The Hobbit

TV Movie
1977
TV-PG
1h 30m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

17K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,264

Dark Fantasy Sword & Sorcery Adventure Animation Family Fantasy Musical

A homebody hobbit in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.A homebody hobbit in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.A homebody hobbit in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon.

Directors
- Jules Bass
- Arthur Rankin Jr.
Writers
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Romeo Muller
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

17K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

2,264

Directors
- Jules Bass
- Arthur Rankin Jr.
Writers
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Romeo Muller
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations

Photos121

114

Top cast13

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Orson Bean

Bilbo Baggins
(voice)

John Huston

Gandalf The Grey
(voice)

Theodore Gottlieb

Gollum
(voice)
(as Theodore)

Cyril Ritchard

Elrond
(voice)

Richard Boone

Smaug
(voice)

Hans Conried

Thorin Oakenshield
(voice)

Otto Preminger

The Elvenking
(voice)

Paul Frees

Bombur
(voice)
…

Jack DeLeon

Dwalin
(voice)
(as Jack De Leon)
…

Don Messick

Balin
(voice)
…

John Stephenson

Dori
(voice)
…

Glenn Yarbrough

The Balladeer
(voice)

Thurl Ravenscroft

Goblin
(voice)
(uncredited)
…

Directors
- Jules Bass
- Arthur Rankin Jr.
Writers
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- Romeo Muller
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The only original song lyrics in the movie are those to "The Greatest Adventure" and other sections where that melody is used. All others are directly from the book as written by J.R.R. Tolkien or adaptations of what he wrote in verse form.

Goofs
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
Thorin: May the hair on his toes never fall out!

Crazy credits
The opening credits list the actor's voices, however Theodore Gottlieb's name is listed as just "Theodore" but no surname.

Alternate versions
The 2001 DVD release by Warner Brothers omited a number of sound effects from the origianl Sony VHS release. The sound when characters die; when Sting attacks the Spiders in Mirkwood; Smaug's screams as he attacks Lake Town; the flapping of the Thrush's wings in all scenes; when the arrows bounce off of Smaug and when the Black Arrow pierces Smaug's belly; and the howling of the Wargs during the Battle of Five Armies.

Connections
Featured in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: The Top 10 Scariest Animated Monsters (2009)

Soundtracks
The Greatest Adventure
Composed and Performed by Glenn Yarbrough

User reviews162

Review

Featured review

7/10

As a Tolkien Fanatic...

I must say that I actually remember this movie with fondness. I've read comments that slam the film for either technical faults or the fact that it has left out a number of things.

All these things are true, of course.

Though I thought the artwork itself was quite good, the animation could use some work. Certainly things were left out.

Come on people! Certainly the film is no ten, but it is a decent version, given the fact that to fit the book into a film at all some liberties will be taken. Especially when it seems apparent that the film is aimed at children.

If you can't unwind a bit and just sit back and watch the film without always pointing out every little omission or alteration, then this film will disappoint. But if you can, then give this film a chance.