The Hobbit : The Original Unedited 1977 Animated Classic

The J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy classic set in Middle-earth was adapted into this excellent 1978 animated feature first broadcast on television. Codirectors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr., working from a script by Romeo Muller, are faithful to Tolkien's story and for that alone they get big points. The vocal cast can't be improved upon: Orson Bean is perfect as Bilbo Baggins, the timorous hobbit who grows brave on his adventure with the wizard Gandalf (John Huston). Otto Preminger is the voice of Elvenking, Richard Boone is Smaug, Hans Conreid is Thorin, and Brother Theodore is very effective as the weird Gollum. Terrific for kids and adults alike. --Tom Keogh

Hobbits are simple folk. Small people with hairy feet, they are not cut out for adventure and prefer to laze about and eat. A particular hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Orson Bean), is taken by surprise one morning when the mighty wizard Gandalf (John Huston) knocks at his door. Soon Bilbo finds himself inducted into a party of dwarves bent on reclaiming their mountain from the deadly fire-breathing dragon, Smaug. Insisting that the timid Bilbo is a master thief, Gandalf insures the danger-loving dwarves that the quest will include many mishaps and perilous encounters with goblins, trolls, and dwarf-eating spiders. Among other things that the reluctant Bilbo discovers on this amazing journey is an enchanted ring that turns its wearer invisible, and soon the hobbit transforms from a master bumbler into a master burglar. Based on the beloved novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, THE HOBBIT is an animated classic that was brought to the TV screen in the late 1970s by Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass. Rerun by networks for years, this tale of Middle-earth consistently awes viewers and has inspired a whole new generation of Tolkien fans

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