The Sword in the Stone (Disney Gold Classic Collection)

Starring:Sebastian Cabot, Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson, Junius Matthews, Ginny Tyler, Martha Wentworth, Norman Alden, Alan Napier, Richard Reitherman, Robert Reitherman, Thurl Ravenscroft, Barbara Jo Allen, Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman, Les Perkins
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Based upon T.H. White's beloved novel, this Disney-fied version chronicles the tutoring of the Once and Future King, Arthur, as handled by the magician Merlin. Sword was a portent of things to come, with slapstick upbraiding storytelling, and cultural in-jokes substituting for wonder. But there's much to enjoy here as Merlin shows Newt, the young Arthur, things that will help him become the ruler of the Britons. The transformation sequences, where the boy is turned into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel are vintage Disney. The oft-repeated scene of Merlin battling it out with the mean old Madame Mim still is worth a few chuckles, but it belies the problem with most of the film--the scenes are only there for the chuckles. References by Merlin to television and other items of modern life also mar the generally innocuous landscape. Children will like it, but they won't cherish it. --Keith Simanton

Description

Dazzling color and brilliant animation bring the medieval legend of King Arthur to life in THE SWORD IN THE STONE. With a forest full of charm, spectacle, and wizardry, Disney's classic tale conjures up delightful entertainment for all ages! England is in the midst of a dark age and without a proper king, Young "Wart," an orphan and squire-in-training, is content with kitchen duties in his foster home -- until he drops in on the extraordinary wizard Merlin and his articulate owl, Archimedes. Through three life lessons, Wart learns to set his "sights on the heights," armed with the most powerful forces on earth -- intellect, wisdom, and love. When it's time to contest who will be king, Wart must use his newfound knowledge to do what no mighty knight has done before! Join in all the magical marvels that make THE SWORD IN THE STONE a classic animated film and pure Disney gold!

Customer Reviews:

Great classic movie.......2007-05-13

My boys loved this movie. Most of the older Disney movies are about Princesses and this was nice for my boys who love knights and castles.

Classic.......2007-03-19

I grew up with this film, now i bought it for my 3 and 5 yo nephews and they watch it over and over. Classic Disney.

A good example of early Disney DVD........2007-03-19

When Disney released The Sword In The Stone onto DVD in 2001, Disney had only really gotten into releasing their movies onto DVD within the last two years, starting with their failed Limited Issue line. The Gold Collection followed, with some of the Limited Issues repackaged as Gold Collection titles, and more titles released. Most of these had decent, if not somwhat problematic DVD transfers and few, if any, bonus materials. However, a few of Disney's Gold Collection titles were given decent releases. Among those are the 30th Anniversary Edition of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Although not officially a Gold Collection title by many people's standards, it says Gold Collection on the spine.) and this 2001 DVD release of The Sword In The Stone.

First off, the film is given a nice transfer here. The DVD case boasts that it's ''fully restored and remastered.'' Although it's not up to par with the Platinum Edition restorations or the Masterpiece Edition of Alice In Wonderland's transfer, it IS far better than many of the other Gold Collection transfers. It's nicely cleaned up, although it's a bit grainier than one would like, and there's still a bit of dirt in the transfer. The colors have been punched up nicely, though. The video transfer here is very satisfying, as is the audio mix.

The disc also includes quite a few good bonus materials. A Sword In The Stone scrapbook features concept art for the film, production photos, character design, concept poster art, official poster art, and more. Two sing-alongs lifted from Disney's Sing-Along Songs video series provide fun captions for two of the film's more memorable songs. Film Facts is...well, basically that. Two animated shorts, ''Knight For A Day'' and ''Brave Little Tailor'' are very entertaining. ''Music Magic: The Sherman Brothers'' has the Shermans talking about songs they wrote for The Sword In The Stone, including a couple that were deleted. (The Shermans also did a Music Magic featurette for Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and that one WAS better, because it also gave a little info on the making of the film, as well as its 1996 restoration.) Finally, an episode of Walt Disney's Disneyland TV series is included - ''All About Magic'' from 1957. Although this isn't directly related to The Sword In The Stone, its inclusion is to be praised nonetheless.

