Jack the Giant Killer (1962 film)
A heroic fantasy adventure with stop-motion giants and demons.
In 1962, the American heroic fantasy adventure *Jack the Giant Killer* hit theaters, starring Kerwin Mathews as a young farmer who protects a princess from a sorcerer’s giants and demons. The movie takes loose inspiration from the traditional fairy tale of the same name and relies heavily on stop-motion animation. Nathan H. Juran directed the film, and producer Edward Small later reedited and rereleased it as a musical. This revision came about because Columbia Pictures—the studio behind *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad*—threatened to sue Small. Three decades later, the original non-musical print was released without any objection from Columbia, while United Artists still holds the rights to the musical version. The production reunited Mathews, Juran, Small, and actor Torin Thatcher, all of whom had previously collaborated on *The 7th Voyage of Sinbad*.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Nathan H. Juran
- Producer
- Edward Small / Robert E. Kent
- Writer
- Orville H. Hampton / Nathan H. Juran
- Based On
- Jack the Giant Killer
- Starring
- Kerwin Mathews / Judi Meredith / Torin Thatcher
- Music
- Paul Sawtell / Bert Shefter
- Cinematography
- David S. Horsley
- Editing
- Grant Whytock
- Studio
- Zenith Pictures
- Distributor
- United Artists
- Released
- 13 June 1962 · Los Angeles · 1962 · 7 · 16 · United States
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film reunited Mathews, Juran, Small and actor Torin Thatcher, all of whom had worked on The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Juran said: "Eddie Small was smart. 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 shot on Catalina Island and at Goldwyn Studios, and shooting ended in August 1960. Juran divided the special effects duties between two companies: The Howard A. Anderson Company handled the photographic effects, while Project Unlimited, which had just won an Oscar for The Time Machine, supervised the stop-motion animation. Their team included animator Jim Danforth in one of his earliest jobs. Post-production took ten months, meaning the film was not released until 1962. Film rights would be litigated years later, and a musical version of the story was later released.
Reader's Guide
The film's significance lies in its connection to the Sinbad trilogy, particularly The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, as it was produced by Edward Small to capitalize on that film's success. It features stop-motion animation by Project Unlimited, including early work by Jim Danforth. The film was later reedited and rereleased as a musical due to legal threats from Columbia Pictures, and the original print without music was released 30 years later with no protest. United Artists continues to own the rights to the musical version. Reception was generally positive during initial release, with praise for its similarity to the works of Ray Harryhausen. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 78% score based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. Comparisons continue to be made between the film and the Sinbad trilogy by both positive and negative reviews, both sides largely agreeing the Sinbad films have superior visual effects. The film was also spoofed by RiffTrax.
Did You Know?
- The film was reedited and rereleased as a musical by producer Edward Small because Columbia Pictures threatened to sue Small over similarities to The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
- The original print without the music was released 30 years later with no protest from Columbia Pictures.
- Animator Jim Danforth worked on the film in one of his earliest jobs.
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