Show Notes on Dream a Little Deeper: The Sword in the Stone
The Walt Disney Animation Studios continues its foray into xerox animation with its 1963 film The Sword in the Stone. Based on the books by TH White, the movie follows Arthur and Merlin as Arthur learns what it takes to be a king. The company, at this point, is really cracking down on animation spending, so animators can only work on one film at a time, and the detail is scaled back a lot. Walt Disney puts Bill Peet on the project, because he was happy with Peet’s work on One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and trusts him to guide the picture while he focuses on other projects, but ultimately is not happy with the film.
Primary Source
The Sword in the Stone, dir. by Wolfgang Reitherman, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand (1963).
Books
The Animated Man: A Life of Walt Disney by Michael Barrier (2007)
The Disney Middle Ages: A Fairy-Tale and Fantasy Past by T. Pugh and S. Aronstein (2012)
Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation by Chris Pallant (2011)
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation and its Golden Age by Michael Barrier (1999)
Mouse Under Glass: Secrets of Disney Animation & Theme Parks by David Koenig (1997)
The Queens of Animation by Nathalia Holt (2019)
Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy by Janet Wasko
Walt Disney and Europe by Robin Allen (1999)
Walt Disney: The Triumph of American Imagination by Neal Gabler (2007)
Articles
Korkis, Jim (November 8, 2017). "Floyd Norman Remembers The Sword in the Stone: Part Two". MousePlanet.
Documentaries
Walt Disney, directed by Sarah Colt (2015)
Videos
The History of Walt Disney Animation Studios + (Part 4) - Animation Lookback by ElectricDragon505
Websites
Hogan Magazine - Seldom Re-Peeted: The Bill Peet Interview
Jim Hill Media - The Chanticleer Saga Part 1
Jim Hill Media - The Chanticleer Saga Part 2
Jim Hill Media - The Chanticleer Saga Part 3
Mouse Planet - Floyd Norman Remembers the Sword in the Stone: Part 2
TOR - In Need of a Villain: Disney’s The Sword in the Stone by Nari Ness
Wikipedia - Chanticleer (play)
Wikipedia page - Sword in the Stone (includes review links)
Visual Aids
Chanticleer Drawings
Interviews
Sam Modde
Sam is recent graduate from the University of Tulsa and works as a newscast producer. He likes watching movies and following St. Louis sports teams.
