The Black Cauldron
Directed by	Ted Berman Richard Rich
Produced by	Ron Miller Joe Hale
Written by	Lloyd Alexander (novel) David Jonas
Starring	Grant Bardsley Susan Sheridan Freddie Jones Nigel Hawthorne John Hurt John Byner
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	July 24, 1985 (USA)
Running time	80 min.
Language	English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

The Black Cauldron (also known as Taran and the Magic Cauldron in some countries) is the twenty-fifth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions, and originally released to theatres on July 24, 1985 by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution. It is based on Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain book series. The movie was directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich and starred the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, and John Hurt. Image File history File links Bcposter. ... Richard Rich is an American animated film director. ... Ronald William Miller is a former professional football player and a former top Disney executive. ... Book cover of The High King Lloyd Chudley Alexander (born January 30, 1924) is the author of a number of fantasy books for children and adolescents, as well as several adult novels. ... Susan Sheridan (born 1947) is a British actress most widely known for her voice work, particularly the roles of Trillian in the radio series The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Princess Eilonwy in the animated film The Black Cauldron. ... Freddie Jones (born September 12, 1927) is a British character actor. ... Sir Nigel Hawthorne, CBE (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was a renowned English actor. ... For the singer, see Mississippi John Hurt. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1]) (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American film score composer. ... Old logo from 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was established as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the... Buena Vista production logo, 1950s. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Motto: (traditional) In God We Trust (official, 1956–present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City Official language(s) None at the federal level; English de facto Government Federal Republic  - President George W. Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence - Declared - Recognized... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Animation refers to the technique in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... This is a list of animated feature films produced by Walt Disney Productions/The Walt Disney Company: Official canon The following is a list of the forty-four feature films officially part of the Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) canon. ... Walt Disney Productions is the former name of The Walt Disney Company, which it held from 1929 to 1986. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Old logo from 1985-2006 Walt Disney Pictures refers to several different entities associated with The Walt Disney Company: Walt Disney Pictures, the film banner, was established as a designation in 1983, prior to which Disney films since the death of Walt Disney were released under the name of the... Buena Vista production logo, 1950s. ... Book cover of The High King Lloyd Chudley Alexander (born January 30, 1924) is the author of a number of fantasy books for children and adolescents, as well as several adult novels. ... The Chronicles of Prydain is a five volume series of childrens fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. ... Richard Rich is an American animated film director. ... Susan Sheridan (born 1947) is a British actress most widely known for her voice work, particularly the roles of Trillian in the radio series The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Princess Eilonwy in the animated film The Black Cauldron. ... Freddie Jones (born September 12, 1927) is a British character actor. ... Sir Nigel Hawthorne, CBE (5 April 1929 – 26 December 2001) was a renowned English actor. ... For the singer, see Mississippi John Hurt. ...

The story concerns the evil Horned King who attempts to secure the Black Cauldron in order to rule the world. The Horned King is opposed by the heroes Taran, Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and a strange creature named Gurgi. The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ... The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ... Taran and his companion Gurgi as pictured on the cover of Taran Wanderer. ... Princess Eilonwy is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexanders The Chronicles of Prydain and Disneys 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron. ... Fflewddur Fflam, son of Godo, is a cantrev lord in the fictional country of Prydain, in Lloyd Alexanders Chronicles of Prydain. ... Gurgi is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain, the series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. ...

The Black Cauldron Release History

• July 24th, 1985 (Original theatrical)

July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ...

Plot summary

As the film starts, a voice-over explains the legend of the Black Cauldron: A voice-over is a narration that is played on top of a video segment, usually with the audio for that segment muted or lowered. ...

