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:

Dragon | Quest | Middle Earth | Treasure | Hobbit

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	...	Other Dwarfs / Goblins (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:

Bilbo Baggins: The Eagles! The Eagles are coming!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in See No Evil (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Goblin Song

what?.

This film has its good parts and its bad parts. The music really doesn't fit in with the plot and is very un-Tolkien (it might have been O.K. if it was in a different film.)Sméagol-Gollum is basically a frog, and you won't believe this, but he is Green!! Green!?. They also messed up some of the great lines from the book, and the elves don't look to me like tall, perfect, beautiful immortals people, although Elrond isn't done too badly in this film. They did do a good job at setting up The Lord Of The Rings, though. Thorin, also is more-the-less the kind of dwarf I imagined from the book. This film is probably best for the kind of people who aren't Tolkien purists.