The Dwarf Magician (1960)

In an era of myth and magic, a slothful miller spends his existence indulging in wine and weaving tales. When the king's treasurer comes calling for tax dues, the miller bends the truth, boasting that his daughter Marie possesses the extraordinary ability to transform ordinary straw into gleaming gold. The royal decree sees the father and daughter summoned to the palace where Marie finds herself entrapped within a tower teeming with straw. Tasked with the impossible feat of spinning the straw into gold by dawn, Marie is left in a desperate state. In her dire straits, a diminutive man materializes, offering his unusual services in exchange for a valuable object. Marie hands over her necklace, her only token of value, and watches in awe as the dwarf magician spins the straw into a roomful of gold. The king, overjoyed by the unexpected wealth, falls into the trap of his treasurer's avarice, forcing Marie to spin gold twice more. The dwarf magician aids her each time, but on the third day, Marie has nothing left but a promise - the firstborn child from her imminent royal marriage. The magician, moved by Marie's kind spirit, decides to give her a chance to keep her child. He strikes a deal - she can retain her child if she unravels the mystery of his name within three days. As Marie's child turns one, the tale enters its second act, with suspense building around the fate of the child and the name of the dwarf magician.

The Dwarf Magician is a family movie featuring Nikolaus Paryla and directed by Erwin Anders.

The Dwarf Magician is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on aha.