The Walt Disney studios have been entertaining entire families since the beginnings of movies. In 1937 they started the then new format of the animated feature length film. Since then every generation that has come along has had a favorite movie and typical their love of that film stays with them for life. In my generation it was ‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’. My daughter was in the ‘Little Mermaid’ generation and even made tails for her Barbie Dolls. The Disney studio continues to lead the field to this day so that the generation today and those that follow will have their own Disney favorites. Just a little after my time in the peak demographic for these film one was released that remains a beloved favorite for many; ‘The Sword and the Stone’. It has adventure, action and more emotional content than most of the animated films of its time. Now, Disney once again opens their world famous vault and re-releases this film to DVD in a special edition. Back in 2003 there was a ‘Golden Edition’ of this film on DVD but this 45^th anniversary release is something very special. The video has held up very well for its age but does have a few glitches that are apparent every so often. The Dolby 5.1 audio is well done but it would have nice to have the original mono sound track included. This release has enough bonus features to keep your kids occupied for a long time.

This is not only a beloved classic it is an important film in the canon of Disney animated movies. The previous film, ‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ used a new animation technique called xerography. Basically backgrounds are photocopied instead of being drawn fresh with each frame of the film. It was done as a cost saving measure but apparently Walt Disney wasn’t very happy about the lack of realism that resulted. There is one thing about Mr. Disney, he cared about the quality of the produce he marketed to the consumers. Xerography was still used in this feature but the Disney animators now had more expertise in its use. They were able to use it as a foundation instead of letting drive the animation. The animation in this film has been hailed as remarkable. The rendering of human fugues is still considered to be among the best ever achieved for the studio. Younger viewers watching this movie for the first time should be aware that there was no such thing as computer animation back in 1963. This was the result of painstaking work hand drawing each cell of the film, Considering 24 cells are needed per second of screen time and the film runs about 79 minutes that is over 8.6 million cells required to make this film; that is a lot of pencils to be sure. While there is no doubt that some fantastic movies have been made by computer animation there is nothing like the charm and warmth of hand drawn features. Not only was the animation something special here but the music was groundbreaking. This was the first Disney animated feature to use the songwriting talents of the Sherman Brothers. You may not know their names but you certainly have loved their songs. They were the geniuses behind the songs used in such classics as ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. The have received Academy Award nominations for their work and rightfully so. They are still very active today with stage productions of shows like ‘Mary Poppins’ all over the world.

This may not have been one of the most famous Disney animated flicks. It never caught on with the critics but it was one of the biggest box office draws in 1963. The period of the sixties and seventies, even part of the eighties was a time when the Disney studio was redefining itself. Television was rapidly growing as an alternative for children’s entertainment and many people tend to forget fine films like this one released during that period. In 1989 Disney would hit big again with the ‘Little Mermaid’ but let’s not forget gems like this movie. This film was a departure from the usual format for Disney animated stories. There is the required villain, Madam Mim (Martha Wentworth) but she is watered down from the incarnation of pure evil typically found in a Disney story. For a change the protagonist is a little boy, not a girl. This did make this film more acceptable to the boys in the audience. What does remain here in common with other Disney classic is the whimsy the film provides. Kids love the idea of being able to transform into woodland creature and see the world from another viewpoint. Let’s face it; the concept is not completely unwelcome by adults either. This film has staying power that may be missing in more recent animated mega hits. So many of the modern animated movies rely on very topical pop culture references it is doubtful that they will hold up over the years. This film is as fresh today as it was forty five years ago.

The story takes place in England a long time ago. In the center of a town is a large rock. Embedded in it is a sword. The legend states that anyone who is able to pull the sword from the stone will be the King of England. Many men have tried and failed no matter how strong they might be. Living near the town is a little boy named Arthur, although most call him Wart. The part was voiced by three different young actors; Rickie Sorensen, Richard Reitherman and Robert Reitherman. The boy lives with his foster father Sir Ector (voiced by Sebastian Cabot) and Kay (Norman Alden), his foster brother. One day Wart is out walking in the woods and comes upon the home of Merlin the Wizard (voiced by Karl Swenson). The Wizard is not all that surprised to see the boy and realizes that there is something special about him. Merlin decides to take the boy under his wing and educate him in both the natural and magical worlds. Sir Ector is not at all happy about the arrangement but a little in door magical blizzard helps to convince him. Merlin teaches Wart respect for all life by transforming him into different animals. Sir Ector still tries his best to prevent the boy’s education mostly through numerous arduous chores around his household. As the boy progresses with his lessons he comes to the attention of Madame Mim (voiced by Martha Wentworth) who is also a powerful wizard although of the evil variety. She kidnaps the boy forcing a magical showdown between her and Merlin.

While this may not be the best or most famous of the Disney animated canon it is well worth having and enjoying with your family. There is also the typical selection of extras. There is the Merlin Magical Academy Game, a selection of shorts and songs as well a featurette on the music of the Sherman Brothers. Get this one and have a fun family night.