The film made extensive use of stop motion in the manner of Ray Harryhausen. In 1962, a feature-length film based on the tale was released starring Kerwin Mathews. Henry Fielding, John Newbery, Samuel Johnson, Boswell, and William Cowper were familiar with the tale. One scholar speculates the public had grown weary of King Arthur – the greatest of all giant killers – and Jack was created to fill his shoes. It is probable an enterprising publisher assembled a number of anecdotes about giants to form the 1711 tale. Neither Jack nor his tale are referenced in English literature prior to the eighteenth century, and his story did not appear in print until 1711. He covered the top over so as to make it look like solid ground. There he dug a pit twenty-two feet deep and twenty broad. Jack took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, his armor, and a dark lantern, and one winter’s evening he went to the mount. Jack's belt is similar to the belt in "The Valiant Little Tailor", and his magical sword, shoes, cap, and cloak are similar to those owned by Tom Thumb or those found in Welsh and Norse mythology. The giant had done this for many years when Jack resolved to destroy him. Some parallels to elements and incidents in Norse mythology have been detected in the tale, and the trappings of Jack's last adventure with the Giant Galigantus suggest parallels with French and Breton fairy tales such as Bluebeard. Giants are prominent in Cornish folklore, Breton mythology and Welsh Bardic lore. The tale is characterised by violence, gore and blood-letting. "Jack the Giant Killer" is an English fairy tale and legend about a young adult who slays a number of giants during King Arthur's reign.
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