I still remember when this and The animated The Return Of The King movie would be shown on the local TV stations when I was a kid. I've never gotten tired of watching them.
6th grade for me. I remember seeing this on Cartoon Network back in '98. Then I went to the school library and checked out the book. Absolutely loved it.
I was hooked at age 2 thanks to my mom in Germany back in 86. It was on tv and she recorded it for me. I'll always thank her for that magic of Tolkien she introduced to me!
A masterpiece of illustrated-storytelling in animation. The entire production, voice actors to music to art to... well... everything. Absolutely top of the game, and it still, in my opinion, stands at the top along side anything made since, and in today's world of amazing CGI. I love Peter Jackson and crew's incredible movies, but if I had to pick only one among all the movies and other versions that have been done over the years, this one would be the one proudly holding place on my shelf, just as it does in my heart. For me, and I take nothing away from the other amazing works that have been done, this one sounds the Tolkien bell the loudest in my heart every time.
It's been a while since I read the book but I do recall Bilbo did ask "What's in my pocket?" But it wasn't directly at Gollum, it was out of surprise when he felt the ring inside his pocket since he nearly forgot about it. Bilbo was in a nearly-possessed state when he pocketed the ring because the ring was influencing Bilbo. But as Bilbo asked that to himself, Gollum thought Bilbo was asking him a riddle; considering Bilbo was out of riddles, he was like, "Yeah! That's my riddle!"
It depends... In the first edition of The Hobbit, Gollum willingly forfeits the Ring because he lost the riddle game. This account was retconned by Tolkien himself after LotR was published, to bring the two stories in closer alignment with each other. I'm sure the narrator forgot to mention this fact.
@@wesltall1 yep, and Tolkien cleverly wrote this into the story, saying the original story was written in the red book by Bilbo to justify his ownership of the ring, and the later editions were written as edits by Frodo once he got the truth from Bilbo.
At long last! We're discussing a true classic here! Rankin Bass' The Hobbit has aired on CBS, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and so on for ages, with its beautiful artwork and fantastic casting! This Film, whether it be Richard Boones Smaug, Hans Conried Thorin, John Huston's Gandalf or even the fantastic Brother Theodore's Gollum, will always hold up tremendously to the hearts of its fans as well as those who treasure Tolkien's work! ❤ 💍
Hear, hear!!!! I’ve told people about this cartoon for years. But very few of the people I know saw it. I bought a VHS copy when my son was young, so he could see it. We watched it so much that it broke. I have been saying for years that I have to buy a blu ray copy, but wasn’t able to find one. I need to search again. Love this film.
@@mhm8922 No blueray is available yet...but there are 2 versions of the dvd. Sadly they omit certain sound effects while adding new ones! It's quite weird. Try to snag another VHS copy while you can to keep its essence intact! You'll laugh at this...i still kept my Disney channel recording and still watch it to this very day!
@@LowellLucasJr. Lol. I’m not judging. I wish I had a recording to watch. But you’re right. I should get another VHS copy. But I have nothing to play it on any more. I actually told my son the other day that I was going to buy a VHS player and he vehemently rejected the idea. You should have seen the look he gave me. Lol. ☺️
Did you watch it on a reel to reel projector at school like I did? This would have been around 1980 (I was in 3rd grade) we would get so excited when they played this every year!
@@ryanpiscitelli I was going to mention that. So strange, but I guess they were trying to differentiate the wood elves who capture the dwarves from the elves of Rivendell who helped the company
The 1977 adaptation was my first step into heroic fantasy. I saw this before I ever read a word of Tolkien's books--and in fact, I didn't even see it! A friend of my family gave me a cassette with the entire cartoon recorded on it, and I listened. (and listened and listened.) My mind painting its own pictures to go along with the voice acting and music. It was that good!
Same here, except my dad bought me the vinyl with storybook from the movie. When I finally saw the whole movie in 5th grade, I truly became a Tolkien fan.
Ya you couldn’t stream films on demand OR rent vhs tapes yet back then! I either owned the soundtrack album or took it out of the library so many times I memorized most of the dialog. The album came w lots of pages of artwork.
The movie that introduced me to the works of Tolkien. While it departed from the book in some ways, the look of the wood elves, the omitting of Beorn and the Arkenstone, it did an outstanding job in condensing the story into under two hours.
When I was a child in the 80s my parents rented a film projector, and this animated version of the hobbit on film, and showed it at one of my birthday parties. Good memories!
"What funny little birds! They have no wings! Oh, what shall we do with the funny little things!" I can still hear the song in my head, and quickly takes me back to sitting at my childhood desk and watching the video my father first rented on base. Back then, you used to rent several things to watch over a weekend. He didn't know I kept the copy in my room and watched it several times that weekend. He originally got mad at me because it would now have late fees, but when he came in to scold me, he saw the copy of the Hobbit book I checked out from the school library. I wanted to read more about the adventure. I cried at losing the movie, but when I came home from school the next day, there was a new copy on my desk and a note to wait until he got home from work so we could watch it again together. I still have the old, worn-out copy, and I bought my own replacements ever since. I think I know what I'll be doing this weekend.
