The Black Cauldron

“I presume, my boy, you are the keeper of this oracular pig”, quoted The Horned King. A film that seemed to have been slipped under the rug by Disney has a unique past and great music. The animation is really good as well. What is the plot of this unknown animated movie? Here it is…In the land of Prydain, lowly pig herder Taran (Grant Bardsley) dreams of becoming a gallant knight. Young Taran receives his heroic calling when the evil Horned King (John Hurt) kidnaps Hen-Wren, a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. Now, with help from his furry sidekick Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy, Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.

Yes, it was very dark for its time and the characters were not that memorable, but the music was really good. It was composed by Elmer Bernstein and his list of westerns is long, he also did some very famous soundtracks to films in the 1970’s and early ’80’s.

Here is the Amazon Link to the score.

Are you ready for some clips?

Here is the Prologue…