Jack the Giant Killer (1962 film)


Jack the Giant Killer is a 1962 heroic fantasy adventure film starring Kerwin Mathews in a fairy tale story about a young man who defends a princess against a sorcerer's giants and demons.
The film was loosely based on the traditional tale "Jack the Giant Killer" and features extensive use of stop-motion animation. The film was directed by Nathan H. Juran and later re-edited and re-released as a musical by producer Edward Small. The reason for this change was on the grounds that Columbia Pictures, which released The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, threatened to sue Small. The original print without the music got released 30 years later with no protest from Columbia Pictures, while United Artists continues to own the rights to the musical version of the film. The film brought together Mathews, Juran, Small, and actor Torin Thatcher, all four of whom worked on 7th Voyage.

Plot

In the Duchy of Cornwall of fairy tale days, an evil sorcerer named Pendragon is the ruler of giants, witches, hobgoblins and all other evil creatures. Eventually, he is defeated by a wizard named Herla, who exiles him and his followers to an uncharted, unknown island. Pendragon, however, vows revenge and Herla later dies, meaning there is no longer a defense against Pendragon.
Years later, the kingdom celebrates the crowning of Princess Elaine, the daughter of King Mark. During the reception, Pendragon arrives disguised as a foreign lord named Elidoras; as a birthday gift, he gives Elaine a music box with a small anthropomorphic jester inside that walks and dances. When Elaine is asleep later that night, Pendragon spies in on her and uses his magic to turn the music box jester into a hideous giant named Cormoran, who captures Elaine. The castle guards try to stop the Giant, but he fights them off and escapes. Cormoran takes Elaine to a ship run by Pendragon's bumbling henchman Garna, but before it can sail, a brave farmer named Jack rescues Elaine. Jack then fights and slays Cormoran; in gratitude, King Mark knights Jack and appoints him as Elaine's protector. While Jack and Elaine are spending time together, King Mark and his chancellor discuss the potential danger Pendragon now poses. The King then assigns Jack to safely guide the princess to a convent across the sea. What he does not know, however, is that Elaine's lady-in-waiting, Lady Constance, has been bewitched by Pendragon, and she reveals the king's plan to him.
Enraged at having his original plan foiled, Pendragon devises another way to stop Jack. While Elaine and Jack are falling in love during the journey, Pendragon sends his demonic witches to intercept their ship. In the chaos, the ship's captain is murdered by Tubo the Warlock, and Elaine is captured. Jack then attempts to take over the ship and follow the kidnappers, but the crew, spooked by the creatures, mutiny and cast Jack and Peter, the captain's young son, overboard. At his castle, Pendragon uses his magic to transform Elaine into an evil witch so that she will side with him; he then returns to Cornwall and confronts King Mark, telling him he has one week to renounce the throne and let Elaine rule alongside Pendragon, or else he will kill her. After Pendragon vanishes, King Mark realizes Lady Constance has betrayed him, and when she stands before a mirror, she appears in witch form. King Mark then breaks the mirror, thereby freeing Lady Constance from Pendragon's power.
At sea, a friendly Viking named Sigurd rescues Jack and Peter and introduces them to the Imp, a leprechaun who was imprisoned in a bottle by the king of the elves for crafting seven-league boots from his pot of gold. The Imp explains that his three remaining gold coins can each grant a wish to an honest man on the condition that Jack break open the bottle to free him once all three are used up. Jack agrees, and the Imp guides them to Pendragon's island.
With the use of the Imp's first two wishes, Jack approaches Pendragon and forces him into giving Elaine back, unaware that she has been transformed and now holds allegiance with Pendragon. Upon their return journey, Elaine disables Jack with a sleeping potion, but when she touches the Imp's bottle, it grows hot because of her evil nature, causing her to accidentally cast it into the sea. Pendragon then captures Jack and his friends and attempts to make Jack tell him the whereabouts of the Imp by turning Peter and Sigurd into a chimpanzee and a dog, respectively. When Pendragon still cannot force Jack's compliance, he leaves him with Elaine, who finally reveals her witch form to him. With Peter and Sigurd's aid, Jack manages to break free and smash Elaine's mirror reflection, restoring her to normal.
As the friends flee the castle, Pendragon conjures up a giant similar to Cormoran to finish them off. As they retreat, they find the Imp washed ashore, and he grants Jack's final wish by summoning a sea monster that kills the two-headed giant. As a final resort, Pendragon transforms himself into a hideous dragon with a wolf's head, a serpent's tail, and enormous wings. He attacks the ship, but Jack kills him after a fierce battle. Pendragon's death causes the destruction of his castle, crushing Garna and the witches in the process, and Sigurd and Peter are restored to human form. Jack then honors his promise and frees the Imp from his bottle, and the leprechaun uses his boots to return to Ireland while giving Jack and his friends a rainbow to guide them home to their triumphant return to Cornwall.

Cast

The fairy tale had been previously filmed by Hollywood in 1917, 1924, 1931, and 1952.
Edward Small announced the film in 1959, saying he had developed the special effects over two years. Filming was originally meant to be started in September 1959, in 70-mm and widescreen, but was delayed several more years.
Small hired the star, director and villain of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. "Eddie Small was smart", said Juran. "He wanted to make some money. He tried to get as close to Seventh Voyage as he could. He thought he could cash in by doing another picture like it. Unfortunately he couldn't get the same special effects."
The film was partly shot on Catalina Island and at Goldwyn Studios. Shooting ended in August 1960. Juran divided the special effects duties between two companies. The Howard A. Anderson Company handled the photographic effects. Project Unlimited, who had just won an Oscar for The Time Machine, supervised the stop motion animation. Their team included Jim Danforth, doing one of his first jobs. Post-production took ten months, meaning the film was not released until 1962.
The film wound up in a lawsuit. A musicalised version of the story was released.

Reception

Reviews were generally positive.