This is what got me into Tolkien back in 1993. I caught it on the Disney Channel while home sick from school. When I went back to School a couple days later I went to the library and checked out the book.
I actually loved this as a kid, warts and all, one note: I noticed there is a scene missing after a commercial break, bilbo says "when i returned the elves were gone" and they have taken the dwarves, but there is no previous scene.
I agree that this is a masterpiece, but Gollum in Peter Jackson's LOTR was the only reason I didn't leave the theatre while watching The Two Towers... Andy Serkis really captured Gollum so well.
@@andygluehere8266 💯 Serkis is excellent in Andor, but I loved the Gollum from the cartoon...and the cartoons in general. Maybe because I grew up with them.
I still have the vhs tapes of the hobbit, the Ralph Bakshi lord of the rings, and the return of the king. Still highly treasured from my childhood. Still watch them about once a month.
Oh man, Core memory unlocked here - I vividly remember watching this, Wizards and the last unicorn when I was very young. Definitely sparked my initial interest in animation and reading. Granted at that time it was just doodles lol.
I remember as a child having one of those story books that came with a record to this version of the Hobbit. This movie first got me into Tolkien and I still enjoy this more than the newer Hobbit movies.
I haven’t actually seen this before. What really struck me how the illustrations of the wood elves, Gollum, the goblins and the trolls looked EXACTLY as I pictured them when I read the book.
This was a incredibly wonderful movie that I have enjoyed as a child and still do as an adult. I’ve shown it to my children who also love it. I highly recommend this movie
I loved this cartoon as a child. It introduced me to the world of Tolkien, along with the Return of the King adaptation and also the Bakshi version of the Lord of the Rings. It really brought the world of Middle Earth alive when I was small. Thanks for the video.
This movie was my introduction to Tolkien’s world as a kid. It inspired me to read the book, and then the LOTR. The live action Hobbit would’ve been so much better if it was just a scene for scene creation of this movie
Loved these versions. Still have all of them on VHS. In the book, Bilbo DID ask Gollum what he had in his pocket. It wasn’t meant to be a riddle, as it felt the ring and basically was asking himself what it was. Gollum took it to be a riddle, though, and it went from there. Actually, Bilbo gave Gollum 3 guesses in the book, so there’s a bit of difference there.
I lived in a rural town in the era before the internet and didn't have much access to fantasy stories. I'm not sure the teachers really knew what they got when they decided to show us this instead of teaching one week before Christmas break. I guess they figured 'it's made by the same people who did rudolph the red-nosed reindeer - it must be ok'. I remember many of my classmates fell asleep. I was hooked. The idea around the Battle of Five Armies stuck with me for a long time. For years, I wanted to rewatch it but couldn't remember the name. When I got to college a bunch of us had a discussion about movies we loved as kids. I told them of this really amazing cartoon about rings that make you invisible and battles with five armies. Most of them laughed and my roommate said 'nah, that's a book'. I insisted it was a movie. He didn't say a word, just went to his bookshelf, and returned with his copy of 'The Hobbit'. It opened up a whole new world for me.
I remember this movie and the Return of the King Rankin-Bass movie. Yes I am as old as this movie so it definitely brings back memories of my childhood.
I still have the vinyl record of this movie, along with the book that came with it, and I would listen to it before bed on many nights and fall to sleep with it on. I still listened to it as a child until 83 or 84.
I’ll never forget watching this the first time as a kid in the mid 70’s, went all the way to my cousins house & he was sick as a dog & I was bored & it came on, forgot all about him & was so bummed had to leave before it ended but they showed it in my town the next week (used to be many small affiliates & they’d take turns showing shows) I was hooked on Tolkien ever since
We have listening parties to the double vinyl boxed set with Illustrated Book. Watched this on television. I had already read the Hobbit by that time. Great video.
This came out when I was 16 and I had just read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I always enjoyed this and the later Return of the King that came out a couple years later. The voice actors were so high level movie and TV performers and did a great job. One of my favorite things about the show are the backgrounds. So understated and moody. They were perfect for the action going on in front of them.
This movie was my entry point into Tolkien and fantasy in general. I was absolutely obsessed with it as a kid. To this day when I read the books it’s this cast I hear in my head, especially John Huston’s voice I hear for Gandalf and Brother Theodore as Gollum. Honestly I still think this version is the superior adaptation of The Hobbit.
I grew up with this animated feature and I credit it with my lifelong love of fantasy. I still have the vinyl album that included several pages of art from this film so I could read along as the record played. I have shared it with my children and they love it too.
Easily the best version of Gollum! Creepy , yet, terrifyingly awesome!!! Voiced by Brother Theodore, He's easily a standout of the film as he is a terrible reminder of the corruption of the ring!
