J.R.R. Tolkien Cartoon LOTR - Part 1

[IWishIWasWhiteAgain]

Frodo's face at 8:00 Ö

[Smithfilmproductions]

I remember when this was in the theater, I still have the Gollum figure from Knickerbocker.

[parawhore725]

favorite version!

[zaprese]

Found this through searching 'Tolkien' then I sore that someone said they found it through 'Bad Animation' so I typed 'Bad Animation' and this was top of the list.

[VelvetxDarkness]

This is so adorable haha. xD

[kingbingbongboo]

why is gandalf trying to scare the shit out of every one

[LucentLust]

lol I searched "Bad Anamation" and got this

[ChelogroX1]

8:00 fucking awesome

[GothJellyFish]

the introduction/narrationg is in one of the nightwish songs; kinslayer or something, i knew i recognised it from somewhere

[WillScarlet16]

Jackson's version is a bit too action-oriented, and also too literal.

Tolkien's world is a lot more surreal than Jackson makes it. Bakshi, for all his flaws, understood that better. Telling the opening in shadow shows that perfectly - this is a story where everything threatening is literally in shadow.

[KidsDeserveDinosaurs]

Shit man, remember watching this when i was 5 

[thecatlands]

THIS IS WHAT YOU GET, HULU! For not having this movie.

[AfrojacX]

That thing Gandalf does with his hand at 8:31-8:33 is so fucking awesome.

[afreshpulse]

4:49 - 4:52

[lawlers3]

the hobbits look so creepy!

[SadiChanMagellan123]

Where's part 2?

[Michaelmop]

I bought this dvd like 2 months ago. So glad I got my hands on it now..

[skepsie]

oh my god frodo looks like he's 7 hfdziogdfkihgdfkjgkhngf

[morval99]

Bilbo - voiced by George Formby...

[SuperChargerfan21]

frodo made me want to kill myself

also they should have kept the original hobbit animation

[WeaslysWizardWeezes]

i think smegol was played by a girl in the shadow part

[kcikdubb]

That ring is worse than METH!

[Raymint]

"Isilur's bane ..."

"Boromir!"

"Ash nazg durrrrrbatulûk ... ash nazg gimbatul ... Ash nazg THRAKATULÛK! Agh burzum-ishi krrrrrrrrrimpatul"

[Logology101]

I'm surprised how insanely similar this looks to Peter Jackson's version.

[memorydetective]

i looked up bad animation and this video was first! no joke try it out yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KiraWolfProductions]

@memorydetective :S he's right ...too bad too i love LOTR even the old animation like this one

[thoraxe79]

i never did get this film when i was young, mainly because it is a very fast version, and the human actors that are many shadow characters, i still do not completely get it, i have read the books, seen the new films, but i still do not realy get this version.

[ROEDERBABY]

8:09 - DUUUUUUUUUUUDE. I JUST SAW A ROBOT UNICORN.

[Xantor12345]

This film will always be a classic. Very influential when I was growing up, one of my all time favourites

[JackalSkull]

8:00 LOL

[donniedarko88888]

frodo should be 50 here?(not even with the ring would he be so young)

[Altar360]

@donniedarko88888 Hobbits age differently than people

[donniedarko88888]

@Altar360 i read the book,... you didnt understand my question, your english is faulty

[Altar360]

@donniedarko88888 I said that a hobbit's aging is different from people. So he still looks young even at 50

[Baskermoth]

Always wanted to see this. I'm only on Part 1 and already I'm spellbound by this animation! Beautiful artwork! Thanks so much for uploading this!

[TheRyuzk1]

@Baskermoth lol...................search bad animation and you'll get this.

[Dirtfire]

That's some great animation for 1978.

[8000cheese]

im watching a lotr marathon right now! : D

[mwillis1000]

From 8:09 it looks like Gandalf is high.

[messageofthemaker]

Had this on VHS, but my damn player ate it!

[KarmStarkiller]

So awful...but I watch it regularly anyway. *facepalm*

[gunslingerxix]

5:51 When Bilbo witholds the ring in the movie of LOTR, Gandlaf kind of magically grows to suggest the depth of his hidden power.....In this he just threatens to slug him one hahahah...i love the simplicity "Do not say that again".

[GokuSS400]

i'm sorry but this movie starts off the wrong way. Gandalf says that Sauron learned the craft of ringmaking after the other rings were forged. Thats just totally unsupported in the Lore. In fact it was Sauron who taught the elves how to craft the rings of power during the second age, when he disguised himself as a friend.

[78ghrile]

this movie has a very, ver creepy,hellish quality to it, that gives it a superb, evil quality, that could only be found in old cartoons, by great directors.

[K0feeKrawl]

Frodo's freakout face FTW!

[ImRadBitch]

I used to watch this shit when I was a kid :]

It brings back so many amazing memeoriesssss

[fluffyzhangfei]

ok if the big G is so wise why does he always present info to other characters in a way that should completely freakt them out?

[VerusumNox]

If I'm wrong this may seem silly, but those silhouettes at the beginning look like real ppl to me.