My only disappointment in this DVD is the lack of any sort of theatrical trailer or TV spot. Come on, Disney!

Nonetheless, The Sword In The Stone is a fine example of Disney's earliest attempts to give their movies the deluxe treatment on single-disc DVD releases, reserving their 2-Disc DVD releases for Platinum Editions (This was the year that Snow White's Platinum Edition DVD was released.) and the DVD releases of their most recent animated features. I wholeheartedly recommend this DVD for fans of the film.

The Sword in the Stone.......2007-01-29

Recieved quickly, good condition, thank you for the great service

good clean fun.......2007-01-15

I grew up watching Disney's "The Sword In the Stone" myself, and now I get to introduce my kids to that magic! full of fun scenes as Merlin, "the world's most powerful wizard," tutors young king Arthur (an orphan everyone calls "Wart"), there's plenty of madcap magic in this heartwarming "ugly duckling" story.

Average customer rating:

A childhood favorite of mine!
Enjoyable Medieval Quest Film
Worst. Movie. Ever.
Improved picture and sound quality, fully restored!
''Jolly Good Show'!'

The Magic Sword
Starring: Basil Rathbone , Estelle Winwood , Gary Lockwood , Anne Helm , and Liam Sullivan
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00094ARW8
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Description

Mythical monsters and noble knights come to colorful life in this enchanting and engaging adventure. Filled with "special effects sure to amuse and horrify" (LA Herald-Examiner), The Magic Sword is an "all-out children's fairy tale" (Motion Picture Herald) and a "rousing good time" (The Film Daily)! When the evil sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone) kidnaps the beautiful Princess Helene (Anne Helm), the brave young George (Gary Lockwood) makes it his mission to save her and earn her royal hand in marriage. But George must first survive the seven curses that plague the way to Lodac's castle. Though he has a speedy horse, invincible armor and a magic sword, will George's weapons and resolve be enough to defeat Lodac's ghastly ghouls and deadly demons?!?

Customer Reviews:

A childhood favorite of mine!.......2007-05-28

I first saw this movie as a child in B&W on Saturday afternoon matinee on channel 9 (WGN - Chicago). This was my first medieval movie I had ever seen and due to it I am still a science fiction & fantasy fan. About twenty years later I saw a color version on television. And here I am fifteen years later buying it as a keepsake/memory. This MGM version blew the previous two veiwings away. The picture, color and sound quality was superb. I am extremely happy with my purchase of this item.

Enjoyable Medieval Quest Film.......2007-02-08

Evil sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone) takes his revenge on the King by abducting Princess Helene (Anne Helm) to feed her to a dragon in a week. Ambitious courtier Sir Branton (Liam Sullivan) proposes to go alone to rescue her. The obscure, but noble, protagonist, Sir George (Gary Lockwood), uses the gifts of his good-witch foster mother, Sibyl (Estelle Winwood), to re-animate six knights to go after the Princess, his vision-love. Lodac guards his castle with seven curses, including the double-headed dragon. The movie plays out straightforwardly to the expected conclusion using the technology of the early 1960's. It's all good fun.

The first time I saw the movie was from a $1 bargain bin version from "Treasure Box Collection," a good value, especially since it was bundled with a second film, "King Arthur: The Young Warlord". I enjoyed their "The Magic Sword" but wanted it with a better quality picture. The MGM version has an excellent picture and sound.

The MGM version has an additional four-minute scene about 30 minutes into the film, in which a harassed Princess Helene breaks free of her prison cell and meets Little People kept in cages for eating. Lodac returns her to her cell. The Little People show up later to release George from his bindings in the dungeon and are otherwise not explained.

The one and only annoyance of the MGM version compared to the "Treasure Box Collection" version is that MGM's has a different aspect ratio and sizing. The MGM version is wider, but cuts off portions of the scene that appear at the bottom (or maybe top as well) of the TBC version. While the letterbox aspect ratio is standard, why don't they show the entire movie however the aspect ratio falls out? For me the difference was most noticable in George's dungeon scenes. This quibble does not mean that the MGM version is not the one to choose.

