USA, 1978
77m
colour
Dolby, English
An American animated fantasy film directed by Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin Jr.
Plot Summary
The hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is visited by Gandalf the Wizard and a small army of dwarfs who claim to be on a quest to reclaim their kingdom from the dragon Smaug. But Gandalf has told the dwarfs that Bilbo is a master burglar and they're relying on his skills to help them… And he isn't a burglar at all.
Credits
Crew
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr
Rankin-Bass Productions
Producers: Arthur Rankin Jr, Jules Bass
Associate Producer: Masaki Iizuka
Script: Romeo Muller
Novel: J.R.R. Tolkien
Animation Supervisor: Tsuguyuki Kubo
Animation Co-Ordinator: Toro Hara
Animation Directors: Koichi Sasaki, Katsuhisa Yamada
Animation: Yukiyoshi Hake, Kazuko Itoh, Hidetoshi Kakeko, Kazuyuki
Kobayashi, Hidemi Kubo, Tadakatsu Yoshida
Character Designer: Lester Abrams
Background Designer: Minoru Kishida
Music: Maury Laws
Choral Director: Lois Winter
Sound Recording: John Curcio, Bob Elder, Dave Iveland
Sound Effects: Tom Clack
Production Designer: Arthur Rankin Jr
Cast
John Huston (Gandalf the Grey)
Otto Preminger (Elvenking)
Cyril Ritchard (Elrond)
Theodore (Gollum)
Paul Frees (Bombur/troll #1)
Jack DeLeon
Don Messick (Balin/troll #3/goblin/Lord of the Eagles)
John Stephenson (Dori/Great Goblin/Bard)
Orson Bean (Bilbo Baggins)
Richard Boone (Smaug)
Hans Conried (Thorin)
Thurl Ravenscroft [goblin/background voices – uncredited]
Links
Sequels
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
The Return of the King (1980)
See also
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
References
Periodicals
Cinefantastique vol.7 no.2 (Summer 1978) pp.28, 31 – illustrated review (by David Hutchison)
The Hollywood Reporter vol.246 no.2 (7 April 1977) p.12 – credits
The Hollywood Reporter vol.249 no.14 (29 November 1977) p.4 – review (by Jeff Freedman)
Starburst vol.1 no.4 (November 1978) pp.10-13 – illustrated article
