Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Talk:The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-27T19:57:06Z

Spiny Norman: /* Limited info */ refs

==Limited info==
There's surprisingly little known about this adaptation, so I tried to do some research into the cast and airdates.

''Letters'' mentions only Shelley and a "large cast" (so at least something is known, but we can't ask Carpenter anymore).

[[Norman Shelley]] was a top dog over at BBC radio at the time. Would people like Carleton Hobbs and [[Brian Haines]] be involved as well? I tried to look for it, by searching [[BBC]] publications from that period. Sadly I ran into some snags:

* ''The Listener'' is a main publication featuring a lot of information about radio and television programmes. Unfortunately, it's not available on-line, nor in MUSE, and my university library misses July 55-January 57 ([http://opc.ub.rug.nl/DB=1/SET=1/TTL=1/CMD?ACT=SRCHA&IKT=5&SRT=YOP&TRM=the+listener kinda sucks])

* ''The Radio Times'' is another, still existing, publication, which, sadly, my University library doesn't have at all.

So a request to whoever finds the time: could you check your University library, to see if there is any review, announcement or advertisement for the series? Please? -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 15:27, 4 March 2009 (UTC)

:I checked with the BBC and the scripts and correspondence survive. This is very likely where the authors of the 2006 book got their information too. I do not have copies of these documents myself, although they can be ordered. I found the missing episode titles using the BBC's genome site. [[User:Spiny Norman|This is nøt å signåture.™]] 12:18, 23 February 2019 (UTC)

::I have corrected the references, but some of the information you've added in needs a proper source. --{{User:Mith/sig}} 10:28, 24 February 2019 (UTC)

:::I do not have the 2006 book, but if they did their job properly it should be mentioned somewhere in there. I have an email from the BBC archives but I wouldn't know how to turn that into a reference. [[User:Spiny Norman|This is nøt å signåture.™]] 19:57, 27 February 2019 (UTC)

Talk:The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-23T12:18:37Z

Spiny Norman: survival

The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-23T12:14:00Z

Spiny Norman: its

{{disambig-more|The Lord of the Rings|[[The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation)]]}}In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], six episodes on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''. Each of these twelve episodes was repeated just once, almost immediately, between two and five days after its first broadcast. No recordings of this series are known to have survived. However, the scripts and some correspondence still exist.

==Episodes==
;The Fellowship of the Ring
* Episode 1: "The Meaning of the Ring" [[14 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref name="CaG"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f441220ac7294a379a004301e4263405</ref>
* Episode 2: "Black Riders and Others" [[21 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6baebadd0e47480f80b4172053c254ff</ref>
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[29 November|November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "Many Meetings", [[4 December|December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1673">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, [[2 December|December 2]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[11 December|December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[9 December|December 9]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "The Breaking of the Fellowship", [[18 December|December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1675">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, [[16 December|December 16]], [[1955]]</ref>
;The Lord of the Rings
* Episode 1: "Fangorn", [[19 November|November 19]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1723">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1723, [[16 November|November 16]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 2: "Rohan and Isengard", [[26 November|November 26]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1724">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1724, [[23 November|November 23]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 3: "Into the Dark", [[2 December|December 2]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, [[30 November|November 30]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "The Siege of Gondor", [[9 December|December 9]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1726">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1726, [[7 December|December 7]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "Minas Tirith and Mount Doom", [[16 December|December 16]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[14 December|December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "Many Partings" [[23 December|December 23]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1227a1f1b6464340b435e5e5f84ad163</ref>

