The legend of King Arthur has inspired numerous retellings via song, page, stage, and screen. With a decidedly grittier and more manic take on the subject currently in theaters, we thought it might be a good opportunity to revisit a film adaptation that more charmingly hews closer to T.H. White’s definitive vision on the subject: 1963’s The Sword in the Stone. Originally recorded in 2013, your hosts through this romp through Medieval England are Albert "Archimedes" Gutierrez, Pedro "Wart" Hernandez, and Kelvin "Merlin" Cedeño. Each of us share different perspectives towards this film as we discuss its production history, literary comparisons to both Arthurian Legend and the first book in T.H. White's "The Once and Future King" tetralogy, intentional anachronisms that both contemporize and date the film, and our own personal views towards the film in both a childhood context and as academic study.
Instructions on Syncing Up This Commentary with Your Copy of the Film: Both the film and commentary track run the same length. To maximize your enjoyment of this commentary, press play on both film and commentary together. The audio will start 7 seconds in when the “Walt Disney Presents” title card appears. Then sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!