EASILY my favorite interpretation. Something I always felt like Serkis couldn’t match was the sheer madness that Theodore’s Gollum brought forth. His detachment from reality was a more deranged and dangerous portrayal than that of Serkis. That scene has stayed with me since I was a child.
I remember seeing this on TV when it was first released. It was like nothing ever seen, cartoons were Saturday morning fare and for kids. This was something different and really holds up today. They had great voice actors and their portrayals are awesome.
I remember they used to show is this movie on a projector when I was in middle school in the early 80s. This movie got me into reading the books and a life long love affair with Tolkien’s works. It still makes me feel nostalgic. ❤
I was 8 years old when this premiered on TV. My first introduction to Tolkien, and to the fantasy genre. We discovered AD&D in 1979, and I’ve been a fan of RPGs ever since. This is the most book accurate version of The Hobbit by far. Beautiful little tribute to the first novel I ever read, because of seeing this on TV.
We read the Hobbit in school, just before the first Lord of the Rings movie came out. We watched this movie in class after we finished the book, and that was the only time I've ever seen it, but I never forgot it, and always wanted to re-watch it.
It's important to note that many versions of this movie are missing sound effects, including the official DVD release. The old VHS version has an intact soundtrack. There was interest in fan restoration and there are a couple of versions on the internet archive that try to match the VHS audio with the DVD video. While not perfect, they're worth checking out. The lack of effects in some places really hurts this movie.
the spider death effect is awesome. I had a keyboard I bought in a pawn shop during college that was an analogue synthesizer and it had that sound saved in it haha.
The original cut of the film was destroyed in a fire, and so the DVD was restored from a different copy that didn't have all the finished sound effects. The scenes with Smaug suffer the most: in his attack on Lake-Town his face can be seen snarling, but no noise is heard. Then arrows bounce off of his scales completely silently. A big blast of fire from the dragon has only a slight hiss instead of the roaring inferno sound effect it was meant to have.
I just watched this 3 times with my kids last week on prime and they loved it. The dragon, my precious, the ring! So much fun. It's the best, and brought me back to my earliest memories of this great story.
Bilbo most definitely says “what do I have in my pockets” during Riddles in the Dark. Gollum never forgets it and mutters to himself about “what’s it have in its pockets’”
I had the boxed set with 2 albums and a book with stills from the movie. I can't tell you how many times I listen to them but after 40 years or so, I can still hear the songs in my head.
In the early 80s, I discovered Tolkien by watching this movie at a friend's house. Later, when I read the huuuge book, I was shocked how much of the book they fit into that short film. Many years later, I came a cross a VHS copy of it, which I still have to this day, though I no longer have a VCR to play it in. ;-) To me, this is the only real movie of the book. I love Peter Jackson and the LOTR, but the Hobbit movies felt to me as if Jackson sabotaged them on purpose to spite the studio. But that's just me. (The only reason I watched the 2nd and 3rd Jackson films was because they were free on the airplane) ;-) Thanks for this recap. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Hobbit was not a "huuuge" book. It was a short novel compared to the three volumes of The Lord of The Rings, the latter of which Tolkien repeatedly said that he wished his original British publisher (Allen & Unwin, Ltd.) had instead printed The Lord of The Rings in one long volume. J.R.R. never liked the fact that in the U.K. & the U.S.A. TLoTR was broken up into three separate volumes.
Thought this and the animated LotR were a fever dream for a while. I'd seen them as a kid, but nobody I asked ever seemed to remember them existing Glad the internet is so accessible now because I managed to rediscover them~
I was 7 going on 8 years old when this came out on TV. Mom bought me the record which was actually the entire movie in audio form with a cool companion storybook. I eventually put that record into a cassette tape (look it up) and listened to it so many times I could replay the movie in my mind in complete. Family doesn't like watching it with me because I finish all the dialogue with the actors.😂
Not overlooked, I have watched this animation hundreds of times, literally hundreds on VHS tape. I use to study to this and Dune in the background every night while attending McMaster University from 1992 to 1996.
The 1977 Rankin-Bass production captures the spirit of the novel better than The Peter Jackson Hollywoodized The Hobbit; far more faithful to the literary material. For a children's animation, it is so well done. John Huston's narrative voice is perfection!
What is your definition of being faithful to source material! I dont think you know what that means nothing can be like book so the book can things cartoon cant do novel nothing will be like the novel so what do have to say about that
Also I think they left out Beorn in this version. I was 11 in 1977 so I was the perfect age for this. Loved it. Also my brother had recently purchased the basic set of D&D and my first character was a hobbit.
This movie came out when I was a kid, and my younger sister and I saw it and used to listen to the record and recite it out. I think I read the book after seeing the movie.