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
|[[John Baker]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Nicolette Bernard]] ||Unspecified (presumably [[Goldberry]]),<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Galadriel]]<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Oliver Burt]] || [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Michael Collins]] || [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Frank Duncan]] || [[Legolas]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Halbarad]],<ref name="RT1726"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Valentine Dyall]] || [[Treebeard]],<ref name="RT1723"/> [[Théoden]],<ref name="RT1724"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Robert Farquharson]] || [[Saruman]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Denethor]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Felix Felton]] || [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Voice of [[Sauron]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Witch-king|The Black Captain]],<ref name="RT1727"/> Orcs,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Garard Green]] || [[Elrond]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Celeborn]],<ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Olive Gregg]] || [[Éowyn]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Derek Hart]] || Narrator<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[David Hemmings]] || [[Bergil]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Noel Johnson]] || [[Éomer]]<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Basil Jones]] || [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Godfrey Kenton]] || [[Aragorn]],<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Mablung (ranger of Ithilien)|Mablung]], <ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Eric Lugg]] || [[Gimli]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Victor Platt]] || [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Derek Prentice]] || [[Boromir]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Faramir]],<ref name="RT1725"/> [[Beregond]], <ref name="RT1726"/> Orcs, <ref name="RT1727"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Bernard Rebel]] || [[Gríma|Wormtongue]]<ref name="RT1724"/>
|-
|[[Prunella Scales]] || [[Ioreth]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Gerik Schjelderup]] || [[Gollum]], <ref name="RT1723"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
| [[Norman Shelley]] || [[Gandalf]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Tom Bombadil]],<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="L175">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 175]] (dated [[30 November|November 30]], [[1955]])</ref> An Old Man,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Roger Snowdon]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/><ref name="RT1723"/><ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|}

Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[2 November|November 2]], [[1956]])</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>

==Differences from the book==
*In the first six episodes, dialogue was preserved as much as possible, but in the last six, some liberty had to be taken.<ref name="CaG">[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide]] [[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide:Reader's Guide|Reader's Guide]]'', "Adaptations", pp. 8-23</ref>
* The second part of the series had to have a lot of cuts because executives at the [[BBC]] were not as fond of ''The Lord of the Rings'' as the listeners were.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''Tom Bombadil:''' Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She was portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/> Tiller later apologized to Tolkien, stating he had thought the age difference between the two too large to portray them as a couple.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Glóin]]:''' He was given a German accent. Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[8 December|December 8]], [[1955]])</ref>
*'''The [[Council of Elrond]]''': Severely trimmed, only the base actions and characters remained.<ref name="CaG"/>
{{references}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Radio adaptations]]

The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-21T16:26:04Z

Spiny Norman: repeats

{{disambig-more|The Lord of the Rings|[[The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation)]]}}In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], six episodes on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''. Each of these twelve episodes was repeated just once, almost immediately, between two and five days after the first broadcast. No recordings of this series are known to have survived. However, the scripts and some correspondence still exist.

==Episodes==
;The Fellowship of the Ring
* Episode 1: "The Meaning of the Ring" [[14 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref name="CaG"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f441220ac7294a379a004301e4263405</ref>
* Episode 2: "Black Riders and Others" [[21 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6baebadd0e47480f80b4172053c254ff</ref>
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[29 November|November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "Many Meetings", [[4 December|December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1673">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, [[2 December|December 2]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[11 December|December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[9 December|December 9]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "The Breaking of the Fellowship", [[18 December|December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1675">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, [[16 December|December 16]], [[1955]]</ref>
;The Lord of the Rings
* Episode 1: "Fangorn", [[19 November|November 19]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1723">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1723, [[16 November|November 16]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 2: "Rohan and Isengard", [[26 November|November 26]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1724">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1724, [[23 November|November 23]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 3: "Into the Dark", [[2 December|December 2]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, [[30 November|November 30]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "The Siege of Gondor", [[9 December|December 9]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1726">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1726, [[7 December|December 7]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "Minas Tirith and Mount Doom", [[16 December|December 16]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[14 December|December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "Many Partings" [[23 December|December 23]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1227a1f1b6464340b435e5e5f84ad163</ref>

