Jack the giant killer musical version plus#

The cast is wonderful, especially Judi Meredith. I have always seen it as the film that should have been a Schneer/ Harryhausen film. Still, it's interesting to ponder other classic films that could be converted into musicals. To avoid a lawsuit, Small retitled the film Jack the Giant Killer: The Musical and redubbed it with songs.ДЇortunately, the original version of Jack the Giant Killer eventually found its way to release on VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD. However, legal concerns popped up again when the film was being considered for a video release in 1976. It was released anyway (some sources claim the suit was filed too late).

Jack the giant killer musical version plus#

Jack the Giant Killer was produced by Edward Small, who had turned down The 7th Voyage of Sinbad three years earlier.В That fact, plus the obvious similarities between the films, led to Columbia Pictures (which distributed Sinbad) to file a copyright infringement suit to prevent the release of Jack the Giant Killer. Over his career as a special effects wizard, Danforth earned two Oscar nominations his best work is probably When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1971). The actual stop-motion animation is pretty good, which is no surprise since some of it was done by Jim Danforth. The Cormorans (a second two-headed one appears near the climax) are impressive, but the other creature models look pretty juvenile, especially the Kraken that emerges from the sea. It lacks the classy production values of the Sinbad movies and the special effects can't compare to the masterful work of Ray Harryhausen. As for The Wizard of Oz, its fans will notice that the evil wizard monitors our heroes with a crystal ball, employs witches that like to burn things ('How about a little fire, Scarecrow?'), and usesВ an hourglass.Дespite its derivative nature, Jack the Giant Killer is an appealing picture targeted at kids. Jack the Giant Killer also recycles the director (Nathan Juran) and two stars (Matthews and Thatcher) from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Like the 7th Voyage, it features: a quest to rescue a princess battles with stop-motion animated creatures an evil wizard warriors that sprout from teeth and a helpfulВ magical companion (an imp in a bottle instead of the genie-boy from Sinbad). Loosely inspired by a Cornish fairy tale (which has nothing to do with a beanstalk), Jack and the Giant Killer borrows liberally from TheВ 7th Voyage of Sinbad and The Wizard of Oz. It's up to Jack to rescue his love again. However, their happiness is short-lived when Pendragon sends a bunch of ugly, fire-producing witches to kidnap Princess Elaine. Love blossoms between Jack and Elaine during their shipboard voyage.

However,В still concerned about his daughter's safety, the kingВ asks Jack to escort Elaine to a conventВ in another kingdom. Once the princess safely returns to the castle, Jack is hailed as a hero and knighted by the king. Determined to rescue Princess Elaine, the resourceful Jack uses a rope, a mill, and a scythe to kill the Cormoran.

The princess is delighted.В That night,В though, the little jesterВ (who looks downright creepy) grows into a two-hornedВ Cormoran (a Cornish giant) and abductsВ Princess Elaine.Д®n route to a waiting ship, the Cormoran-still clutching the screaming princess-rumbles though a small farm owned by a young man called Jack (Kerwin Matthews). When she opens the music box, a 12-inch jester emerges and dances until the music stops. But, before we get to that, let's take a look at the original version of Jack the Giant Killer.ДЇor her birthday, the beautiful Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith) receives a large music box from a myterious visiting dignitary-who is actually the evil wizard Pendragon (Torin Thatcher). Indeed, its similarities with The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is what led to its conversion into a musical. Heard the one about the 1962 fantasy adventure that was re-edited into a musical in 1976? If so, then you're familiar with the plight of Jack the Giant Killer, an entertaining-albeit modest-variation on the Sinbad films made by Ray Harryhausen and Charles Schneer.