On the small farm of Caer Dallben, Taran, a young boy relegated to the life of an "assistant pig keeper", longs for joining the war against the evil Horned King and becoming a hero despite the insistence of Dallben, his guardian, that "war is no game". On a nondescript morning, Hen Wen, the pig Taran looks after, seems to go crazy. Dallben explains that Hen Wen is a magical pig who can create visions using water, which Taran was previously unaware of. Using Hen Wen's powers, Dallben discovers that the Horned King is after the Black Cauldron and that he seeks to capture Hen Wen, and use her to find it. Caer Dallben is a small farm in Lloyd Alexanders Chronicles of Prydain. ... Taran and his companion Gurgi as pictured on the cover of Taran Wanderer. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... Dallben is an important character in Lloyd Alexanders The Chronicles of Prydain. ... Hen Wen is a white sow featured in Lloyd Alexanders The Chronicles of Prydain. ...

Realizing that Hen Wen simply cannot fall into the hands of the Horned King, Dallben orders Taran to leave the farm and take Hen Wen into hiding. The scene shifts to our first sighting of the Horned King. He walks through a chamber in his castle, and muses that the Black Cauldron will soon be his. The room is full of the skeletons of warriors, many of them still wearing armour. The King speaks to them, saying he will resurrect them as an army of deathless warrors- the Cauldron-Born- and then they will worship him. He has long dreamed of being hailed as a god. Depiction of Cernunnos from the Pilier des nautes, Paris Cernunnos in Celtic polytheism is the deified spirit of horned male animals, especially of stags, a nature god associated with produce and fertility. ...

We then see Taran walking along with Hen Wen, telling her how special he now thinks she is. They stop by a stream to drink. Taran starts daydreaming about being a warrior, but is shaken out of it when he sses that Hen Wen is gone. Taran looks for her in the forest, but then he encounters a strange creature called Gurgi, who likes apples. Gurgi insists on being Taran's friend, but Taran is annoyed by Gurgi's mischievous behavior. In the midst of their confrontation, Taran hears a squeal and finds that Hen Wen is being chased by the Gwythaints, dragon-like creatures that serve the Horned King. Taran attempts to rescue her, but the Gwythaints carry her off. He follows them to the Horned King's dark castle. Determined to save Hen Wen, Taran heads for the castle, but the cowardly Gurgi elects to remain behind. This article is about a community of trees. ... Gurgi is a fictional character in The Chronicles of Prydain, the series of fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander. ... An interpersonal relationship is some relationship or connection between two people. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ...

Taran sneaks into the castle and finds his way to a banquet hall filled with the King's partying henchmen, apparently celebrating the capture of the pig. In this scene, we briefly see a dancing girl entertaining the henchmen. She is extremely ugly- she looks like a much uglier version of Esmerelda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but the henchmen are also ugly, and therefore find her attractive. The festivity ends abruptly when the Horned King appears and Creeper, a creature that serves the King, order Hen Wen brought out. Creeper orders the pig to reveal the location of the Black Cauldron, but she refuses. Creeper is throttled by the Horned King- it soon emerges that this is always his punishment for failing his master. Taran stumbles onto the scene and the King, realizing Taran is the owner of the pig, orders him to make Hen Wen reveal the location of the Black Cauldron. Taran refuses, but when the King orders for Hen Wen to be beheaded, he relents. A banquet hall is a room used for social gatherings like receptions, reunions, parties, and business events. ...

However, when the King leans over him to see the images in the bowl of water, Taran is frightened by the King's skeletal face and glowing eyes. He makes a break for it, knocking the water over in the process, and taking Hen Wen with him, and just manages to throw the pig into the moat before being captured himself. Thrown into the dungeons, Taran is left to brood over his failure. Just then, a piece of the floor opens and a magic bauble pops out followed by a princess. She introduces herself as Princess Eilonwy, but becomes disappointed when she finds out that Taran isn't a warrior, just an Assistant Pig-keeper. Nevertheless, they team up to escape the castle. The moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, England Moats (also known as a Fosse) were deep and wide water-filled trenches, excavated to provide a barrier against attack upon castle ramparts or other fortifications. ... The dungeons of Blarney Castle. ... Princess Eilonwy is a fictional character in Lloyd Alexanders The Chronicles of Prydain and Disneys 1985 animated film The Black Cauldron. ...