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
|[[John Baker]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Nicolette Bernard]] ||Unspecified (presumably [[Goldberry]]),<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Galadriel]]<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Oliver Burt]] || [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Michael Collins]] || [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Frank Duncan]] || [[Legolas]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Halbarad]],<ref name="RT1726"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Valentine Dyall]] || [[Treebeard]],<ref name="RT1723"/> [[Théoden]],<ref name="RT1724"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Robert Farquharson]] || [[Saruman]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Denethor]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Felix Felton]] || [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Voice of [[Sauron]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Witch-king|The Black Captain]],<ref name="RT1727"/> Orcs,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Garard Green]] || [[Elrond]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Celeborn]],<ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Olive Gregg]] || [[Éowyn]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Derek Hart]] || Narrator<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[David Hemmings]] || [[Bergil]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Noel Johnson]] || [[Éomer]]<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Basil Jones]] || [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Godfrey Kenton]] || [[Aragorn]],<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Mablung (ranger of Ithilien)|Mablung]], <ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Eric Lugg]] || [[Gimli]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Victor Platt]] || [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Derek Prentice]] || [[Boromir]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Faramir]],<ref name="RT1725"/> [[Beregond]], <ref name="RT1726"/> Orcs, <ref name="RT1727"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Bernard Rebel]] || [[Gríma|Wormtongue]]<ref name="RT1724"/>
|-
|[[Prunella Scales]] || [[Ioreth]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Gerik Schjelderup]] || [[Gollum]], <ref name="RT1723"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
| [[Norman Shelley]] || [[Gandalf]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Tom Bombadil]],<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="L175">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 175]] (dated [[30 November|November 30]], [[1955]])</ref> An Old Man,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Roger Snowdon]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/><ref name="RT1723"/><ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|}

Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[2 November|November 2]], [[1956]])</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>

==Differences from the book==
*In the first six episodes, dialogue was preserved as much as possible, but in the last six, some liberty had to be taken.<ref name="CaG">[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide]] [[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide:Reader's Guide|Reader's Guide]]'', "Adaptations", pp. 8-23</ref>
* The second part of the series had to have a lot of cuts because executives at the [[BBC]] were not as fond of ''The Lord of the Rings'' as the listeners were.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''Tom Bombadil:''' Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She was portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/> Tiller later apologized to Tolkien, stating he had thought the age difference between the two too large to portray them as a couple.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Glóin]]:''' He was given a German accent. Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[8 December|December 8]], [[1955]])</ref>
*'''The [[Council of Elrond]]''': Severely trimmed, only the base actions and characters remained.<ref name="CaG"/>
{{references}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Radio adaptations]]

Talk:The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)

2019-02-21T16:22:51Z

Spiny Norman: "opera"

"Part of the Battle of Pelennor Fields sequence is described in song by an opera-style vocalist rather than acted," - Well, that's strictly speaking true, but I'm not sure there were many options to solve this. [[User:Spiny Norman|This is nøt å signåture.™]] 16:22, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-21T16:18:44Z

Spiny Norman: scripts

{{disambig-more|The Lord of the Rings|[[The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation)]]}}In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], six episodes on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''. No recordings of this series are known to have survived. However, the scripts and some correspondence still exist.

==Episodes==
;The Fellowship of the Ring
* Episode 1: "The Meaning of the Ring" [[14 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref name="CaG"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f441220ac7294a379a004301e4263405</ref>
* Episode 2: "Black Riders and Others" [[21 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6baebadd0e47480f80b4172053c254ff</ref>
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[29 November|November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "Many Meetings", [[4 December|December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1673">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, [[2 December|December 2]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[11 December|December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[9 December|December 9]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "The Breaking of the Fellowship", [[18 December|December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1675">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, [[16 December|December 16]], [[1955]]</ref>
;The Lord of the Rings
* Episode 1: "Fangorn", [[19 November|November 19]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1723">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1723, [[16 November|November 16]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 2: "Rohan and Isengard", [[26 November|November 26]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1724">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1724, [[23 November|November 23]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 3: "Into the Dark", [[2 December|December 2]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, [[30 November|November 30]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "The Siege of Gondor", [[9 December|December 9]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1726">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1726, [[7 December|December 7]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "Minas Tirith and Mount Doom", [[16 December|December 16]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[14 December|December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "Many Partings" [[23 December|December 23]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1227a1f1b6464340b435e5e5f84ad163</ref>