There are no extras.

Worst. Movie. Ever........2006-04-19

Having always been a huge fan of classic adventure fantasy romps like the aforementiond Jack the Giant Killer, Jason and the Argonauts, and the many Sinbad outings, I fully anticipated enjoying The Magic Sword with the same kind of childish enthusiasm. I couldnt believe my luck at finding this DVD in the bargain bin at my local retailer for only 5.50!!! Basil Rathbones name alone sold me this movie.

I really really want my 5.50 back. The so called special effects are ludicrous. The props are ridiculous, and the makeup is beyond laughably bad. Basil Rathbone is doing his best to ham it up as the evil sorceror Lodac, but just barely manages to phone it in. What a waste of the talent that gave us Sherlock Holmes and Sir Guy of Gisbourne. I cant tell if the rest of the actors even realize theyre in such a bad movie, or if they know and just dont care. The awkward pauses between every line in the actors vocal exchanges and movements seem to suggest that they are waiting for some idiot with a cue card to tell them what to do. Even Mr Rathbone suffers from this affliction. Blame this on the somewhat less than classic Director Bert L Gordon.

I actually tried to watch this movie three times before I managed to get all the way through it, just to say I could. I put this on my shelf next to Godzilla's Revenge in the "How in the heck can this movie even exist" department, never to be watched again. Unless youre a movie masochist, blind, deaf, or just have a few dollars with nothing else in the entire world to spend it on, DONT WASTE YOUR TIME.

Improved picture and sound quality, fully restored!.......2006-03-25

2 or 3 years ago I purchased the magic sword on DVD. It was the Alpha video version. This MGM version is so much better then the Alpha version. The picture is clear, the sound is crisp (thank you MGM). Also this is the full version (120 minutes). The alpha version cut out a 3 minute segment where 2 dwarfs sneak into the princess's cell and try to grope her.

The special effects are dated (the movie did come out in 1962), but the story and characters are great. This is a really great "good VS evil" film. A true underated classic. Great for the whole family (kids and adults).

''Jolly Good Show'!'.......2005-12-18

"The Magic Sword" is one of B-movie producer/director Bert I. Gordon's best known films. Granted, it's no masterpiece, but it is enjoyable on it's own terms. The plot, very loosely based on the 'St. George And The Dragon' legend, has a princess (Anne Helm) kidnapped by evil sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone) and hunted by lovesick George (Gary Lockwood). Aided by his foster mother Sybil (Estelle Winwood) a good witch, George vows to save the princess and destroy Lodac. Although this plot has been done to death, it's the acting by the splendid Rathbone and Winwood which keeps this film consistently entertaining. Add some modest, but impressive special effects, and you have a very entertaining minor adventure for the family. Beware: this public domain film is available on several cut-rate DVDs, but only the newly released one from MGM/UA home video is worth the price. They have a beautiful print of the film (it was originally released by United Artists) which contains a fun theatrical trailer. This is the one to get! [phillindholm]

Average customer rating:

Dramatic acting of the finest order.
A masterpiece love story
IT'S NOT THAT BAD IF TAKEN FOR WHAT IT IS...
One extra star...
Still A Kid

The Magic Sword
Starring: Danielle de Metz , Angus Duncan , Jacques Gallo , Anne Helm , and Leroy Johnson
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Dramatic acting of the finest order........2007-06-11

