The Sword in the Stone (1963)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A young orphan boy is taken under the wing of a wizard to learn the secrets of magic and the path to kingship.
The story
After the King of England, Uther Pendragon, dies without an heir, a sword appears in an anvil atop a stone, proclaiming that whoever removes it will be the future king. Years later, a 12-year-old orphan named Arthur, known as Wart, meets Merlin, an elderly wizard. Merlin becomes Wart's tutor and takes him to the castle of Sir Ector. Ector, a friend of Sir Pelinore, announces a tournament in London to crown a new king. Ector appoints Wart as a squire to his son, Kay, who is intended to be a contender for the throne.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the death of Uther Pendragon, England enters the Dark Ages because no one can pull the sword from the stone. Years later, a boy named Wart meets the wizard Merlin, who begins a series of magical lessons with him. Merlin transforms them into fish to study physics and squirrels to learn about gravity. During these lessons, Wart is often punished by his foster father, Sir Ector. Merlin also trains Wart to fly as a sparrow under the guidance of his owl, Archimedes. Wart eventually encounters the witch Madam Mim, whom Merlin defeats in a duel. On Christmas Eve, Wart is reinstated as Kay's squire. During a tournament, Wart discovers the Sword in the Stone and pulls it out effortlessly. This fulfills the prophecy, and Ector recognizes him as the rightful king. After being crowned, King Arthur feels unprepared for his new role, but Merlin returns from a magical trip to 20th-century Bermuda to help guide him.
- First release year
- 1963
- Runtime (minutes)
- 79
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Wolfgang Reitherman
- Writers
- Bill Peet · story; Bill Peet · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sebastian Cabot · Sir Ector; Karl Swenson · Merlin; Rickie Sorensen · Arthur (aka Wart); Richard Reitherman · Arthur (aka Wart); Robert Reitherman · Arthur (aka Wart); Junius Matthews · Archimedes; Ginny Tyler · Little Girl Squirrel; Martha Wentworth · Madam Mim
- Genres
- animated; musical; fantasy
- Themes
- education; growth; magic vs. science; destiny
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; educational; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; fantasy; mythology; magic
- Source material / true-story basis
- The 1938 novel by T. H. White
- Franchise connections
- The Once and Future King
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who thought that its humor failed to balance out a "thin narrative". However, it was a box-office success, grossing $22.2 million in the United States and Canada.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Scoring of Music—Adaptation or Treatment · 1964 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- It was the final animated film from Walt Disney Productions to be released in Walt Disney's lifetime.; The film was the first animated Disney film to feature songs by the Sherman Brothers.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…