While exploring the dungeon, they share their stories about how they got thrown in the dungeon. Eilonwy was captured because the Horned King thought her bauble could tell him where the cauldron was, and like Taran, she was thrown into the dungeons when his plan failed. They come across a burial chamber. Eilonwy explains that the chamber must house the body of the good king who built the castle before the Horned King took over. Taran notices something on the top of the tomb and, upon discovering that it's a sword, takes it. They sneak past Creeper, who's ordering a henchman to carry a cart full of dead warriors into the castle. They enter a room where a minstrel is being chained by another henchman. The minstrel, Fflewddur Fflam, tries to convince the henchman to let him go. But everything he says is a lie- he is cursed, and every time he lies, one of the strings on his harp snaps. Taran and Eilonwy attempt to set him free, but then they hear more henchmen coming. They run for it while Fflewddur tries to save himself. Taran and Eilonwy get separated. Suddenly, Taran runs into a guard wielding an axe. The guard attempts to kill Taran, but before he can strike, Taran pulls out his sword and uses it to block the axe. The sword magically damages the axe, and the horrified guard runs away. Excited over the magic sword, Taran plays with it for a while, but then Eilonwy shows up, and they continue onward. They run into more guards, and Taran deflects them with the magic sword. Meanwhile, Fflewddur has escaped the dungeon, but is being chased by a dog. Taran slows down the guards by slashing some wine barrels with the sword. Taran and Eilonwy finally make it to the entrance of the castle, only to find the drawbridge closed. Creeper and the other henchmen have them cornered, but then Taran uses the sword to cut the chain to the drawbridge, allowing it to fall down. Creeper and the guards stand back in fright, while Fflewddur bowls past them. Taran and Eilonwy make it past the closing gate, but Fflewddur barely makes it with his pants ripped, and together they escape into the forest. Fflewddur Fflam, son of Godo, is a cantrev lord in the fictional country of Prydain, in Lloyd Alexanders Chronicles of Prydain. ...

Back in the castle, Creeper nervously goes to the Horned King's throne room and informs his master of the pig-keeper's escape. He attempts to choke himself as punishment, but is surprised to find out his master likes the news- if Taran has escaped, he will find his pig, and then he can capture them both again. The King orders him to send the Gwythaints to follow the boy, which Creeper thankfully does.

In the forest, Fflewddur is singing to the heroes (the only music in the film), while Eilonwy is sewing his pants. They are all very thankful that they made it out of the castle alive. But Taran starts to become arrogant and say that he wasn't afraid. He and Eilonwy get into an argument, wherein the Princess runs off crying. Taran storms off in the oppsite direction, ignoring Fflewddur's attempts to make peace. Taran goes to apologize to her, and she forgives him immediately, because they all need to work together to find the cauldron before the Horned King does. Just then they hear Fflewddur yell for help. Taran draws his sword in case of danger, but sheaths it when he realises that Fflewddur's assailant is none other than Gurgi.

After an argument, Gurgi reveals that he knows where Hen Wen is, and the others follow him. They come to an enchanted whirlpool, and are sucked down. They find themselves in an underground universe peopled by pixies, and ruled by the kindly King Eidelleg. He does not like humans in his home- the whirlpool, maintained by the bad-tempered court workman Doli, is supposed to keep them out. Nevertheless, he helps them- he knows where the Black Cauldron is, and instructs Doli to take them to Morva, the land where it is hidden. He also has Hen Wen, and she and Taran are reunited. But Taran is afraid to take her to Morva- the King says that he will send her back to Dalban's farm. He then conjures up magic clouds to transport Doli and the travellers to Morva.

The cauldron, it turns out, is in a cottage governed by three witches- Urdu, Orda, and Ulwyn. They have a larder full of frogs- there is strong implication that they are humans who stole from the witches in the past- which are to be eaten. Ulwyn takes a fancy to Fflewddur, and will not allow him to be turned into a frog. The witches reveal that they never give anything away- they trade. Taran, seeing that they have nothing else of value to offer, trades his sword for the cauldron. A storm blows up, and the heroes are transported outside- the earth shakes, and the Black Cauldron emerges from it.

