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Featured CED VideoDisc No. 22 - Fall 2001

 


J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit

Tolkien Hobbit Tolkien Lord Of The Rings Tolkien Return Of The King

This CED feature covers three CED titles- the 1970's animated versions of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novels about the Hobbits and Middle-earth. This page covers "The Hobbit," while the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King are on separate pages.

I've been planning this CED feature for over a year now in anticipation of the release of the first Lord of the Rings movie, but in light of the 9/11 attack, I believe Tolkien's works also serve as an allegory to conditions in this country leading up to the tragedy. America had a false sense of security with its friendly neighbors and geographic isolation, not unlike that of the Hobbits safe in the relative isolation of their Shire with friendly people about, oblivious to the gradually darkening world at large. Well, the Hobbits and their allies rose to the challenge, and we're accomplishing the same thing.

"The Hobbit" is the 1977 animated adaption by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass of Tolkien's 1937 prelude to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The story of "The Hobbit" takes place 60 years before the start of the story told in "The Lord of the Rings" and mainly concerns an adventure a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins takes with 13 dwarves in search of treasure. Twenty-five years after this adventure, Bilbo's cousin and heir Frodo is born, and he becomes the chief protagonist in "The Lord of the Rings." If you're planning on reading Tolkien's works, "The Hobbit" is the best one to start with, as people and events in it tie into the later trilogy.

This Rankin/Bass animated adaption is fairly accurate to the original book, but due to being designed for a 90-minute TV slot, some elements of the book were left out. Most notable of these are the character Beorn and the Arkenstone. Rankin/Bass came back to Tolkien in 1979 with "The Return of the King," and The Last Unicorn is another notable CED title that features their work.

SPOILER ALERT!
The pictures below show most of the characters of "The Hobbit" and are intended to loosely review the plot. If you plan to read the book, I recommend not even looking at these pictures beforehand. One of the great things about Tolkien is his ability to evoke images in your mind, which can be spoiled by having a pre-conceived notion of what the character looks like. Clicking on the pictures will bring up pages that provide additional information, like quotes from the book and links to pages concerning those characters in the upcoming live-action movies. The pictures may also be viewed in slide show fashion.

 

Scenes from The Hobbit
Bilbo Baggins Wizard Gandlf Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield
Bilbo Baggins Gandalf Thorin Oakenshield
     
Dwarf Dwalin Dwarf Balin Dwarves Fili Kili
Dwalin Balin Fili and Kili
     
Dwarves Nori Dori Dwarves Ori Nori Dwarves Gloin Oin
Nori and Dori Ori and Nori Gloin and Oin
     
Dwarves Bofur Bifur Dwarf Bombur Thirteen Dwarves
Bofur and Bifur Bombur Thirteen Dwarves
     
The Lonely Mountain Three Trolls Rivendell
Destination Lonely Mountain Three Trolls Rivendell
     
Elf Elrond Goblin Gollum
Elrond Goblin Capturing Bilbo Gollum
     
Gollum Precious Ring Wolf Eagle With Dori Bilbo
Bilbo Holding The Ring A Warg Eagles Rescue the Party
     
Lord Of The Eagles Outside Mirkwood Forest Inside Mirkwood Forest
Lord of the Eagles Outside Mirkwood Inside Mirkwood
     
Above Mirkwood Forest Giant Spider The Sword Sting
Bilbo Above Mirkwood A Giant Spider Sting
     
Spider Dwarf Bundles Wood Elves Wood Elf King
Spider Dwarf Bundles Wood Elves Capture Dwarves Wood Elf King
     
Elf Barrel Guard Barrel Escape Lake Town
Elf Barrel Guards Barrel Escape Lake Town
     
Bard Lonely Mountain Secret Entrance Smaug In Lair
Bard of Lake Town Secret Entrance to Mountain Smaug in Lair
     
Smaug Showing Belly Smaug In Flight Bard With Black Arrow
Smaug Shows Belly Smaug in Flight Bard Aims the Black Arrow
     
Three Kings Gandalf Between Three Armies Army of Goblins
Three Kings Confrontation Gandalf Between 3 Armies The Goblin Army Approaches
     
Army of Eagles Thorin on Death Bed Gandalf and Bilbo Return
The Eagle Army Thorin at End Gandalf & Bilbo Return
     
Hobbiton Home Bilbo At Home One Ring On Mantle
Bilbo Home in Hobbiton Bilbo at Home One Ring on Mantle
     

 

Book Chapters from "The Hobbit" and Their CED Start Times
Chapter Title
CED Start Time
1.   An Unexpected Party Side 1, 01:04
2.   Roast Mutton Side 1, 09:52
3.   A Short Rest Side 1, 17:31
4.   Over Hill and Under Hill Side 1, 20:05
5.   Riddles in the Dark Side 1, 24:04
6.   Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire Side 2, 00:01
7.   Queer Lodgings Side 2, 03:29 (Beorn skipped)
8.   Flies and Spiders Side 2, 05:35
9.   Barrels Out of Bond Side 2, 11:17
10.  A Warm Welcome Side 2, 13:32 (Town master skipped)
11.  On the Doorstep Side 2, 15:36
12.  Inside Information Side 2, 17:24
13.  Not at Home Side 2, 26:49 and 30:01
14.  Fire and Water Side 2, 27:55 (Out of sequence)
15.  The Gathering of the Clouds Side 2, 31:17
16.  A Thief in the Night Side 2, Skipped (No Arkenstone)
17.  The Clouds Burst Side 2, 33:04
18.  The Return Journey Side 2, 37:43
19.  The Last Stage Side 2, 39:49

 


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