[blizzardfan16]

@VerusumNox they are

[LitlleDinho]

the whole movie is red?

[scret13]

Not seen this in years, great stuff.

Alan Carr as Smegul

[julielaughs14]

Frodo's....adorable...! *_*

[hardrain08]

OMG I remember watching this when i was 4

[kyoszek]

8.36 XD oh god xDDDD

[MDkid1]

its uncanny to see how similar it is to the Peter Jackson LOTR... LOL

[SamwiseandMrFrodo]

Gandalf's a hypnotized dancer

[rando12]

Pause at 8:10. The look on Gandalf's face is hilarious!

[KeyWestGunnar]

oause at 8:18

[Magnaguards]

Ha ha he is high, taking lcd

[SodaBoy95]

@KeyWestGunnar

[KeyWestGunnar]

gandalf gets bug eyed at 8:00

[alliofur95]

bring back memories

[ChristofferQ]

Bilbo looks a bit like Paul McCartney

[gamerzndplayerz]

@ChristofferQ holy shit your right

[robertg100]

@ChristofferQ oh my god, he does!!! LMFAO!

[BibleBlack42]

@ChristofferQ lol, he actually does in a way.

[PowerinChrist777]

good times good times... why do i live in such times

[SaphiraMomochi]

I remember my parents showing me and my older brother this when we were kids. Man, this brings back memories.

[s3t2tru]

I LUV LOTR BUT THIS SUCKS!

[Hunte9753]

this could have been better if PJ didn't ran out of money

[Dirtfire]

@Hunte9753 Peter Jackson didn't make this. Ralph Bakshi made this sometime in the 1970's.

[cillian3]

This intro is what you can hear in the Nightwish song called "the elvenpath" !!

[Deioth]

Oh, god... from 8:09. I just fucking love crazy, insane, CREAPY spazzing Gandalf. Best of them all.

[Jtherva]

@Deioth lol spazzing Gandalf

[TK42138]

What actor narrated it?

Sounds like Ralph Richardson...

[peppersausen]

09:11

Gandalf kan nåkke du ikkje kan -han kan danse Can-can

[Gamefreak297]

I remember buying this on VHS before PJ's fellowship came out

[jaidalord]

i like the peter jackson scene when bilbo hands the ring to gandalf, because in this one he just hands it over and in peter jacksons movie theres all that tension. and when gandalf gets the ring he can't because he is a ring holder and if we touches it he gets corupted so he cant he actually touch it

[Hunte9753]

the reason it looks of is that PJ ran out of money to keep it up

[cujo9]

im sure this sounds like gandalf narrating this, i never thought about it before .

[TheBryan61383]

I love this movie.

[enkopingsbo]

8:37 0.o

[TheIronFist9]

How old are these cartoons?

[SpeedOfTheWind]

This one is from 1978.

[MrNirvana16]

At least 30 years old.

[cjjtheone]

OMG THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO

[DARTKING7]

8:00 :0

[cujo9]

im glad i lived and enjoyed this era , i don't envy any teen or young person today with their shitty, useless entertainment options .

computer generated , none-sense , no scripted , piles of shit.

go fuck off to america and eat your greasy food you teenage fat pieces of shit.

no one wants you here.

[Maxfield93]

I was really surprised by the quality of the animation. The character's movements are so lifelike and detailed. It also seems like Peter Jackson really paid close attention to the blocking of the scenes in this movie, because moments are really similar. You're right about the shows on today, really terrible, thankfully I read a ton as a kid, and watched old movies so I wasn't horribly scarred lol.

[XFFchannel2]

the reason the animimation is lifelike and detailed is because it is rotoscoped, which is when you trace over life action images.

[Maxfield93]

Yeah I looked up the movie on Wiki and figured that out, I had one of those "Oooooh, thaaat's why" moments lol. It became quite apparent when they started using just normal people like at the inn lol, I felt pretty stupid:P

[SpeedOfTheWind]

Take your own advice.

[The505Guys]

8:36 why the fuck is Gandalf like...makin him back away and looking like he's a crackhead!?

[The505Guys]

OMG this shit is amazing, 8:14 Gandalf looks possessed:

'Because its got my crack in it ya 4ft freak!!'

[The505Guys]

Lol I liked it when the ring slipped off his finger, the ring was thinking:

'I can't take this freaky mother fucker any longer'

[The505Guys]

OMG they made Smegal even more creepy, just because of the fact that he sounds like a gay old Englishman,

'Its my birthday!' my looove' *shiver*

[cjjtheone]

your a moron

[rando12]

"You are the one who has the ring now!"

LOL, Gandalf looks like he's been hypnotized.

[ArticAkita]

dammit! I was LOOKING for the animated cartoon MOVIES I seen as a kid in the 80's it may of been made in the 70's? shit it was a long time back... anybody know what I'm talking about not THIS set of the J.R.R. Tolkien animated movies

[Rydia86j]

You may be thinking of Rankin and Bass' The Hobbit and Return of the King. These and the Bashki LotR are the only ones.