The witches, now in the form of clouds, inform the heroes that the Black Cauldron can never be destroyed, but only its evil powers can be stopped. A living being must climb into the cauldron of his own free will, however the good person shall never climb out alive. They then disappear, saying they always keep a bargain... Gurgi, in a rare burst of bravery, had agreed to jump into the cauldron, but on hearing that he will die, his courage fails him.

Later, the heroes are sitting around a fire trying to figure out what to do with the cauldron. Doli gets frustrated and disappears. Taran blurts out that he's nothing without the sword, but Eilonwy assures him that he is somebody; he just needs to believe in himself. Taran is about to reply, while Fflewddur and Gurgi look on with happy eyes, seing that the pair are attracted to each other. Then Taran turns to all of them, saying they've all been good friends thus far. Just then, a cry is heard. The gwythaints circle above their heads- they have found them! Gurgi sneaks to safety, but when the others try to make a run for it, they're stopped in their tracks by the Horned King's henchmen. Gurgi looks sadly at his captured friends.

Back at the Horned King's castle, Creeper orders another cart to be taken into the castle. He then taunts the three captured friends while preparing the cauldron for his master. The Horned King then enters, acknowledges the three heroes for finding the cauldron for him, then prepares them for "what fate has in store for you...". He picks up a dead warrior, puts it in the cauldron, and begins his great spell. The cauldron brings to life all the dead warriors in the castle and transforms them into the "Cauldron Born". All the Horned King's henchmen run away in fear. The three heroes begin to despair as now all hope seems lost. Creeper takes his master to the tallest tower so they can get a better view of the undead leaving the castle. Meanwhile, Gurgi sneaks into the castle, evading the horrifying soldiers brought to life by the cauldron. He reaches Taran and the others, and unties everyone. Remembering the witches' advice, Taran makes up his mind then and there that he'll sacrifice himself to destroy the black magic. Eilonwy begs him not to, but is unable to stop him. Gurgi jumps in front of him, however, and insists that he sacrifice himself instead. He walks toward the cauldron and says his final, desolate words: "Taran has many friends...Gurgi has no friends...". Taran tries to stop him, but Gurgi jumps into the cauldron and destroys the black magic. Outside, Creeper and the Horned King watch in shock as their undead army falls and dies. Blaming Creeper for the screw-up, the King chokes his slave and decides to throw him into the cauldron to start the spell working again. Taran tells Eilonwy and Fflewddur to leave the castle while he attempts to save Gurgi. As the King and Creeper enter the chamber, they see Taran is free. Creeper blames Taran for the incident, and the King drops him and turns his anger on the boy: "You have interfered for the last time, now pig-keeper you shall die!". He attempts to throw Taran into the cauldron, but suddenly, the wind issuing from the cauldron turns on him, and he cannot escape. He screams in anger as he is violently sucked in. Once he's gone, Creeper begins to mourn for his master, but then realizes he is now free and will never be throttled again, and starts laughing. The cauldron sinks into the ground and the castle begins to crumble. Taran finds his friends waiting for him. They escape in a longboat as the castle explodes and falls into the water. Creeper, still laughing, flies away on a gwythaint.

Taran and his friends have just made it to shore when the cauldron rises from the water. The witches reappear, again in the form of clouds, decide the heroes have no more use for the cauldron, and prepare to take it back. But Fflewddur reminds them that they always keep a bargain by trade. Orddu doesn't want to give up the sword, but Orda and Orwen do. Orwen gives it to Taran. Taran no longer wants the sword, but will trade it instead for Gurgi's life. Orddu deems it impossible, but when Fflewddur starts goading them, they take away the cauldron and the sword and leave a lifeless Gurgi in the cauldron's place. The heroes look tearfully at Gurgi, and Taran picks him up to hold him. But suddenly, Gurgi reaches for munchies and crunchies, and everyone is ecstatic to see him alive again. Furthermore, he pushes Taran and Princess Eilonwy's heads together when they are staring at each other, and they share a kiss. They all head home together. Back at the farm, Dallben, Doli, and Hen Wen are all watching the heroes through a vision. They all agree that Taran did very well on his first adventure.

