The Magic Sword (1962 film)

Last updated
The Magic Sword
Magic sword poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
Written by Bernard Schoenfeld
Produced byBert I. Gordon
Starring Basil Rathbone
Estelle Winwood
Anne Helm
Gary Lockwood
Liam Sullivan
Maila Nurmi
Cinematography Nicolas Vogel
Paul C. Vogel
Edited by Harry Gerstad
Music by Richard Markowitz
Color process Eastmancolor
Production
company
Bert I. Gordon Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • February 22, 1962 (1962-02-22)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Magic Sword (also known as St. George and the Dragon, St. George and the Seven Curses, the film's original title, and The Seven Curses of Lodac) is a 1962 American adventure fantasy film directed by Bert I. Gordon [1] that is loosely based on the medieval legend of Saint George and the Dragon.

Contents

Plot

George is the foster son of Sybil, an elderly, somewhat ineffectual sorceress. She brought him up after his "royal parents died of the plague" in his infancy.

He has fallen in love with the Princess Helene, but she is kidnapped by the wizard Lodac, who brazenly informs her father that he intends to feed her to his pet dragon in seven days, in revenge for the death of his sister. George wants to go on a quest to liberate his lady love, but Sybil believes he is too young as he is only 20.

She tries to distract the youth by showing him a magic sword; a steed; an invulnerable suit of armor; and six magically frozen knights that he will command when he turns 21. The impatient George tricks Sybil and locks her in a cellar. He then leaves with the magical implements in the revived company of knights.

Sir George and his party appear before the king and insist on journeying to Lodac's castle to rescue Helene. This request is done despite opposition from Sir Branton, a knight who has also volunteered for the perilous quest. The king promises the rescuer his daughter's hand in marriage and half his kingdom. Helene is forced to watch as Lodac feeds two captive princess/sisters to his dragon.

Seven curses bar the path to Lodac's castle. First, they encounter an ogre, who slays Sir Ulrich of Germany and Sir Pedro of Spain, before George kills it. When George tries to save Sir Anthony of Italy from drowning in a magic swamp, Branton treacherously kicks him in. Anthony is dissolved and killed, but George survives with the help of his magic sword.

Later, Branton meets secretly with Lodac. Branton just so happens to have Lodac's ring, which the magician lost and wants desperately back, as his powers are crippled without it. The kidnapping was solely intended to make Branton look good in exchange for the ring. Sir Dennis of France comes by and Lodac prepares a trap involving Mignonette, a beautiful Frenchwoman, who distracts her compatriot, before turning into an ugly hag who attacks him. Fortunately, George saves him with his magic shield.

Lodac finally becomes aware that George is being aided by magic. He contacts Sybil and mocks her abilities. Stung by the criticism, she tries to cast a spell to help George, but ends up inadvertently stripping away all his magical powers.

Sir Dennis and Sir James of Scotland burn and perish from a heat spiral when they investigate ahead. Branton then leads George and Sir Patrick of Ireland into a trap, revealing his partnership with Lodac, before sealing them in a cave with deadly green apparitions. Patrick, through the power of his faith, enables George to escape at the cost of his own life.

George sneaks into Lodac's castle and rescues Helene only to then be captured. The magician gives Helene (actually the hag in disguise) to Branton, but once he has the ring, he uses magic to put Branton's head on a plaque on the wall. George is tied up, but escapes with the help of a number of shrunken prisoners. Sybil arrives and finally remembers the spell that restores George's powers. These powers then enable him to slay the two-headed dragon and save Helene. Sybil steals the ring while Lodac is distracted. When the magician threatens the young couple with the seventh curse (himself), Sybil transforms herself into a large panther and kills him. Helene and George get married and the 6 knights are restored to life. All ends with Sybill walking away smiling while she wears Lodac's dragon ring.

Cast

Production

The film was shot on the 20th Century Fox backlot and at Samuel Goldwyn Studio. [2]

Comic book adaptation

Dell Movie Classic: The Magic Sword (September 1962) [3]

Reception and legacy

The film appeared on a 1992 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 . [4] In a highly unusual admission, characters Joel Robinson and Tom Servo said the film was "pretty good for a Bert I. Gordon film" during a theater segment (though Crow T. Robot seemed to disagree). [5] The writers of the show continued the praise in their book MST3K Amazing Colossal Episode Guide.

It was also spoofed by RiffTrax on August 14, 2015. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Excalibur</i> (film) 1981 epic medieval fantasy film by John Boorman

Excalibur is a 1981 epic medieval fantasy film directed, co-written and produced by John Boorman, that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian romance Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with an original score by Trevor Jones.

<i>The Flight of Dragons</i> 1982 film by Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin, Jr., Katsuhisa Yamada

The Flight of Dragons is a 1982 animated fantasy film produced and directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr. loosely combining the speculative natural history book of the same name (1979) by Peter Dickinson with the novel The Dragon and the George (1976) by Gordon R. Dickson. It stars the voices of John Ritter, Victor Buono, James Gregory, James Earl Jones, and Harry Morgan. The film centers upon a quest undertaken to stop an evil wizard who plans to rule the world by dark magic. A major theme within the story is the question of whether science and magic can co-exist. This is told mostly through the experience of character Peter Dickinson, drawn from the 20th century into the magical realm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairy godmother</span> Archetype

In fairy tales, a fairy godmother is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's Cinderella, he concludes the tale with the moral that no personal advantages will suffice without proper connections.