10:42 Technically the Wargs haven't been replaced by the eagles: both factions were present in the final battle. The difference is that the adaptation names the eagles as the fifth army, while the wargs are considered to be part of the goblin army. This is a pretty minor and understandable difference, since the goblins are riding on the wargs. When the cavalry of Rohan goes to battle, the horses aren't considered a separate army. I've seen some arguments that the eagles are technically an air force rather than an army, but it's not like Bilbo would have ever heard of such a term.
This was my introduction to JRR and I have watched this and listened to the soundtrack tons. Smaug was frightening and his meeting with Bilbo made you feel the stakes
this cartoon is what sparked my love for Tolkien as a child, it's great. I could watch it every day. I know every line by heart and the music is great as well. However, the same cannot be said for it's "sequel". No offense to Andy Serkis, but this is my favorite Gollum by far.
The Hobbit (book) _is_ for children, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. The language, themes, playful use of magic, anachronisms and lighthearted puns, among other things, set it apart from the more 'serious' high fantasy of LotR. That said, Tolkien held children at very high esteem, and gave them far, *far* more credit than children's authors usually do today - just take a look at _The Father Christmas Letters_ , for instance, to see what I mean. None of this means that one can't enjoy the Hobbit as an adult - indeed, I read it for the first time during my college years. But it is primarily a children's book, and it only loosely ties into the legendarium of Middle Earth. It also subtly references themes in _Beowulf_ , Tolkien being a scholar as well as a fantasy author. An animated adaptation of _The Hobbit_ is probably much closer to the book's spirit than any grandiose feature film.
Still the best screen version of The Hobbit. I didn’t even know there was the LOTR series till the films were coming out. I only knew of this book bc of this film.
I still remember when this and The animated The Return Of The King movie would be shown on the local TV stations when I was a kid. I've never gotten tired of watching them.
Same
He'll, I watched both this morning, and I'm 50!!! Funny rhi g though, you could almost put bashakis lotr and the rotk from Rankin bass together
@@briantolley854 I’m 58 and was hoping to see if I could find it streaming somewhere while I was watching this. It’s fantastic
@@briantolley854 I will check this out. Thanks!!!
@@bjones8470 no worries
They completely captured the essence of the books. The Hobbit was the book that got me read as a kid in the 6th grade.
7th grade here.
I actually started with dragonlance and went to Tolkien later
Same here
6th grade for me. I remember seeing this on Cartoon Network back in '98. Then I went to the school library and checked out the book. Absolutely loved it.
I was hooked at age 2 thanks to my mom in Germany back in 86. It was on tv and she recorded it for me. I'll always thank her for that magic of Tolkien she introduced to me!
A masterpiece of illustrated-storytelling in animation. The entire production, voice actors to music to art to... well... everything. Absolutely top of the game, and it still, in my opinion, stands at the top along side anything made since, and in today's world of amazing CGI.
I love Peter Jackson and crew's incredible movies, but if I had to pick only one among all the movies and other versions that have been done over the years, this one would be the one proudly holding place on my shelf, just as it does in my heart. For me, and I take nothing away from the other amazing works that have been done, this one sounds the Tolkien bell the loudest in my heart every time.
It's been a while since I read the book but I do recall Bilbo did ask "What's in my pocket?" But it wasn't directly at Gollum, it was out of surprise when he felt the ring inside his pocket since he nearly forgot about it. Bilbo was in a nearly-possessed state when he pocketed the ring because the ring was influencing Bilbo. But as Bilbo asked that to himself, Gollum thought Bilbo was asking him a riddle; considering Bilbo was out of riddles, he was like, "Yeah! That's my riddle!"
It depends... In the first edition of The Hobbit, Gollum willingly forfeits the Ring because he lost the riddle game. This account was retconned by Tolkien himself after LotR was published, to bring the two stories in closer alignment with each other. I'm sure the narrator forgot to mention this fact.
@@wesltall1 No way! Really?
@@mhm8922 🦉Rly, rly!
@@wesltall1 yep, and Tolkien cleverly wrote this into the story, saying the original story was written in the red book by Bilbo to justify his ownership of the ring, and the later editions were written as edits by Frodo once he got the truth from Bilbo.
@@johnthecloud that makes the whole thing feel more real.
One of my favorite animated films when I was a kid and even now!!!
I was always super excited whenever this was on tv when I was a child! Always holds a place in my heart!
Same . As a kid I had the story book with cassette, lost the book keep listening to Return of the King .
Me too!! 🥰🥰
@@mena94x3 and we can tell the old folks on this thread !!! 😂🤣😂🤣😂
@@kharnthebetrayer1575 - 😂 so true.