Production details

The Black Cauldron was first use of the APT process in a movie, which replaced Xerography at Disney. The most expensive animated feature made as of its release in 1985, it cost $25 million in actual production costs, but returned less than $10 million at the North American box office. It is also the first Disney animated feature to employ computer-generated imagery. The dimensions and volume of the animated objects were fed into a computer and then their shapes were manipulated through computer programming before they were transferred as physical outlines the animators could work on. Some CGI includes the realistic flames seen near the end of the movie and the boat that Taran and his friends use to escape the castle. (Animated features with cels containing computer animation are probably rather rare as animation studios stopped using cels years ago.) The Disney sound editors began experimenting with newly-recorded sound effects, beginning with this film, to replace many of the classic effects heard in many animated Disney movies up until after The Fox and the Hound. This included newer, more-realistic thunderclaps (to replace the "Castle Thunder" sound effects used on most 1937-1981 animated Disney features), newer crashes and explosions, and more. However, a rare 1985 trailer of this did use the Castle Thunder in it and The Great Mouse Detective (released the following year) made heavy use of the old Disney sound effects. After that movie, the classic sound effects (including "Castle Thunder") were officially retired from Walt Disney Feature Animation. Example of the APT process in the movie The Black Cauldron The APT process is basically a photographic transfer system that can photographically transfer lines or solid blocks of colour onto acetate sheets. ... Chester F. Carlson Xerography (or Electrophotography) is a photocopying technique developed by Chester Carlson in 1938 and patented on October 6, 1942. ... Computer-generated imagery[1] (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... Computer-generated imagery[1] (also known as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... See Cel programming language for the programming language A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. ... Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of movies, video games, music, or other media. ... The Fox and the Hound is the twenty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... Castle thunder is the name of a famous sound effect, originally recorded for the 1931 version of Frankenstein, and later used by many, many movies, including Citizen Kane, Cleopatra, The Hindenburg, Ghostbusters, Murder by Death, Twilight Zone: The Movie, Clue, Back to the Future, Big Trouble in Little China, Trading... The Great Mouse Detective is a 1986 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, and originally released to movie theaters on July 2, 1986 by Walt Disney Pictures. ...

The Black Cauldron was the first Disney animated feature to have closing credits since Alice in Wonderland. The earliest Disney animated feature to have closing credits is Fantasia. This film was shot using the Super Technirama 70 widescreen 70 mm film process, and is one of only two Disney films to have been produced in such a manner, the other being Sleeping Beauty. Some of the film's settings, aesthetics and character designs were recycled in the creation of the Gummi Bears television series.^{[citation needed]} Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 animated feature film produced by Walt Disney and originally premiered in London, England on July 26, 1951 by RKO Radio Pictures. ... Fantasia is a 1940 motion picture, produced by Walt Disney and first released on November 13, 1940 in the United States. ... Super Technirama 70 was the marketing name for films which were photographed in the 35mm 8-perf Technirama process and optically enlarged to 70mm 5-perf prints for exhibition. ... The Wikipedia main page as viewed with a widescreen monitor. ... 70 mm film (or 65 mm film) is a high-resolution film stock, of superior quality to standard 35 mm motion picture film format. ... “Princess Aurora” redirects here. ... For the candy, see Gummy bears. ...