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
|[[John Baker]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Nicolette Bernard]] ||Unspecified (presumably [[Goldberry]]),<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Galadriel]]<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Oliver Burt]] || [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Michael Collins]] || [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Frank Duncan]] || [[Legolas]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Halbarad]],<ref name="RT1726"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Valentine Dyall]] || [[Treebeard]],<ref name="RT1723"/> [[Théoden]],<ref name="RT1724"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Robert Farquharson]] || [[Saruman]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Denethor]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Felix Felton]] || [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Voice of [[Sauron]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Witch-king|The Black Captain]],<ref name="RT1727"/> Orcs,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Garard Green]] || [[Elrond]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Celeborn]],<ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Olive Gregg]] || [[Éowyn]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Derek Hart]] || Narrator<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[David Hemmings]] || [[Bergil]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Noel Johnson]] || [[Éomer]]<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Basil Jones]] || [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Godfrey Kenton]] || [[Aragorn]],<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Mablung (ranger of Ithilien)|Mablung]], <ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Eric Lugg]] || [[Gimli]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Victor Platt]] || [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Derek Prentice]] || [[Boromir]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Faramir]],<ref name="RT1725"/> [[Beregond]], <ref name="RT1726"/> Orcs, <ref name="RT1727"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Bernard Rebel]] || [[Gríma|Wormtongue]]<ref name="RT1724"/>
|-
|[[Prunella Scales]] || [[Ioreth]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Gerik Schjelderup]] || [[Gollum]], <ref name="RT1723"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
| [[Norman Shelley]] || [[Gandalf]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Tom Bombadil]],<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="L175">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 175]] (dated [[30 November|November 30]], [[1955]])</ref> An Old Man,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Roger Snowdon]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/><ref name="RT1723"/><ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|}

Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[2 November|November 2]], [[1956]])</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>

==Differences from the book==
*In the first six episodes, dialogue was preserved as much as possible, but in the last six, some liberty had to be taken.<ref name="CaG">[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide]] [[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide:Reader's Guide|Reader's Guide]]'', "Adaptations", pp. 8-23</ref>
* The second part of the series had to have a lot of cuts because executives at the [[BBC]] were not as fond of ''The Lord of the Rings'' as the listeners were.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''Tom Bombadil:''' Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She was portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/> Tiller later apologized to Tolkien, stating he had thought the age difference between the two too large to portray them as a couple.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Glóin]]:''' He was given a German accent. Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[8 December|December 8]], [[1955]])</ref>
*'''The [[Council of Elrond]]''': Severely trimmed, only the base actions and characters remained.<ref name="CaG"/>
{{references}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Radio adaptations]]

The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)

2019-02-21T16:14:52Z

Spiny Norman: /* Episodes */ ep. titles from genome

{{disambig-more|The Lord of the Rings|[[The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation)]]}}In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], six episodes on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''. No recordings of this series are known to have survived.

