The Hobbit (1967 film)

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
Information
Director	Gene Deitch
Writer	J.R.R. Tolkien (Novel) Gene Deitch (Screenplay)
Producer	William Snyder
Narrator	Herb Lass
Cinematography	Adolf Born
Music	Václav Lidl
Released	Limited audience: 29 June, 1967
Runtime	00:11:42
Country	United States, Czechoslovakia
Language	English
IMDb	Profile

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A homebody hobbit finds himself going on a quest to save a dwarven treasure from a dragon in this loose adaptation of the classic novel.

IMDB description

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was the first film adaptation of The Hobbit, created by Gene Deitch in 1967. The film was produced by William Lawrence Snyder and took less than a month to create. The film was approximately 12 minutes long and was only created so Snyder could extend his license for The Lord of the Rings and sell it back to Tolkien and his publishers, which he did for $100,000.

Cast

Actor	Role
Herb Lass	Narrator

Plot

The story begins with Dale, the city of Golden Bells, just before Men came to power in Middle-earth. But then the Monster Lizard Slag the Terrible, the Agent of Evil on Earth, came and ransacked the Golden Realm of Dale, taking all of their treasures for himself, including the precious Arkenstone of Old, the White Heart of the Mountain. Only General Thorin Oakenshield, Princess Mika and a lone, unnamed watchman (who had been asleep when Slag attacked) survived. Desperate, they turned to the Great Wizard Gandalf the Grey in his lonely tower. He pointed them to a prophecy of the Dragon's death in the Great Book, for which they needed a Hobbit. The whole party went to the house of Bilbo Baggins who, living a different sort of life than his ancestor, initially refused the task requested of him, but after some persuasion from Gandalf and the princess, joined the three on their quest.

Soon, they encountered two "Groans", monstrous creatures that turned into trees when exposed to sunlight. Bilbo's companions were captured, but Bilbo tricked the two into a fight until the sun rose. They continued their journey, and General Oakenshield and the Princess started to appreciate their burglar. But suddenly, Bilbo disappeared. He had fallen through a crevasse in the mountain, and fell past the evil "Grablins" into the lake where "Goloom" dwelt. He found Goloom's magic ring, and dashed away through the tunnels. He hid behind a rock, and allowed Goloom to overtake him so he could find his way out.

After travelling through Mirkwood Forest, Bilbo came to the Lonely Mountain. He stole the Arkenstone, crafted a bow from mining tools, and shot the Arkenstone through Slag's heart. Slag was killed, and Dale restored. Bilbo returned to Hobbiton with Princess Mika as his wife.

Production

The film was produced under tight deadlines. As Gene Deitch lived in Czechoslovakia at the time, he employed his friend Adolf Born, Czech painter and illustrator, as the cinematographer. Born’s visual contributions gave the film its distinctive animated style. Though the film was conceived primarily as a contractual “ashcan copy” to preserve adaptation rights, Born’s participation links the project to the broader tradition of Czech animation and illustration. His later career established him as one of Central Europe’s most celebrated illustrators, but The Hobbit remains a notable early example of his work in international film.

Status

The film remained unknown to Tolkien fans until 2012, when Deitch posted on his blog about the film's history. The film was long considered lost until it was rediscovered by Snyder's son and released on YouTube in 2012. Currently, it is available online.

See also

• Images from The Hobbit (1967 film)

External links

• The Hobbit (1967 film) at Wikipedia