At long last! We're discussing a true classic here! Rankin Bass' The Hobbit has aired on CBS, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and so on for ages, with its beautiful artwork and fantastic casting! This Film, whether it be Richard Boones Smaug, Hans Conried Thorin, John Huston's Gandalf or even the fantastic Brother Theodore's Gollum, will always hold up tremendously to the hearts of its fans as well as those who treasure Tolkien's work! ❤ 💍
Hear, hear!!!! I’ve told people about this cartoon for years. But very few of the people I know saw it. I bought a VHS copy when my son was young, so he could see it. We watched it so much that it broke. I have been saying for years that I have to buy a blu ray copy, but wasn’t able to find one. I need to search again. Love this film.
@@mhm8922 No blueray is available yet...but there are 2 versions of the dvd. Sadly they omit certain sound effects while adding new ones! It's quite weird. Try to snag another VHS copy while you can to keep its essence intact! You'll laugh at this...i still kept my Disney channel recording and still watch it to this very day!
Amen
@@LowellLucasJr. Lol. I’m not judging. I wish I had a recording to watch. But you’re right. I should get another VHS copy. But I have nothing to play it on any more. I actually told my son the other day that I was going to buy a VHS player and he vehemently rejected the idea. You should have seen the look he gave me. Lol. ☺️
This animated version was my introduction to the world of Middle Earth as a child in the 90s. Loved it then and still love it now.
This was such a brilliant adaptation. I remember watching this movie in 4th grade, and then I sat down to read the book in 6th grade.
Did you watch it on a reel to reel projector at school like I did? This would have been around 1980 (I was in 3rd grade) we would get so excited when they played this every year!
STILL the best portrayal of The Hobbit :) They got EVERYTHING right :)
💗💗💗💗💗💗
My only complaint is they left out beorn
Except they made the Wood Elves look like little Trolls? Seriously, wtf.
@@ryanpiscitelli I was going to mention that. So strange, but I guess they were trying to differentiate the wood elves who capture the dwarves from the elves of Rivendell who helped the company
@@chrisfreling4133 Probably so, but a weird decision nonetheless.
I feel that they only meant to adapt the plot and the characters of the books rather than the world of Tolkien as a whole.
The 1977 adaptation was my first step into heroic fantasy. I saw this before I ever read a word of Tolkien's books--and in fact, I didn't even see it! A friend of my family gave me a cassette with the entire cartoon recorded on it, and I listened. (and listened and listened.) My mind painting its own pictures to go along with the voice acting and music. It was that good!
Same here, except my dad bought me the vinyl with storybook from the movie. When I finally saw the whole movie in 5th grade, I truly became a Tolkien fan.
@@tsloan2100 I'd bet serious money my cassette was recorded from a vinyl rendering. Thanks for sharing!
Ya you couldn’t stream films on demand OR rent vhs tapes yet back then! I either owned the soundtrack album or took it out of the library so many times I memorized most of the dialog. The album came w lots of pages of artwork.
@@tsloan2100 I had the vinyl and storybook too!
Love this, thanks for sharing
The movie that introduced me to the works of Tolkien. While it departed from the book in some ways, the look of the wood elves, the omitting of Beorn and the Arkenstone, it did an outstanding job in condensing the story into under two hours.
When I was a child in the 80s my parents rented a film projector, and this animated version of the hobbit on film, and showed it at one of my birthday parties. Good memories!
"What funny little birds! They have no wings! Oh, what shall we do with the funny little things!" I can still hear the song in my head, and quickly takes me back to sitting at my childhood desk and watching the video my father first rented on base. Back then, you used to rent several things to watch over a weekend. He didn't know I kept the copy in my room and watched it several times that weekend. He originally got mad at me because it would now have late fees, but when he came in to scold me, he saw the copy of the Hobbit book I checked out from the school library. I wanted to read more about the adventure. I cried at losing the movie, but when I came home from school the next day, there was a new copy on my desk and a note to wait until he got home from work so we could watch it again together. I still have the old, worn-out copy, and I bought my own replacements ever since. I think I know what I'll be doing this weekend.
This is what got me into Tolkien back in 1993. I caught it on the Disney Channel while home sick from school. When I went back to School a couple days later I went to the library and checked out the book.
It was my introduction to Tolkien as a kid; I was instantly hooked.
I actually loved this as a kid, warts and all, one note: I noticed there is a scene missing after a commercial break, bilbo says "when i returned the elves were gone" and they have taken the dwarves, but there is no previous scene.
This is a masterpiece, perfect voices, narration, soundtrack. And the best representation of Gollum to date.
I agree that this is a masterpiece, but Gollum in Peter Jackson's LOTR was the only reason I didn't leave the theatre while watching The Two Towers... Andy Serkis really captured Gollum so well.
@@VinnyVidiVintage he was ok, just like the voice from the cartoon a little more
@@andygluehere8266 💯 Serkis is excellent in Andor, but I loved the Gollum from the cartoon...and the cartoons in general. Maybe because I grew up with them.
There is no other voice for Gandalf other than John Huston!
I still have the vhs tapes of the hobbit, the Ralph Bakshi lord of the rings, and the return of the king. Still highly treasured from my childhood. Still watch them about once a month.