==Episodes==
;The Fellowship of the Ring
* Episode 1: "The Meaning of the Ring" [[14 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref name="CaG"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f441220ac7294a379a004301e4263405</ref>
* Episode 2: "Black Riders and Others" [[21 November|November 14]], [[1955]]<ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6baebadd0e47480f80b4172053c254ff</ref>
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[29 November|November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[25 November|November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "Many Meetings", [[4 December|December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1673">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, [[2 December|December 2]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[11 December|December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[9 December|December 9]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "The Breaking of the Fellowship", [[18 December|December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1675">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, [[16 December|December 16]], [[1955]]</ref>
;The Lord of the Rings
* Episode 1: "Fangorn", [[19 November|November 19]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1723">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1723, [[16 November|November 16]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 2: "Rohan and Isengard", [[26 November|November 26]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1724">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1724, [[23 November|November 23]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 3: "Into the Dark", [[2 December|December 2]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, [[30 November|November 30]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 4: "The Siege of Gondor", [[9 December|December 9]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1726">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1726, [[7 December|December 7]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "Minas Tirith and Mount Doom", [[16 December|December 16]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[14 December|December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>
* Episode 6: "Many Partings" [[23 December|December 23]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1727"/> <ref>https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1227a1f1b6464340b435e5e5f84ad163</ref>

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
|-
|[[John Baker]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Nicolette Bernard]] ||Unspecified (presumably [[Goldberry]]),<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Galadriel]]<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Oliver Burt]] || [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Michael Collins]] || [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Frank Duncan]] || [[Legolas]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Halbarad]],<ref name="RT1726"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Valentine Dyall]] || [[Treebeard]],<ref name="RT1723"/> [[Théoden]],<ref name="RT1724"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Robert Farquharson]] || [[Saruman]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Denethor]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Felix Felton]] || [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Voice of [[Sauron]],<ref name="RT1724"/> [[Witch-king|The Black Captain]],<ref name="RT1727"/> Orcs,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Garard Green]] || [[Elrond]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Celeborn]],<ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Olive Gregg]] || [[Éowyn]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Derek Hart]] || Narrator<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[David Hemmings]] || [[Bergil]]<ref name="RT1726"/>
|-
|[[Noel Johnson]] || [[Éomer]]<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
|[[Basil Jones]] || [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Godfrey Kenton]] || [[Aragorn]],<ref name="RT1672"/> [[Mablung (ranger of Ithilien)|Mablung]], <ref name="RT1675"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Eric Lugg]] || [[Gimli]],<ref name="RT1674"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Victor Platt]] || [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|[[Derek Prentice]] || [[Boromir]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Faramir]],<ref name="RT1725"/> [[Beregond]], <ref name="RT1726"/> Orcs, <ref name="RT1727"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
|[[Bernard Rebel]] || [[Gríma|Wormtongue]]<ref name="RT1724"/>
|-
|[[Prunella Scales]] || [[Ioreth]]<ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|[[Gerik Schjelderup]] || [[Gollum]], <ref name="RT1723"/> Orcs<ref name="RT1723"/>
|-
| [[Norman Shelley]] || [[Gandalf]],<ref name="RT1674"/> [[Tom Bombadil]],<ref name="RT1672"/><ref name="L175">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 175]] (dated [[30 November|November 30]], [[1955]])</ref> An Old Man,<ref name="RT1723"/> Additional voices<ref name="RT1673"/>
|-
| [[Roger Snowdon]] || Orcs<ref name="RT1675"/><ref name="RT1723"/><ref name="RT1727"/>
|-
|}

Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[2 November|November 2]], [[1956]])</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>

==Differences from the book==
*In the first six episodes, dialogue was preserved as much as possible, but in the last six, some liberty had to be taken.<ref name="CaG">[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide]] [[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide:Reader's Guide|Reader's Guide]]'', "Adaptations", pp. 8-23</ref>
* The second part of the series had to have a lot of cuts because executives at the [[BBC]] were not as fond of ''The Lord of the Rings'' as the listeners were.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''Tom Bombadil:''' Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She was portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/> Tiller later apologized to Tolkien, stating he had thought the age difference between the two too large to portray them as a couple.<ref name="CaG"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Glóin]]:''' He was given a German accent. Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[8 December|December 8]], [[1955]])</ref>
*'''The [[Council of Elrond]]''': Severely trimmed, only the base actions and characters remained.<ref name="CaG"/>
{{references}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Radio adaptations]]