the movie. The wizard duel close to the end of the movie is the most memorable and it's also exciting. "The Sword in the Stone" also has good music, especially the song that Merlin and Wart sing while they're transformed into fish, "Two and fro, stop and go, that's what makes the world go round."

I've been watching "The Sword in the Stone" all my life. Now I'm 20 and I still like watching it every now and then. It's not just a movie for kids, it's for anybody no matter how old you are. "The Sword in the Stone" is entertaining, funny, and it never gets old. I recommend anybody to get this movie, it's a timeless classic.