Whoa! immediately caught my attention. Grew up watching this every year at grandma's church... great movie! Ty for that memory!🥰
Oh man, Core memory unlocked here - I vividly remember watching this, Wizards and the last unicorn when I was very young. Definitely sparked my initial interest in animation and reading. Granted at that time it was just doodles lol.
I was 10 years old in 1977, this introduced me to the world of Middle Earth and started a life long love of reading.
I remember as a child having one of those story books that came with a record to this version of the Hobbit. This movie first got me into Tolkien and I still enjoy this more than the newer Hobbit movies.
I still have my copy of this album! My kids love it.
I haven’t actually seen this before. What really struck me how the illustrations of the wood elves, Gollum, the goblins and the trolls looked EXACTLY as I pictured them when I read the book.
This was a incredibly wonderful movie that I have enjoyed as a child and still do as an adult. I’ve shown it to my children who also love it. I highly recommend this movie
Rankin and Bass versions are still my favorites.
I loved this cartoon as a child. It introduced me to the world of Tolkien, along with the Return of the King adaptation and also the Bakshi version of the Lord of the Rings. It really brought the world of Middle Earth alive when I was small. Thanks for the video.
This was the first movie my family rented from a video store for our brand new VCR. Loved it then and love it now.
This movie was my introduction to Tolkien’s world as a kid. It inspired me to read the book, and then the LOTR.
The live action Hobbit would’ve been so much better if it was just a scene for scene creation of this movie
Loved these versions. Still have all of them on VHS.
In the book, Bilbo DID ask Gollum what he had in his pocket. It wasn’t meant to be a riddle, as it felt the ring and basically was asking himself what it was. Gollum took it to be a riddle, though, and it went from there. Actually, Bilbo gave Gollum 3 guesses in the book, so there’s a bit of difference there.
I lived in a rural town in the era before the internet and didn't have much access to fantasy stories. I'm not sure the teachers really knew what they got when they decided to show us this instead of teaching one week before Christmas break. I guess they figured 'it's made by the same people who did rudolph the red-nosed reindeer - it must be ok'. I remember many of my classmates fell asleep. I was hooked. The idea around the Battle of Five Armies stuck with me for a long time.
For years, I wanted to rewatch it but couldn't remember the name. When I got to college a bunch of us had a discussion about movies we loved as kids. I told them of this really amazing cartoon about rings that make you invisible and battles with five armies. Most of them laughed and my roommate said 'nah, that's a book'. I insisted it was a movie. He didn't say a word, just went to his bookshelf, and returned with his copy of 'The Hobbit'. It opened up a whole new world for me.
Getting this and Star Wars in the same year was absolutely seismic for us young geeks at the time.
My favorite anime of all time
I am with you, this was at a time when animation such as this film was way above Saturday morning cartoons.😊
I remember this movie and the Return of the King Rankin-Bass movie. Yes I am as old as this movie so it definitely brings back memories of my childhood.
Like ST:TOS, the music drives this. It's captivating. The voice acting was incredible.
Loved this movie dearly as a kid. Helped spark my imagination. An absolute classic.
I still have the vinyl record of this movie, along with the book that came with it, and I would listen to it before bed on many nights and fall to sleep with it on. I still listened to it as a child until 83 or 84.
Never forgotten. I have it on DVD and Apple movies. Great music.
I used to watch this with my grandpa when I was little 😊.
I’ll never forget watching this the first time as a kid in the mid 70’s, went all the way to my cousins house & he was sick as a dog & I was bored & it came on, forgot all about him & was so bummed had to leave before it ended but they showed it in my town the next week (used to be many small affiliates & they’d take turns showing shows) I was hooked on Tolkien ever since
Rankin Bass’ The Hobbit got me into Tolkien in 7th grade. I hope The Rings of Power does something similar for a new generation.
We have listening parties to the double vinyl boxed set with Illustrated Book.
Watched this on television. I had already read the Hobbit by that time.
Great video.
Grew up on this movie seen about 100 times as many have I'm sure. In fact I watched it somewhat recently and still got goosebumps at parts :)
Brother Theodore as Gollum kinda frightened me as a kid.
Theodore's Gollum screaming "THIEF!" to Bilbo is the stuff of nightmares.
This came out when I was 16 and I had just read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I always enjoyed this and the later Return of the King that came out a couple years later. The voice actors were so high level movie and TV performers and did a great job. One of my favorite things about the show are the backgrounds. So understated and moody. They were perfect for the action going on in front of them.
This movie was my entry point into Tolkien and fantasy in general. I was absolutely obsessed with it as a kid. To this day when I read the books it’s this cast I hear in my head, especially John Huston’s voice I hear for Gandalf and Brother Theodore as Gollum.
Honestly I still think this version is the superior adaptation of The Hobbit.
I grew up with this animated feature and I credit it with my lifelong love of fantasy. I still have the vinyl album that included several pages of art from this film so I could read along as the record played. I have shared it with my children and they love it too.