Studio Edits

Shortly before the film's release to theaters, newly appointed Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg ordered several scenes from The Black Cauldron be cut, due to the fear that the graphic nature of them would alienate children and family audiences. The bulk of the cut scenes involved the undead "Cauldron Born", who are used as the Horned King's army in the final act of the film. While most of the scenes were seamlessly removed from the film, one particular cut involving a Cauldron Born killing a person by slicing his neck and torso created a rather recognizable lapse due to the fact that the removal of the scene creates a jump in the film's soundtrack. Additionally, a scene involving Taran taking the magic sword and slaying his foes while he escapes the Horned King's castle for the first time was removed, as well as another scene with Princess Eilonwy partially nude as fabric was ripped off of her dress as she is hanging by her hands with Taran and Fflewddur Fflam. Another scene cut featured a man being dissolved by mist.^[1] The removal of these scenes was to prevent the film from receiving either a PG-13 or R rating, in which Disney doesn't approve. The final version of the film was the first animated film from Disney to get a PG rating from the MPAA. Jeffrey Katzenberg at the 34th Annual Annie Awards. ... The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ...

As of 2008, the original cut of the film with the removed scenes restored has never been released on video or DVD. A version of the film with more cuts has appeared on the Disney Channel and the Toon Disney channel. For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel around the world. ... Toon Disney is a 24-hour American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company that mostly airs childrens animated television series. ...

In January 2008, a video ^[2] showing one of the cut scenes appeared on YouTube, showing the trailer for The Black Cauldron on the Pinocchio VHS that was released in 1985. In this trailer you can see three Cauldron Born skeletons jumping up, as opposed to the film, where only one jumps up - this is also the scene where the soundtrack jumped in the film, but in the trailer it is intact. YouTube is a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. ...

Film legacy

The Black Cauldron represented the Disney studio's attempt to reach out to teenage fans of fantasy novels, a popular genre at the time. However, the gamble proved unsuccessful as the film failed at the box-office. Some critics blamed the film's lack of appeal on the dark nature of the book (though some gave it a good review; Roger Ebert's review at the time of the film's release was mostly positive). The film's failure at the box office combined with its dark tone led to Disney shelving the film for nearly 15 years. A separate article is about the punk band called The Adolescents. ... Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ...

Although Disney traditionally re-released their animated features every 7 or so years to theatres, The Black Cauldron remained out of circulation (both theatrically and on home video) for well over a decade after its release. Finally, it was released on home video in late 1998. In 2000 the video was re-released on VHS, and released for the first time on DVD under Disney's "Gold Classics Collection" banner. Though the R1 DVD is unrestored and non-anamorphic; the R2 release in France is restored, remastered, and anamorphic. The US DVD release features the film's theatrical trailer (though no mention is made of this anywhere on the packaging), as well as a still frame gallery, the Donald Duck cartoon "Trick or Treat," and a "Quest for the Black Cauldron" set-top game. For the film format, see anamorphic format. ...

The company rarely incorporated characters from the film into any Disney-related merchandise since shortly after the film's debut, although The Horned King has made several low-key appearances in recent Disney merchandise and a series of The Black Cauldron themed beanie toys were produced in limited quantities for sale at Disney Stores in the late 1990s. Despite the film's lackluster reception, it seemed to have developed a cult following among viewers, and it also got score of 65% "fresh" at Rotten Tomatoes. The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ...

A restaurant called "Gurgi's Munchies and Crunchies" was opened at Walt Disney World at the time of the film's release. It featured artwork of the film's characters on the walls and a picture of Gurgi on the front. Due to the film's failure, most attempts at tie-ins at the park were removed, but the restaurant remained for several years (even as the film it referenced became more and more obscure) until it was redesigned and renamed with a Beauty and the Beast motif. The Horned King was also the main villain of Tokyo Disneyland's now removed Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour, in which a guest from the tour group would be chosen to defeat him with the power of a magic sword in the attraction's finale. Cinderella Castle, at the center of the Magic Kingdom, is Walt Disney World Resorts most recognizable icon Introduction Owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA is home to four theme parks, two water parks, several resort hotels and golf courses... Tokyo Disneyland ) is one of two theme parks in the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. ... This is an article about the structure at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland. ...

