The Sword in the Stone (film)
| The Sword in the Stone | |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Wolfgang Reitherman |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Screenplay by | Bill Peet |
| Story by | Bill Peet |
| Based on |
The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White |
| Starring | Rickie Sorensen Karl Swenson Junius Matthews Sebastian Cabot Norman Alden Martha Wentworth |
| Music by | George Bruns |
| Edited by | Donald Halliday |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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79 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $22.2 million |
The Sword in the Stone is a 1963 American animated musical sword and sorcery comedy film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The 18th Disney animated feature film, it was the final Disney animated film to be released before Walt Disney's death. The songs in the film were written and composed by the Sherman Brothers, who later wrote music for other Disney films like Mary Poppins (1964), The Jungle Book (1967), (1970), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).
The film is based on the novel of the same name, which was first published in 1938 as a single novel. It was later republished in 1958 as the first book of T. H. White's tetralogy The Once and Future King. The Sword in the Stone was released to theaters on December 25, 1963 to mixed reviews, though it was a box office success.
After the good King of England dies, leaving no heir to the throne, a sword appears inside an anvil in London. The sword bears an inscription proclaiming that "whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is rightwise king, born of England". No one can remove the sword, which is eventually forgotten, leaving England in the Dark Ages.
Years later, a 12-year-old orphan named Arthur, commonly called Wart, accidentally scares off a deer his foster brother Kay was hunting, causing Kay to launch his arrow into the forest. In retrieving the arrow, Arthur lands in the cottage of Merlin the wizard, who declares himself Arthur's tutor and returns with the boy to his home, a castle run by Sir Ector, Arthur's foster father. Ector's friend, Sir Pellinore, arrives with news that the annual jousting tournament will be held on New Year's Day in London, and the winner will be crowned king. Ector decides to put Kay through serious training for the tournament and appoints Arthur as Kay's squire.
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