Easily the best version of Gollum! Creepy , yet, terrifyingly awesome!!! Voiced by Brother Theodore, He's easily a standout of the film as he is a terrible reminder of the corruption of the ring!
100% agree
EASILY my favorite interpretation. Something I always felt like Serkis couldn’t match was the sheer madness that Theodore’s Gollum brought forth. His detachment from reality was a more deranged and dangerous portrayal than that of Serkis. That scene has stayed with me since I was a child.
@@edobkin 1000000% AGREE!!!!!
Never forgotten I grew up with these classics read the books first found these at the library as a kid late 80s
This is my introduction to the series and one of my absolute favorite movies of all time!
I remember seeing this on TV when it was first released. It was like nothing ever seen, cartoons were Saturday morning fare and for kids. This was something different and really holds up today. They had great voice actors and their portrayals are awesome.
I remember they used to show is this movie on a projector when I was in middle school in the early 80s. This movie got me into reading the books and a life long love affair with Tolkien’s works. It still makes me feel nostalgic. ❤
I was 8 years old when this premiered on TV. My first introduction to Tolkien, and to the fantasy genre. We discovered AD&D in 1979, and I’ve been a fan of RPGs ever since. This is the most book accurate version of The Hobbit by far. Beautiful little tribute to the first novel I ever read, because of seeing this on TV.
We read the Hobbit in school, just before the first Lord of the Rings movie came out. We watched this movie in class after we finished the book, and that was the only time I've ever seen it, but I never forgot it, and always wanted to re-watch it.
I vaguely remember this being on TV. When I was a kid. Very cool. Thank you for making this.
This first came on the air when I was 11, and I loved it then....and I still do.
It's important to note that many versions of this movie are missing sound effects, including the official DVD release. The old VHS version has an intact soundtrack. There was interest in fan restoration and there are a couple of versions on the internet archive that try to match the VHS audio with the DVD video. While not perfect, they're worth checking out. The lack of effects in some places really hurts this movie.
Yeah I felt some places was wierd like they wanted the music to speak for the SFX like old Disney movies but good to know.
the spider death effect is awesome. I had a keyboard I bought in a pawn shop during college that was an analogue synthesizer and it had that sound saved in it haha.
The original cut of the film was destroyed in a fire, and so the DVD was restored from a different copy that didn't have all the finished sound effects. The scenes with Smaug suffer the most: in his attack on Lake-Town his face can be seen snarling, but no noise is heard. Then arrows bounce off of his scales completely silently. A big blast of fire from the dragon has only a slight hiss instead of the roaring inferno sound effect it was meant to have.
@@Blokewood3 Oh damn, is that what happened? That's such a shame :(
What a shame; all that I have ever known about this adaptation is the VHS version that I picked up many years ago from a yard sale.
Gawd I love this cartoon. It inspired me to get further into my art due to the style. Classic material.
I just watched this 3 times with my kids last week on prime and they loved it. The dragon, my precious, the ring! So much fun. It's the best, and brought me back to my earliest memories of this great story.
Bilbo most definitely says “what do I have in my pockets” during Riddles in the Dark. Gollum never forgets it and mutters to himself about “what’s it have in its pockets’”
This film defined my childhood.
The voice acting was phenomenal, the music: amazing.
I loved it as a kid and still love it all these many years later.
That's is an absolute CLASSIC!!
I had the boxed set with 2 albums and a book with stills from the movie. I can't tell you how many times I listen to them but after 40 years or so, I can still hear the songs in my head.
In the early 80s, I discovered Tolkien by watching this movie at a friend's house. Later, when I read the huuuge book, I was shocked how much of the book they fit into that short film. Many years later, I came a cross a VHS copy of it, which I still have to this day, though I no longer have a VCR to play it in. ;-)
To me, this is the only real movie of the book. I love Peter Jackson and the LOTR, but the Hobbit movies felt to me as if Jackson sabotaged them on purpose to spite the studio. But that's just me. (The only reason I watched the 2nd and 3rd Jackson films was because they were free on the airplane) ;-)
Thanks for this recap. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Hobbit was not a "huuuge" book. It was a short novel compared to the three volumes of The Lord of The Rings, the latter of which Tolkien repeatedly said that he wished his original British publisher (Allen & Unwin, Ltd.) had instead printed The Lord of The Rings in one long volume. J.R.R. never liked the fact that in the U.K. & the U.S.A. TLoTR was broken up into three separate volumes.
Classic, the music and singing made it great. Great voice actors also.
This was my 1st Tolkien experience, I was 6. Still love it for what it was and own the DVD.
I have this on VHS for decades and have watched it with my son. I don't know how many more plays it has left at its age. This is a classic nuff said.
Our VHS copy broke. I envy you still having yours.
I watched it as a kid and I purchased it on Vudu so my kids can see it.
