THE SWORD AND THE STONE (1963) Movie Poster, Vintage Daybill, Disney Animation
Condition Very Fine / Near Mint (9.0)
Size AU Daybill Post-War (13" x 30")
THE SWORD AND THE STONE (1963) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Disney Animation, Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Featuring the Voices of Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson & Sebastian Cabot is in Very...
THE SWORD AND THE STONE (1963) Movie Poster, Original Vintage Daybill, Disney Animation, Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Featuring the Voices of Rickie Sorensen, Karl Swenson & Sebastian Cabot is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition.
Movie Poster and Condition.
Condition: This original, vintage, unrestored Daybill Movie Poster with vibrant colours and a clean presentation is in Very Fine/Near Mint Condition with 2 Daybill folds as issued. This authentic Australian cinema poster displays beautifully and represents a highly collectible piece of classic Disney animation memorabilia. The poster retains its strong colour saturation and crisp imagery, making it an excellent display piece for collectors of 1960s animated film posters. Posters from this era are prized for their charming hand-drawn artwork and nostalgic appeal, perfectly capturing the whimsical style associated with vintage Disney theatrical advertising.
Movie Synopsis
The Sword and the Stone (1963) is a beloved animated fantasy film from Walt Disney Productions, directed by veteran Disney animator Wolfgang Reitherman. Inspired by the classic Arthurian novel by T. H. White, the film tells the enchanting story of a young orphan boy named Arthur, nicknamed “Wart” who unexpectedly becomes the future King of England.
Set in medieval Britain, the story follows Wart as he works as a humble squire under the strict supervision of Sir Ector. His ordinary life takes an extraordinary turn when he encounters the eccentric and powerful wizard Merlin, voiced by Karl Swenson. Merlin recognises the boy’s hidden potential and takes him under his wing, determined to educate Wart in ways no traditional tutor ever could. Through magical adventures and unconventional lessons, Merlin transforms both himself and Wart into animals—including a fish, squirrel and bird—teaching the boy valuable life lessons about intelligence, courage and compassion.
The film features a memorable supporting cast including the loyal owl Archimedes, voiced by Sebastian Cabot, who provides both comic relief and wisdom throughout the story. Wart himself was voiced by Rickie Sorensen (with additional voices provided by Richard Reitherman and Robert Reitherman during production). Their performances bring warmth and humour to a story filled with magical mishaps, friendly rivalries and imaginative sequences.
One of the most entertaining highlights of the film is the magical duel between Merlin and the villainous witch Mad Madam Mim. Their spellbinding battle transforms them into a series of increasingly outrageous creatures, showcasing the creative animation techniques that Disney artists were pioneering during the early 1960s.
Produced during a transitional era for Disney animation, The Sword and the Stone was one of the studio’s early films to use the innovative Xerography animation process, which allowed animators to transfer drawings directly onto animation cels. This technique preserved the lively sketch quality of the artists’ original work and became a defining look for many Disney films of the period.
Beyond its colourful animation and humour, the story builds toward the legendary moment when Wart unknowingly fulfils a prophecy by pulling the mystical sword from the stone—revealing his destiny as King Arthur. The film’s uplifting message about wisdom, humility and believing in one’s potential has made it a cherished classic for generations of Disney fans.
Today, The Sword and the Stone remains a nostalgic favourite within the Disney animated catalogue, admired for its magical storytelling, memorable characters and distinctive hand-drawn animation style that captures the charm of classic Disney filmmaking.
To find out more about The Sword and the Stone (1963) click here to go to IMDB.com.
Special Notes.
Images may have a small 'MPA' digital watermark and this does not appear on the poster. Posters are being held by magnets in the corners to take photographs, so you may see some magnet and shadows from the magnets in these areas. The magnets are not included in the sale of the item.
Postage, Insurance & Your Country Taxes
Postage costs are quoted for this item, include insurance up to AUD$100, but if you reside outside of Australia, the price does not include any import taxes/fees that you may be required to pay when the item reaches your borders. Please check with your local authorities for any additional taxes or fees. If you would like full insurance coverage for your purchase, please message me and I would be happy to quote the additional cost (estimate is AUD$2.50 p/AUD$100 or 2.5% of the item value, up to a maximum item value of AUD$5,000).
FAQ
At Movie Posters Australia, the love and conservation of movie posters comes first, and we like to share this passion. Our commitment to quality means we will provide high quality memorabilia to our customers. Posters are carefully chosen and authenticated to ensure originality and value. We want our customers to trust MPA, so we always try to be as open and transparent as we can, provide detailed condition information and images, to ensure customers are comfortable and confident in their purchase.
While the industry does have a few condition rating standards, there is no movie poster condition rating system that has become the accepted standard world wide. This unfortunately makes condition terms vary from movie poster dealer to movie poster dealer. Terms like Mint, Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, seem to be universal to most condition rating standards, but most standards still lack definition about what and how many flaws/defects/damage defines a specific condition level. For more information on how Movie Posters Australia grades the condition of its movie posters, daybills, lobby cards and other ephemera please see out Movie Poster Condition and Grading page.
In the early days of cinema, posters were primarily hand-drawn and printed in various sizes, often tailored to fit the available space in theaters or promotional areas. In the United States, the "One Sheet" size (some times called '1 Sheet' or '1SH' approximately 27" x 41", became the standard during the 1930s. This size was manageable for theater display and suited the needs of a growing film industry.
Different countries developed their own poster sizes and styles, which also changed sometimes over the decades, and were influenced by local preferences and practical considerations, like available paper sheet sizes and how many posters could be printed on one sheet.
In Australia, the most popular size, the Daybill, has evolved over the decades. Australian Daybills sizes in chronological order are:
- Long Daybills (15" x 40"), from 1920's to pre-WW2 or pre-1941, were printed two to a sheet, longer than current Daybill versions. There were size variances in width from 14.5" to 15" and in height from 39.5" to 40".
- War Time Daybill (10" x 30"), during WW2, for a short time to conserve paper during a war time shortage, four Daybills were printed on one sheet. Information from Press Sheets also referred to these War-Time sizes as "New Size Daybills".
- Post-War Daybill (13" x 30"), this 13" x 30" Post-War size carried through until the 1980's, but also varied in size from 13"-14" x 29.75"-30.25".
- Post-80's Daybill (33cm x 66cm, or 13" x 26"), over a few years in the late 80's, the size changed again to a metric 33cm x 66cm, although these have also varied from 32-33cm x 64.5-66cm. New sizes from the late 80's were created, sometimes called a Mini Daybill or Mini Poster, in 9" x 12", 11" x 17" and 13" x 20".
In the UK, the somewhat unique 'Quad' poster, measuring 30" x 40", became popular, offering a larger landscape format that allowed for more elaborate designs.
In Japan, movie poster sizes were smaller, such as the "B2" (20" x 28"), which suited the more compact living environment of larger cities, smaller advertising spaces, and unique aesthetic sensibilities.
The 1970s and 1980s, witnessed the rise of the "six-sheet" (81" x 81") format, reflecting a trend towards larger and more visually impactful advertising.
Overall, the variation in movie poster sizes across different countries and decades highlights the interplay between technological printing advancements, paper resource availability, paper sheet size changes, cultural preferences, and the evolving nature of movie marketing.
At Movie Posters Australia we tag each poster we sell with a 'size' and 'condition' description at the very top of the page for our customers to easily see. There may however be some slight variations to sizes by up one inch due to variations in production and guillotine methods by printers over the decades.