Not every animated Disney feature film was sprinkled with that Disney fairy dust.
"Sword in the Stone" is again available on DVD, this time for its 45th anniversary.
Released in 1963, "Stone" came after Disney's remarkably simple and entertaining "101 Dalmatians" (1961). Made during a period in which the Walt Disney Studios were thriving with Disneyland, television, live action films and work for the 1964 New York World's Fair, this take on the legend of King Arthur didn't have the spunk or spirit seen in so many Disney animated films. Although it's not a bad movie, it's mostly OK.
The story revolves around the idea that the magician Merlin (Karl Swenson) teaches a young squire named Arthur(also known as "Wart" in the movie) about the world around him. Wart is played by Rickie Sorenson, Richard & Robert Reitherman. Merlin is wonderfully acted and animated, providing some much needed comedy to an otherwise dull story. On the other hand, most of the characters and situations in the movie are lackluster. The story is mostly comprised of episodes rather than a cohesive storyline in which we care for the characters. Part of the weakness of the movie is that it's based on a young King Arthur. He's a good kid and has plenty of heart, but there's not much else that is interesting about him. By far the strongest character is Merlin. Even Archimedes (Junius Matthews) has more energy than Wart does. Wart is written as a passive kid up until the very end of the movie. It may have been more compelling if he had shown signs of greatness throughout. Never base a legendary story on a little boy. Perhaps George Lucas followed this Disney take on the Arthurian legend for his movie, "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." Great mythological kings and evil warlords don't seem as fun when they're innocent kids.
The comical capers that happen in "Stone" aren't bad sequences. Alone, they're fun to watch. Put together, though, we're not on the edge of our seats waiting for the outcome of young Arthur's adventures. My favorite scene, though it pretty much comes from nowhere, is the wizard's duel between Merlin and Madam Mim. She's voiced by Martha Wentworth. The form changing wizards are quite fun.
Woolie Reitherman's direction is solid and the animation, though not up to Disney's usual best, is good. The color palette seems to reflect early-1960s style. The Sherman Bros. score is delightful, but not memorable like their work on "Mary Poppins," which came out a year after "Stone." There is a big change in the voicing of Wart that goes from a young kid's voice, to a male teenager's voice, all within the same scene. This seems like something that ordinarily wouldn't pass muster with Walt Disney. Yet he was very busy with Disneyland and perhaps wasn't as involved with this film as he was on others. It's unfair to expect the whole Disney organization at the time to be perfect. Even though "The Sword in the Stone" isn't one of the better Disney animated films, it still has enough entertainment that's watchable.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © Disney. All rights reserved.
