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Jack the Giant Killer (film)
Encyclopedia
Jack the Giant Killer is a 1962 United Artists
feature 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 the change to music 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.
In the Duchy of Cornwall
of fairy tale days, the sorcerer
Pendragon (Torin Thatcher
) plots to gain power by abducting the Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith
). To that end, he has fashioned a magic toy that is actually a giant. When the giant seizes Elaine, a brave farm lad named Jack (Kerwin Mathews
) slays the monster and rescues Elaine. In gratitude, King Mark (Dayton Lummis
) makes Jack her protector and entrusts him to safely guide her to a convent
across the sea. Pendragon learns of the plan and sends his witches to intercept Jack's ship. Elaine is captured, while Jack and his friend, Peter (Roger Mobley
) are cast overboard. An old Viking, Sigurd (Barry Kelley
), rescues the two and introduces them to Diaboltin (Don Beddoe
), a leprechaun
imprisoned in a bottle. With the help of his new allies, Jack rescues Elaine from Pendragon's castle. As the friends flee, Pendragon sends a two-headed giant along their path but Diablotin summons a monster from the sea to defeat it. As a last resort, Pendragon transforms himself into a dragon, but Jack slays him in a tense battle. With evil routed at last, all sail away to live happily ever after.
The cast includes Judi Meredith
as Elaine, Anna Lee
as Lady Constance, Walter Burke
as Pendragon's servant, Garna, and Tudor Owen as the Chancellor.
On August 17, 2011 the film was the subject of a live riffing by Rifftrax
. It was preceded by the short film What is nothing? and two other short animated films.
is being developed New Line Cinema
starring Nicholas Hoult
.
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
starring Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
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
Jack the Giant Killer
"Jack the Giant Killer" is a British fairy tale about a plucky lad who slays a number of giants during King Arthur's reign. The tale is characterized by violence, gore, and blood-letting. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore and Welsh Bardic lore, but the source of "Jack the Giant Killer" is...
" and features extensive use of stop motion animation
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
. The film was directed by Nathan H. Juran and later re-edited and re-released as a musical by producer Edward Small
Edward Small
Edward Small was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970....
. The reason for the change to music 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.
Plot and cast
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch inherits the duchy and title of Duke of Cornwall at the time of his birth, or of his parent's succession to the throne. If the monarch has no son, the...
of fairy tale days, the sorcerer
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
Pendragon (Torin Thatcher
Torin Thatcher
Torin Thatcher was an English actor born in Bombay, British India, India), to English parents. He was an imposing, powerfully built figure noted for his flashy portrayals of screen villains....
) plots to gain power by abducting the Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith
Judi Meredith
-Early life:Born Judith Clare Boutin in Portland, Oregon, she was a talented figure skater who became a professional star performer with the Ice Follies. All this changed when she broke her back in an accident...
). To that end, he has fashioned a magic toy that is actually a giant. When the giant seizes Elaine, a brave farm lad named Jack (Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews
Kerwin Mathews was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad , The Three Worlds of Gulliver and Jack the Giant Killer .-Life and career:...
) slays the monster and rescues Elaine. In gratitude, King Mark (Dayton Lummis
Dayton Lummis
Dayton Lummis. Sr. , was an American actor of film and television who specialized in the genre of anthology and western series, often playing authority figures. From 1959-1960, he appeared as Marshal Andy Morrison in nine episodes of NBC's Law of the Plainsman western, with Michael Ansara and...
) makes Jack her protector and entrusts him to safely guide her to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
across the sea. Pendragon learns of the plan and sends his witches to intercept Jack's ship. Elaine is captured, while Jack and his friend, Peter (Roger Mobley
Roger Mobley
Roger L. Mobley in Evansville, Indiana, is a former child actor in film and television, working primarily for Walt Disney Productions during the late 1950s and early 1960s...
) are cast overboard. An old Viking, Sigurd (Barry Kelley
Barry Kelley
Barry Kelley was an actor on Broadway in the 1930s and '40s and in movies during the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. The heavy-set actor created the role of Ike in Oklahoma! on Broadway....
), rescues the two and introduces them to Diaboltin (Don Beddoe
Don Beddoe
-Career:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Beddoe made his Broadway acting debut in 1929, receiving top billing in Nigger Rich....
), a leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
imprisoned in a bottle. With the help of his new allies, Jack rescues Elaine from Pendragon's castle. As the friends flee, Pendragon sends a two-headed giant along their path but Diablotin summons a monster from the sea to defeat it. As a last resort, Pendragon transforms himself into a dragon, but Jack slays him in a tense battle. With evil routed at last, all sail away to live happily ever after.
The cast includes Judi Meredith
Judi Meredith
-Early life:Born Judith Clare Boutin in Portland, Oregon, she was a talented figure skater who became a professional star performer with the Ice Follies. All this changed when she broke her back in an accident...
as Elaine, Anna Lee
Anna Lee
Anna Lee, MBE was an English actress.-Career:Lee studied at the Royal Albert Hall, then debuted with a bit part in the film His Lordship...
as Lady Constance, Walter Burke
Walter Burke
Walter Burke was a prolific Irish-American character actor, of stage, film, and television. His small stature, and distinctive voice and face, made him easily recognizable in even the most minor of roles.- Early life :...
as Pendragon's servant, Garna, and Tudor Owen as the Chancellor.
On August 17, 2011 the film was the subject of a live riffing by Rifftrax
RiffTrax
RiffTrax are downloadable audio commentaries featuring comedians Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett heckling films in the style of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a TV show in which Nelson was the head writer, and later the host. The RiffTrax are sold online and delivered by digital...
. It was preceded by the short film What is nothing? and two other short animated films.
Remake
A remake directed by Bryan SingerBryan Singer
Bryan Singer is an American film director and film producer. Singer won critical acclaim for his work on The Usual Suspects, and is especially well-known among fans of the science fiction and superhero genres for his work on the X-Men films and Superman Returns.-Early life:Singer was born in New...
is being developed New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
starring Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult is an English actor, best known for playing Marcus Brewer in the 2002 film About a Boy, Tony Stonem in the E4, BAFTA-winning television series Skins, and Beast in the X-Men prequel, X-Men: First Class.-Early life:Hoult was born in Wokingham, Berkshire, the third of four...
.
External links
- Jack the Giant Killer (1962) at DBCult Film Institute
- Prince Pendragon character information, and Jack the Giant Killer film synopsis at Villain Abode.com
- TCM: Review