Getting a mixed reception on its release, this feature-length cartoon account of young King Arthur's magical misadventures from Disney is now considered the definitive version of TH White's novel. There are lacklustre songs by the Sherman brothers, but the film makes good use of its limited animation techniques (Disney was on a cost-cutting drive at the time) in relating the legend of Arthur, here nicknamed Wart, and the valuable life lessons taught to him by wizard Merlin. Memorable sequences include Wart's transformation into a fish to witness the wonders of the underwater world (shades of The Little Mermaid to come) and him joining a battle between two duelling sorcerers before pulling Excalibur out of the stone and claiming his rightful inheritance.

Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.