Review of Jack the Giant Killer (1922) by Wes S — 21 Jan 2015

Jack the Giant Killer (1962).

This is one of those great 1960s movie fantasies that Hollywood did for kids. The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1973), and a few others were fun, colorful, movies for the Saturday matinee.

They usually featured veteran character actor, Torin Thatcher, who usually played villainous magicians, sorcerers, or warlocks causing havoc to the hero and his damsel in distress. Many times these movies would have cool boats, ships, or other gadgets, and lets not forget the incredible monsters, thanks to the great single-frame animator, Ray Harryhausen.

Jack the Giant Killer may have been a movie on a smaller scale budget than these others, and it didn't have quite the Harryhausen mastery of other movies. It was also highly predictable. It is rated "G" after-all. But, it's not a total waste of your time.

Jack (Kerwin Mathews) is a handsome young farmer, whose late father fought for the king. Think of the Mickey Mouse's Jack the Giant Slayer and not the Jack and the Beanstalk variety. Pendragon (Thatcher) is a warlock who was banished from Cornwall to an island but has designs of revenge and to be the next reigning king.

The present king's beautiful daughter, Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith) has just been given her tiara and Pendragon, in disguise, has shown up at her coming-out party with a strange gift; a little man who comes out of his box and dances for the princess. That night the little man grows into a giant who kidnaps Princess Elaine. Jack comes to the rescue.