The Hobbit (1977) (TV)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

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:

Riddle | Magic Ring | Cave | Invisibility | Magic Sword

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:

John Stephenson, who voiced Bard (and others), was the original voice for Dr. Benton Quest in the original "Jonny Quest" cartoon series. After it was determined his voice was too similar to Mike Road's Race Bannon voice, he was replaced by Don Messick, who provides the voice for Balin (and others).

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:

Bard: Black arrow! You've never failed me, and I've always recovered you. I had you from my father, and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true King under the Mountain, go now and speed well!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in See No Evil (2006)

Soundtrack:

Under the Lonely Mountain

A mixed bag

I saw the Rankin/Bass 'Hobbit' for the first time when I was about eight or nine years old. I was enchanted by the movie, and I credit it with motivating me to read 'The Hobbit' and later 'The Lord of the Rings', thereby transforming me into a lifelong Tolkien fan (albeit not as die-hard as some, I admit). This is probably the highest praise I can give it.

I re-viewed the movie recently. How does it stand up now that I am older and better-versed in Tolkien? So-so, I would say. Some comments/criticisms, in no particular order:

* The movie, I now realize, was seriously hampered by time constraints. The creators attempted to squeeze a very eventful novel's story into a two-hour TV movie, with commercials. The result is that everything seems very hurried, events are piled on top of each other with great speed and moments that ought to be savored get rushed. Also, the periodic fade-outs/fade-ins for commercials are distracting.

* A product of its time, the movie is wall-to-wall with songs, most with lyrics written by Tolkien, one written originally for the film, all sung to '70s folk ballad melodies. Tolkien's elves should not sound like hippie chipmunks.

* The '70s context also gives the movie a strongly pacifist message. All scenes of fighting are rendered, somewhat awkwardly, so as to avoid any actual blood or carnage (a mortally wounded character will be glimpsed in a freeze frame that will then spin into a blur, mirroring the character's disappearance from this life, I suppose). Speeches about the glory of war are presented so as to make the advocates look ridiculous. None of this is a bad, and is even refreshing, but it is the work of Rankin/Bass, not Tolkien.

* Some of the key players are perfect: Orson Bean as Bilbo, John Huston as Gandalf, Richard Boone as Smaug and Theodore as Gollum bring great life and character to the movie. The one-on-one scenes between Bilbo and each of the other three are easily the best part of 'The Hobbit'.

Overall, the movie is best suited for the audience for whom it was intended, children. Kids will probably like it, and might even want to explore Tolkien further.