Although it was first released to video in 1998 as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection video line, it was originally going to have its home video debut in 1989 as part of the Walt Disney Classics video collection which ran from 1984 to 1994. It was even mastered on tape, but didn't make it due to the success of The Little Mermaid. The Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection (Walt Disney Coleccion Maestra in Spanish) is a line of videos released by Walt Disney Home Video from 1994 to 1999. ... Walt Disney Classics was a brand name used by Walt Disney Home Video on their American, Japanese, European and Australian home video releases of Disney animated features. ...

Cultural references and Uses

In the scene when Taran and his friends visit the fairfolk in their underworld, you can see Tinkerbell floating to the right of Taran when the fairies swarm them.

A scene at the beginning of the film when Hen uses her powers in the pail of water, the vision of The Horned King is a re-used section of the Night on Bald Mountain scene in the movie Fantasia. The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ... Modest Mussorgsky A Night on Bald Mountain usually refers to one of two compositions – either a seldom performed early (1867) musical picture by Modest Mussorgsky, (Russian: , Ivanova noch na lïsoy gore), or a later (1886) and very popular fantasy for orchestra by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, A Night on the...

International release dates

• Argentina: July 25, 1985
• Brazil: September 19, 1985
• U.K.: October 11, 1985
• France: November 27, 1985
• Sweden: November 29, 1985
• West Germany: December 5, 1985
• Finland: December 13, 1985
• Netherlands: December 19, 1985
• Spain: December 19, 1985
• Italy: January 28, 1986
• Hong Kong: February 20, 1986
• Australia: May 8, 1986
• Japan: July 19, 1986
• China: October 19, 1986

is the 206th day of the year (207th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the European Union. ... is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

Differences between the film and the books

This section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (December 2007)

• Quite a number of significant characters were omitted from the film, including Coll, an assistant to Dallben, an evil queen/witch named Achren, a war hero named Gwydion, and an evil lord Arawn who was actually the master to the Horned King. However, Arawn may be the "spirit" trapped within the Cauldron.
• Also missing is Ellidyr; a prince who sacrifices himself to the cauldron, Gwystyl; a Fair Folk who has a way post near Annuvin, Adaon; Son of Taliesin, Medwyn; an enchanter who helps the companions, Morgant; a king who tries to use the cauldron for himself, Smoit; a king who helps with Gwydion to find the cauldron, and Kaw; a crow who can talk.
• In the books Eilonwy is described as having red-gold hair, but in the film her hair is mainly blond.
• Dallben had a beard in the books, perhaps having an appearance closer to Gandalf, in The Lord of the Rings.
• Creeper, who served as the henchman to The Horned King was an added character in the movie, not found in the books.
• Fflewddur Fflam is described as having more yellowish hair in the books, as well as being lankier and much younger than he appeared in the film.
• In the book, Taran does indeed find Dyrnwyn (the magical sword) but is injured when he attempts to clear it from its scabbard. Dallben later tells him that had he drawn it completely, it would have likely killed him. (He is able to wield it in Book 5, The High King, since by that point he is able to draw it "for noble worth").
• The Horned King did not try to get his hands on the black cauldron. Unlike the movie where the cauldron is hidden, and being sought by the Horned King, in the books the Horned King was the servant to the evil lord, Arawn, who already owned the cauldron to release the cauldron-born. In the beginning of the second book, the good characters planned to steal it from Arawn, only to find it had already been stolen (by the Witches of Morva).
• In the book, Prince Gwydion defeats the Horned King by shouting his true name aloud; In the movie, the Horned King dies by being swallowed up by the Cauldron.
• In the movie Doli can clearly be able to disappear/become invisible. In the first book, The Book of Three, Doli's main wish is to be able to have the power to become invisible.
• In the movie, Taran meets Eilonwy in the dungeon of the Horned King's castle. In the first book, The Book of Three, Taran was trapped in the evil witch, Achren's castle, and was then rescued by Eilonwy.
• The characters met Fflewddur Fflam, in the movie, in the dungeon. However, in The Book of Three, Taran and the war hero, Gwydion are separated in different dungeons. Taran sends Eilonwy to rescue his war hero friend, but mistakenly takes Fflewddur Fflam for Gwydion.
• At the end of the film, The Horned King's castle collapses. In the middle of the first book, Achren's castle collapses.
• There were inconsistencies in character motivations. Doli is presented as a bit of an oaf in the movie, when in the book he is an ill-tempered but talented craftsman. Eilonwy is much more sarcastic in the book than in the movie. The witches of Morva, in the book, are more care-free about the Black Cauldron, opting to trade it to Taran for Adaon's Brooch. When the witches (who really aren't all that afraid of Arawn or the Horned King) meet the protagonists, they are much more motherly and much less sinister.
• In the movie, Gurgi puts his body into the cauldron to destroy its powers. However, in the book it was a character named Ellidyr. Ellidyr goes into the cauldron and dies. (In the movie Gurgi died, but was brought back to life by the Witches of Morva.) The cauldron is also destroyed when Ellidyr jumps into it, but he is not restored to life. The Cauldron is destroyed, but Arawn's Cauldron Born warriors still serve him.
• In the movie Hen Wen is a piglet; in the book she is a full grown white sow.
• In The Book of Three Hen-Wen runs from Caer Dallben because she is frightened by the nearby presence of the Horned King. Taran is hooked into his adventure when he chases after her to return her to Caer Dallben. Dallben wants to keep her home so she can read a prophecy that might help them fight the Horned King. In the movie, however, Dallben is sending Hen-Wen away with Taran to keep the Horned King from getting her.
• Hen-Wen uses her oracular abilities by gazing into a dish of water, in the movie. In the book, Dallben has a set of ash-sticks with symbols carved on them. Hen-Wen then points to the symbols with her snout to dictate the prophecy.
• In the movie Eilonwy's bauble floats. In the book it doesn't, and she carries it in her hand.
• In the movie, Eilonwy tells Taran that the Horned King kidnapped her so that her father (a king) would give information about the Black Cauldron. In the book, Eilonwy lives, more or less reluctantly, with her "aunt" Achren, who is keeping Taran prisoner.
• In the movie, Taran and the others are pulled into the Fair Folk realm by mistake. In the book, the lake is made to pull people in on purpose, as it is felt that if they reach the lake, they are already "too close" to Fair Folk territory to leave.
• Doli is a dwarf in the book.