I was 15 when a slightly younger school chum introduced me to Tolkien. This film came out when I was 17. I love it to this day.
Thought this and the animated LotR were a fever dream for a while. I'd seen them as a kid, but nobody I asked ever seemed to remember them existing
Glad the internet is so accessible now because I managed to rediscover them~
I’m aging myself, but this was my first exposure to Tolkien as a kid in the 80s and the reason I first read The Hobbit!!
I watched this movie more times than I can even count as a kid and to this day I'm sure I've watched this more than any other movie
I was 7 going on 8 years old when this came out on TV. Mom bought me the record which was actually the entire movie in audio form with a cool companion storybook. I eventually put that record into a cassette tape (look it up) and listened to it so many times I could replay the movie in my mind in complete. Family doesn't like watching it with me because I finish all the dialogue with the actors.😂
Great stuff! I had the album storybook as a kid as well.....
Not overlooked, I have watched this animation hundreds of times, literally hundreds on VHS tape. I use to study to this and Dune in the background every night while attending McMaster University from 1992 to 1996.
Effing thank you! Such a solid animation!
Thanks for reminding me how charming this movie is. Now I’ll have to revisit it.
The 1977 Rankin-Bass production captures the spirit of the novel better than The Peter Jackson Hollywoodized The Hobbit; far more faithful to the literary material. For a children's animation, it is so well done. John Huston's narrative voice is perfection!
What is your definition of being faithful to source material! I dont think you know what that means nothing can be like book so the book can things cartoon cant do novel nothing will be like the novel so what do have to say about that
Also I think they left out Beorn in this version. I was 11 in 1977 so I was the perfect age for this. Loved it. Also my brother had recently purchased the basic set of D&D and my first character was a hobbit.
*i still find this animated adaptation of The Hobbit remarkable and well worth watching*
One of the great adaptations. Remember watching this as a kid
This movie came out when I was a kid, and my younger sister and I saw it and used to listen to the record and recite it out. I think I read the book after seeing the movie.
We watched this in elementary school on a film projector in the gym, like several grades at the same time. I remember liking the goblin songs a lot.
I will never prefer any of the Jackson films over the original Rankin Bass animations. Masterpieces.
10:42 Technically the Wargs haven't been replaced by the eagles: both factions were present in the final battle. The difference is that the adaptation names the eagles as the fifth army, while the wargs are considered to be part of the goblin army. This is a pretty minor and understandable difference, since the goblins are riding on the wargs. When the cavalry of Rohan goes to battle, the horses aren't considered a separate army. I've seen some arguments that the eagles are technically an air force rather than an army, but it's not like Bilbo would have ever heard of such a term.
This was my introduction to JRR and I have watched this and listened to the soundtrack tons. Smaug was frightening and his meeting with Bilbo made you feel the stakes
In my opinion best depiction of book to movie. This movie is exactly like the book.
5:54 You meant to say he gives the sword the name Sting, not the spider, but great video, saw this film as a kid :)
This movie got me into fantasy as a kid. What great animation.
my dad still has the TV guide of when this first aired on TV with Bilbo on the cover
this is one of the only movies i own online... of course also have it on vhs,,, i watch this about every month. gottlove rankin & bass!
This was my introduction to Middle earth. The cartoon is why I fell in love with Fantasy in general
this cartoon is what sparked my love for Tolkien as a child, it's great. I could watch it every day. I know every line by heart and the music is great as well. However, the same cannot be said for it's "sequel". No offense to Andy Serkis, but this is my favorite Gollum by far.
I’ll never forget this movie, it was the first thing I watched when I moved out.
One of the greatest movies of all time
I remember this movie they use to play it on the Disney channel back in the 80s & 90s
The Hobbit (book) _is_ for children, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way. The language, themes, playful use of magic, anachronisms and lighthearted puns, among other things, set it apart from the more 'serious' high fantasy of LotR. That said, Tolkien held children at very high esteem, and gave them far, *far* more credit than children's authors usually do today - just take a look at _The Father Christmas Letters_ , for instance, to see what I mean.
None of this means that one can't enjoy the Hobbit as an adult - indeed, I read it for the first time during my college years. But it is primarily a children's book, and it only loosely ties into the legendarium of Middle Earth. It also subtly references themes in _Beowulf_ , Tolkien being a scholar as well as a fantasy author.
An animated adaptation of _The Hobbit_ is probably much closer to the book's spirit than any grandiose feature film.
This was definitely better than Jackson's trilogy. That was way too drawn out. The cartoon was perfectly paced. It still holds up well today.
I still remember watching this on VHS tape as a very young child. This “cartoon” kinda freaked me out a lot, but I loved it 😂
I saw this when it first came out and loved it!
Still the best screen version of The Hobbit. I didn’t even know there was the LOTR series till the films were coming out. I only knew of this book bc of this film.
The fact that Miyazaki worked on this is incredible.