The shield of St. George, the 'handsome prince in shining armor', has a red Christian cross on it, capable of shielding him against any magic spell. This one detail makes this movie shine as no other for Christian viewers. As the author of "Si'Wren of the Patriarchs", a Christian parable, I found this movie to be head and shoulders above a more modern, recently viewed title, 'Aragon'. With the most simple of special effects, I was thrilled beyond measure by the manifestations of good and evil powers in 'The Magic Sword'. The actors do not strive for effect. They achieve magnificently. If you want to count the millions spent on a movie budget, does that make some of the more major failures into 'successes' purely because of the money blown, or The Magic Sword a loser because they used top talent on a limited budget? Be aware that the handsome knight. Sir George, later went on to play the astronaut in '2001 Space Odyssey'. The kidnapped princess went on to write and illustrate children's books. The evil French hag was actually a stunning beauty who once played 'Vampira', an evident precurser of Elvira. At one point in the movie, one of the six famous knights who accompany St. George prises God. Nowadays, I see such actors as Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock, & Bruce Willis, among others, use the name of 'Jesus Christ' as a curse word. I cannot convey adequately the pulse-pounding thrill I experienced as a Christian, when Sir George held up his shield with the red cross on it, to ward of the evil hag's accursed approaches against him. Even allowing for the difference in the power of special effects, I found the two-headed dragon in The Magic Sword to be every bit as convincing in its own way, as the blue 'guardianesse' female dragon of 'Aragon', and Aragon had no redeeming Christian element.

A masterpiece love story.......2005-04-15

This film has everything a hopeless romantic could want. Forbidden love, facing danger for love, and winning true love. It's a love story!

A knight with a magic sword goes on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess from an evil wizard. After trapping a witch (who I swore was Phillis Diller), he gets a magic sword and brings to life six knights, each from a different nation. We have a German knight, and Irish knight, a French knight, etc. All accents are horrible, but they all speak English.

Well the knights face danger and are picked off until they arrive at the Evil Sorceror's castle (which looks surprisingly like a farmhouse!) After fighting a double headed sock puppet dragon. The knight wins his true love.

And the evil wizard? He is mad his dragon has been killed. He is about to unleash a fury like no one has ever seen. "I am INVINCABLE!" he proclaims with outstretched arms. But before he can do anything he is mauled by the witch who had transformed herself into a puma.

IT'S NOT THAT BAD IF TAKEN FOR WHAT IT IS..........2005-02-03

This movie was directed by Bert I. Gordon...a legend in "B" movies and the man who brought us such films as Earth Vs. the Spider, Picture Mommy Dead, and "War of the Colossal Beast" Knowing that, how could anyone resonably expect anything more than the low-budget fare that Mr. Gordon had always provided?

In this low budget, Saturday movie matinee type film, The evil sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone) captures Princess Helene and whisks her off to his castle. Young Knight Sir George (Gary Lockwood), and aided by a magic sword, sets off with his six knights to save her. However, he must travel with Sir Franton, who also has romantic aspirations for the Princess. Together the knights must face Lodac's seven curses and liberate the Princess.

To me this is one of those movies like "Captain Sinbad" with Guy Williams that just enchanted me as a young boy. It isn't quality film-making and doesn't pretend to be. I'm sure the films that so entrall my kids today will be looked on as hokey and cheap 30 years from now as well and that's ok because it was a film squarely aimed at kids.

Rathbone is, of course, a shell of his former self and it's a bit sad to see him in this, one of his final films, especially recalling how dashing he was back in the 30's and 40's. There's no one else in the cast remotely worth noting. The special effects were cheap but hey, it's still a fun movie to watch if you KNOW what you are going to see. No Doubt most viewers seeing it for the first time are going to be pretty negative about "The Magic Sword", but I still liked it.

One extra star..........2004-12-15

for the unintentional laughs the movie provides. Otherwise, even at 7 bucks, this is pretty much overpriced. Apparently, Bert I. Gordon lost his touch sometime in the early 60s. Not only is the print absolutely horrible, but the sets, costumes and acting are almost at Ed Wood level. The extra knights, with their fake accents and dubious deaths, Sybil and her malfunctioning magic (not to mention her "three" assistants), the evil sorceror with the semi-dramatic entrances, the valley-girl princess, the occasionally-glowing horse, the cheesy monsters and the villian that resembles Lyle Waggoner all combine for a true laugh-fest in the MSFT vein. My guess is that Rathbone must have had serious financial problems or was coerced into doing this one drunken night. Even he's awful.