In Welsh mythology, Gwydion is a magician appearing prominently in the Fourth branch of the Mabinogi and the ancient poem Cad Goddeu. ... In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the Lord of the Underworld, which was called Annwn. ... The Horned King is a fictional villain from The Chronicles of Prydain and in The Black Cauldron film by Disney. ... Ellidyr is a fictional character in the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. ... Gwystyl is a character in Lloyd Alexanders fantasy Chronicles of Prydain book series. ... Adaon is the son of the Chief Bard Taliesin, in Lloyd Alexanders fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. ... The Kaw (or Kanza ) are an American Indian people of the central Midwestern United States. ... This article is about the novel. ... The High King is the last in the Chronicles of Prydain series of books by Lloyd Alexander. ... The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexanders five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain (first published 1964). ... The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexanders five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain (first published 1964). ... The Black Cauldron can refer to. ... The Book of Three is the first of Lloyd Alexanders five-part novel series The Chronicles of Prydain (first published 1964). ...

References

1. ^ [1] - Graphic image. An animation cel which was auctioned on eBay, from Sarah's Black Cauldron Page
2. ^ [2] - trailer in Pinocchio VHS. Scene that was cut from the film appears from 1:22 to 1:25

This article is about the online auction center. ...

See also

• The APT process

Example of the APT process in the movie The Black Cauldron The APT process is basically a photographic transfer system that can photographically transfer lines or solid blocks of colour onto acetate sheets. ...

External links

• The Black Cauldron at the Internet Movie Database
• The Black Cauldron at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Black Cauldron at Box Office Mojo
• The Black Cauldron at the Big Cartoon DataBase
• - Black Cauldron Documentary