The Dragon Knight is a series of fantasy novels begun in 1976 by American writer Gordon R. Dickson. The first book, based on the short story "St. Dragon and the George", was loosely adapted in the 1982 animated movie The Flight of Dragons by Rankin/Bass. The title here refers in part to an in-universe nomenclature, wherein the story's dragons use the name "george" as a synonym or substitute of "human", after 'St. George the Dragon-Slayer', and in part a reference to the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic sword</span> Sword with magical powers or other supernatural qualities

In mythology, legend or fiction, a magic sword is a sword with magical powers or other supernatural qualities. Renowned swords appear in the folklore of every nation that used swords.

<i>Dragon Valor</i> 1999 video game

Dragon Valor is an action role-playing platform video game developed by Now Production and released by Namco for the Sony PlayStation on December 2, 1999, in Japan. It is the third game in the Dragon Buster series, and features a platform and hack and slash elements.

<i>Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic</i> American TV series or program

Saban's Tenko and the Guardians of the Magic is an American animated television series that was produced by Saban Entertainment. It centers on the fictional adventures of Japanese real-life magician Princess Tenko, Mariko Itakura. After each episode, she would appear in a live-action segment to perform an illusion or do her "Teach-A-Trick," a segment that teaches the audience a simple magic trick they could perform at home. The show failed to attract an audience and production was cancelled after a single season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic ring</span> Fictional or mythological piece of jewelry with supernatural powers

A magic ring is a mythical, folkloric or fictional piece of jewelry, usually a finger ring, that is purported to have supernatural properties or powers. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. Magic rings are found in the folklore of every country where rings are worn. Some magic rings can endow the wearer with a variety of abilities including invisibility and immortality. Others can grant wishes or spells such as neverending love and happiness. Sometimes, magic rings can be cursed, as in the mythical ring that was recovered by Sigurð from the hoard of the worm Fáfnir in Norse mythology or the fictional ring that features in The Lord of the Rings. More often, however, they are featured as forces for good, or as a neutral tool whose value is dependent upon the wearer.

<i>Ilya Muromets</i> (film) 1956 film

Ilya Muromets, also known as The Sword and the Dragon (US) and The Epic Hero and the Beast (UK), is a 1956 Soviet fantasy film by noted fantasy director Aleksandr Ptushko and produced at Mosfilm. It is based on the old Russian oral epic poems about the knight Ilya Muromets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magician (fantasy)</span> Magicians appearing in fantasy fiction

A magician, also known as an archmage, mage, magus, magic-user, spellcaster, enchanter/enchantress, sorcerer/sorceress, warlock, witch, or wizard, is someone who uses or practices magic derived from supernatural, occult, or arcane sources. Magicians enjoy a rich history in mythology, legends, fiction, and folklore, and are common figures in works of fantasy, such as fantasy literature and role-playing games.

Laksamana Do Re Mi is a 1972 Malaysian comedy film directed by P. Ramlee. Shot in black and white, it is the third instalment in the Do Re Mi series of comedy films, and features the trio of actors P. Ramlee, A. R. Tompel and Ibrahim Din reprising their roles as Do, Re and Mi respectively. The story is loosely based on one of stories in One Thousand and One Nights, "The Three Princes and the Princess Nouronnihar", and features the trio becoming admirals and using magic to save a faraway kingdom from ruin. This film is notable as being the last film P. Ramlee made before his death in 1973.

<i>Adventures of Sir Galahad</i> 1949 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Adventures of Sir Galahad is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one of the very few serials of the time with a period setting that was not a western.

Stories involving the mythical wizard Merlin have been popular since the Renaissance, especially with the renewed interest in the legend of King Arthur in modern times. As noted by Arthurian scholar Alan Lupack, "numerous novels, poems and plays center around Merlin. In American literature and popular culture, Merlin is perhaps the most frequently portrayed Arthurian character."

<i>Demon Knights</i> DC Comics series

Demon Knights is a DC Comics title launched in 2011 as part of that company's line-wide title relaunch, The New 52. It is a team title featuring Etrigan, Madame Xanadu, Shining Knight and others. Its main difference to other team titles, such as the Justice League, is that this team is based in the Medieval period of the DC Universe history. Its initial writer is Paul Cornell, with art by Diogenes Neves.

<i>Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan</i> 2012 Indian film

Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan is a 2012 Indian computer-animated fantasy action adventure film written and directed by Rajiv Chilaka, based on the character Chhota Bheem and his friends. It is the eleventh movie in the Chhota Bheem film series and the first movie to be released in theatres. The film was made under the Green Gold Animation banner in association with INOX Cinemas and distributed by PVR Pictures worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur in comics</span> The fictional British monarch in printed narrative art

King Arthur(Arthur Pendragon) is a legendary figure used commonly in comic books.

References