My Top Disney #2

#2 The Sword in the Stone

"It's not just a mere show of muscle, my boy. Jousting is a fine skill. A highly-developed science."

"Science indeed! One dummy trying to knock over another dummy with a bit of a stick."

While attempting to retrieve a lost arrow, Wart (Sorensen, Reitherman, and Reitherman) falls through the roof of a cottage and meets Merlin (Swenson) the world's most powerful wizard. Merlin, and his "educated owl" Archimedes (Matthews), decide to accompany Wart to his home and see that he gets an education. Wart's foster family is unreceptive to the prescence of a wizard, and taking Wart away from his duties as a page / squire to his soon-to-be-kinighted brother Kay (Alden).

As his foster father, Sir Ector (Cabot) and friend Sir Pelinore (Napier) prepare Kay for a jousting tournament, Merlin teaches Wart life lessons with the help of magic...

Including a run-in with the crazy Madame Mim (Wentworth), as seen above. Wart is actually Arthur, the future king of England.

Reason I chose this film:
1.) Bill Peet did the story and was an animator on the film (I used to love his books!!)
2.) An interesting take on the teen years of King Arthur, and the time before he became king...which is not often tackled.
3.) Archimedes. The owl is hysterical.

I loved it more as a child, but the film still holds a special place in my heart. Having three boys voice Wart is very noticeable (especially when you are looking for it), his voice changes multiple times within a scene. Overall it is still enjoyable!!

The Sword and the Stone (1963) minutes
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman (story by Bill Peet)
Starring: Rickie Sorensen as Wart
Richard Reitherman as Wart
Robert Reitherman as Wart
Karl Swenson as Merlin
Junius Matthews as Archimedes
Sebastian Cabot as Sir E:ctor
Norman Alden as Kay
Martha Wentworth as Madam Mim
Alan Napier as Sir Pelinore