Villain(s)  Two-headed giant, sea demons, gargoyles

Actor(s):  Kerwin Mathews, Judi Meredith, Torin Thatcher, Walter Burke

Brief Description  Jack the Giant Killer is a 1962 American heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews and Torin Thatcher. Loosely based on the traditional Cornish fairy tale, the movie is famous for its extensive use of stop-motion animation special effects and its legal history as an unofficial follow-up to the 1958 classic The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.

Plot:
The evil wizard Pendragon (Torin Thatcher), master of witches and dark sorcery, schemes to seize the throne of Cornwall. He intends to kidnap Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith) and force her into marriage, compelling King Mark to abdicate. Disguised at court, Pendragon gifts Elaine a magical music box containing an anthropomorphic jester. At night, the jester transforms into a massive horned giant (Cormoran) that abducts the princess. A brave, young farming lad named Jack (Kerwin Mathews) intercepts the beast, slays it, and rescues Elaine.

A grateful king knights Jack and tasks him with escorting the princess to safety in Normandy. However, Pendragon’s demonic forces attack their ship mid-voyage. The princess is successfully captured, and Jack is thrown overboard. Jack survives and encounters a friendly leprechaun trapped in a bottle named Diabolotin, who helps him alongside a Viking boy named Peter. Using magical artifacts like seven-league boots, they track Pendragon to his island fortress.

To save Elaine, Jack must fight through an army of gargoyles, a multi-headed giant, and Pendragon himself, who transforms into a winged dragon. Jack vanquishes the beast, destroys the castle, and restores peace to the kingdom. While the stop-motion style looks identical to Ray Harryhausen's iconic work, Harryhausen refused to participate in what he viewed as an imitation. The animation was instead handled by projects specialists Jim Danforth and Tom Holland.