When I was a boy, there was no such thing as multiplex theaters and one often had to wait in line for a long time to buy tickets at the exclusive venues. In 1963, my father took us to see The Sword in the Stone and we waited in line for an hour and a half - the length of the film. On the other hand, sometimes there was no line and in 1962, when dad took us to see The Magic Sword, we walked right in. I soon understood why. From the IMDb:
"The Magic Sword" is one of B-movie producer/director Bert I. Gordon's best known films. Granted, it's no masterpiece, but it is enjoyable on its own terms. The plot, very loosely based on the 'St. George And The Dragon' legend, has a princess kidnapped by evil sorcerer Lodac (Basil Rathbone) and hunted by lovesick George (Gary Lockwood!!). Aided by his foster mother Sybil, a good witch, George vows to save the princess and destroy Lodac. Although this plot has been done to death, it's the acting by the splendid Rathbone and Winwood which keeps this film consistently entertaining. Add some modest, but impressive special effects, and you have a very entertaining minor adventure for the family.
We've seen how Ray Milland ended his career on a low note, and the same thing happened with Basil Rathbone. Once the toast of the town as Sherlock Holmes, here he is very near the end as a comic book wizard. The lobby card is definitely exaggerated, the special effects are definitely low-budget, and the dragon is definitely hilarious by today's standards, but the film is indeed gruesome enough and probably not suitable for small children. I did always like the climax, however; see if you can see it coming.
YouTube features the complete film, which is embedded above. Have a look at what budget swords-and-sorcery films were like in the Bad Old Days of science fiction and fantasy.