The Hobbit (1977) (TV)

Directors:

Jules Bass
Arthur Rankin Jr.

Writers:

J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Romeo Muller (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Fantasy | Family

Plot:

A homebody demi-human in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.

Plot Keywords:

Loyalty | Riddle | Magic Sword | Treasure | Magic Ring

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Orson Bean	...	Bilbo Baggins (voice)
Richard Boone	...	Smaug (voice)
Hans Conried	...	Thorin (voice)
John Huston	...	Gandalf the Grey (voice)
Otto Preminger	...	Elvenking (voice)
Cyril Ritchard	...	Elrond (voice)
Brother Theodore	...	Gollum (voice) (as Theodore)
Paul Frees	...	Bombur / Troll #1 (voice)
Jack DeLeon	...	(voice) (as Jack De Leon)
Don Messick	...	Balin / Troll #3 / Goblin / Lord of the Eagles (voice)
John Stephenson	...	Dori / Great Goblin / Bard (voice)

Runtime:

77 min | USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Quebec) | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Rankin/Bass Productions

Trivia:

The song sung during the riddle game which ends giving the answer ("The answer is dark") is derived from one of the riddles Gollum asks in the book. All the riddles asked are directly quoted from the book, and there are five others not used.

Goofs:

Continuity: Bilbo tells the dwarves to "run back to the wood-elf clearing" while he fights a rearguard action against the Mirkwood spiders. However, the company has not yet met the wood-elves. When they reach the clearing, Bilbo notes that the wood-elves "had returned, armed for battle". This is the first time we see the wood-elves. There is a scene from the book which was clearly scripted but is missing from the animation, where the starving dwarves attempt to gate-crash a gathering of wood-elves in a clearing.

Quotes:

[as the Battle of Three - ultimately Five - Armies opens, the Men and Elves and Dwarves charge each other... all from different angles]
Men: Scurvy dwarves! Thieving dwarves! Kill them!
Elves: Kill the dwarves! Chop them up! Take their heads!
Dwarves: Kill the men! Kill the elves! Save the gold for ourselves!
Bilbo Baggins: [bringing up the dwarves' rear] Personally, I'd rather be back in Hobbitton.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in See No Evil (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Greatest Adventure

Good adaption, although compact

'The Hobbit' in its animated shape is what we have to go with until Peter Jackson finishes the LotR prequel (hey, it's bound to happen...), but it doesn't mean all one should do is wait for that occasion. Watch the Rankin-Bass classic!

Rankin-Bass are behind the huge 80's successes 'Thundercats', 'Silverhawks' etc and also shine here with their interpretation of Tolkien's masterpiece. 'The Hobbit' is in this shape more of a family/children's movie than the new Lord of the Rings movies, and its runtime of only 78 minutes makes it feel a little stressed through since the scenes aren't given much time each. But nevertheless, it features good animation, solid voicework and music that is FAR MORE fantasy-like than the more majestic approach in Peter Jackson's movies. See this movie with your children!

Only backdraft I have to say is the runtime. 8/10