Still A Kid.......2004-09-26

Yes, this is a film from the 50's or 60's. Yes, it is low budget and the acting shows it. It is also a film for kids (of all ages perhaps) and it was never supposed to be up for an academy award - which is a good thing. But for what it is worth, I first saw it as a kid, it was one of my favorite stories as a kid and now, as an adult, I am glad to have it in my collection. It is good escapist material after a day's work - not every day, of course. And it does go well with cheese and beer. Some people will say that it is cheesey enough on its own. Maybe they need more beer! You could do a lot worse than this - especially if you have kids in the house. I know. I'm in my 50's and I'm still a kid. I even named a car Sybil because of this movie. Having read some of the other reviews, perhaps I should mention that the color in my copy is OK.

Average customer rating:

The Magic Sword
Starring: Danielle de Metz , Angus Duncan , Jacques Gallo , Anne Helm , and Leroy Johnson
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008ZZ9H
Release Date: 2003-04-01

Average customer rating:

Great classic movie
Classic
A good example of early Disney DVD.
The Sword in the Stone
good clean fun

The Sword in the Stone [Region 2]
Starring: Sebastian Cabot , Rickie Sorensen , Karl Swenson , Junius Matthews , and Ginny Tyler
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Great classic movie.......2007-05-13

My boys loved this movie. Most of the older Disney movies are about Princesses and this was nice for my boys who love knights and castles.

Classic.......2007-03-19

I grew up with this film, now i bought it for my 3 and 5 yo nephews and they watch it over and over. Classic Disney.

A good example of early Disney DVD........2007-03-19

The Sword in the Stone.......2007-01-29

Recieved quickly, good condition, thank you for the great service

good clean fun.......2007-01-15

Average customer rating:

Great classic movie
Classic
A good example of early Disney DVD.
The Sword in the Stone
good clean fun

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
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Customer Reviews:

Great classic movie.......2007-05-13

My boys loved this movie. Most of the older Disney movies are about Princesses and this was nice for my boys who love knights and castles.

Classic.......2007-03-19

I grew up with this film, now i bought it for my 3 and 5 yo nephews and they watch it over and over. Classic Disney.

A good example of early Disney DVD........2007-03-19

The Sword in the Stone.......2007-01-29

Recieved quickly, good condition, thank you for the great service

good clean fun.......2007-01-15

Average customer rating:

Great classic movie
Classic
A good example of early Disney DVD.
The Sword in the Stone
good clean fun

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
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The Rescuers
Alice in Wonderland (Masterpiece Edition)
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Customer Reviews:

Great classic movie.......2007-05-13

My boys loved this movie. Most of the older Disney movies are about Princesses and this was nice for my boys who love knights and castles.

Classic.......2007-03-19

I grew up with this film, now i bought it for my 3 and 5 yo nephews and they watch it over and over. Classic Disney.

A good example of early Disney DVD........2007-03-19

The Sword in the Stone.......2007-01-29

Recieved quickly, good condition, thank you for the great service

good clean fun.......2007-01-15

Average customer rating:

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Family Films | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYR9

Imported the Sword in the Stone, Maker Is Bo-ying Licensed By Disney Studios to Make Disney Movies in China

Average customer rating:

Imported the Sword in the Stone, Maker Is Bo-ying Licensed By Disney Studios to Make Disney Movies in China

Manufacturer: Boying
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

Collectibles | Categories |
Product Features:

Offical seal chinese import
E-ZLine of plastic to peel off wrapper
Disc is safe and secure on its holder, no rattling of a loose disc in the case
English is default setting, no manipulation needed with remote contro l to view movie in english.
T o view movie in Chinese, you msut click on menu, then click on Chinese, movie will then play in Chinese.

ASIN: 7884031701

Product Description

Imported the Sword in the Stone, brand new item, never before viewed DVD, offically licensed product of China by Disney Studios, offical, lisensed Chinese version of the movie,"Boyong" is the namew of the manufactuer

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