The Sword and the Dragon (1956): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1956, The Sword and the Dragon is a fantasy, adventure and family film directed by Aleksandr Ptushko, running about 91 minutes. “Eye-Filling Spectacle! Man Against Monsters! The Largest Cast Ever Used in a Motion Picture! A cast of 106,000! 11,000 horses!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Paralyzed since birth, Ilya can only watch helplessly as his village is plundered by barbarians. But when a mysterious traveler arrives with a magic elixir that restores him to full health, Ilya begins an adventure to protect the village and the royal family from harm.

Who’s in it. The Sword and the Dragon stars Boris Andreyev as Ilya Muromets, Ninel Myshkova as Vasilisa, Shukur Burkhanov as Tsar Kalin and Andrei Abrikosov as Prince Vladimir, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.1/10, The Sword and the Dragon has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel, Eternal Family and Midnight Pulp and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Sword and the Dragon page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Sword and the Dragon tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.