[ArticAkita]

I FOUND THEM ALREADY AND THEY ARE THE ONES IN 1980 (sorry stupid cap lock was on) those I watched as a kid I finally got to watch them again, these on THIS one I never seen before and Kinda are a bit odd to me but are good too. thanks! :)

[FemmeMoiNin]

My goodness, this is really horrible. Especially that scene where Smeagol killed Deagol. Wtf? The movie is WAAAAAAAAAAY better. Peter Jackson is a genius. And not to mention Howard Shore's compositions.

[they65]

u have to understand this movie was made 30 years ago so the speacail affects at the time werent as high quality as now,plus this two books put into one movie where as peter jackson was able to have a movie for each book(and dont go saying peter jacksons a god when he leaves his curaint projects like "halo" and "the hobbit" half done and then move on to another movie)

[FemmeMoiNin]

I'm sorry if I offended anyone. I'm sure the budget was a lot smaller fo r this. I just think the movie was loads better. Just my opinion :)

[mrttwo]

I like this adaptation but you are right the movie is better. But I think if back when this feature was made Ralph Bakshi had more financial support he would have made a real Hard to beat animated film. But if you found this feature of any interest I would sagest watching Bakshi's other works the best of which I'd say are Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, American Pop and Fire and Ice. Real nice titles :)

[GavintotheFuture]

5:15

Bilbo Uses The Ring To Turn Invisible And He Takes The Ring Off To Find Himself Back In His Home.

[galactica04]

Fair enough this may cut bits and alter them, but for gandalf to speak to the black tongue of Mordor in the Shire is just not right.

[XXUruhaxxFangirlXX]

Oh lol Fast foreward button anyone?

[Andreazor]

This Gollum is sooooo much better. Sooo very very much better.

And I can also say, that the new LotR movies aren't that good either. Sure they are good -movies-, but they are not a good representation of the books.

[galactica04]

admittedly when making a film out of a book, it would have to have alot cut out, but there was so much cut out and so much changed, it really was a bad representation.

[Stefanoitch]

its impossible to fit all the books into three films. They even had to delete lots of scenes so that the people watching the movies didnt have to sit there all day

[LadyLuria]

Andy Serkis is the BEST gollum. you just dont like it cuz its less than attractive.

[flyingblackboard]

As for me, I think that Tolkien - based on his audio recordings - is the best, with the Welsh accent he gives to Gollum and all. But that's a rather obvious choice.

But then again, I thought all the Gollums are rather good, be they "hyperactive frog Gollum" (Rankin-Bass') or "radiation victim Gollum" (Bakshi's) or "hoarse creepy Gollum" (PJ's).

[LadyLuria]

its all very rushed, isn't it? i prefer the new ones, but i s'pose this one's okay so far

[DarSpar]

From what I saw when they were talking about this film in the documentary, the costumes used were good enough to have made a live action film, rather than cartoon over the live action.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Indeed, I have seen photos of the live-action cast I thought a lot of the costumes were good.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

I actually think Woodthorpe is the best and closest sounding Gollum to how he seems to be written in the book. However I am a fairly Old School LOTR fan and think the greatest adaptation of what is in my mind THE greatest novel in the English language is the BBC radio adaptation in which Woodthorpe surpassed himself as Gollum...he was even better than in this film.

I don't mind Andy Serkis as Gollum it must be said however I think Woodthorpe defined the role.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Peter Woodthorpe may not be respected by fans of the films or fans that got into LOTR due to the film but I would say the majority of pre-Jackson LOTR fans hold him in high regards even if many find faults with this film (which I do also even if I like it for the most part), though many did like the BBC Radio drama which was very close to the book however still left out Tom Bombadil...

[flyingblackboard]

Yep...Peter Woodthorpe does kind of sound like Tolkien's actual rendition of Gollum (based on audio recordings).

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Yes indeed. Though I have only heard Tolkien's rendition a few times, from memory they are both fairly similar (and thus, obviously, Tolkien is also a great Gollum).... though I see it is on YouTube so I am going to listen again in a moment.

[016899]

I agree woodthorpe is a great gollum without needing to make noises as if he is vomiting every two minutes.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Yes! I don't hate Andy Serkis, in fact he did a fair job, however yes Woodthorpe was great.

I'm glad someone agrees. He is becoming very underrated as Gollum in my mind.

[016899]

Personally my favorite interpretation of rings is the BBC play even if it leaves some parts of the story out.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Yes my favourite is the radio play also! It probably leaves out the least as well (though obviously it leaves out the Bombadil/Old Forest chapters as we have both said).

Besides a lot of the voices are how they sounded in my head especially Gollum, Gandalf, Boromir, Aragorn and Frodo.

Great stuff!

[mikeyboy86]

As an art form this cartoon is OK, but to be honest, after reading the books, I can't imagine Gandalf twirling around like that... 9:10

[marcelodelaquema]

INCREIBLEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

[VioletteChevre]

You idots this was the 1978 ANIMATED VERSION! Why do you compare the LOTR that jackson created to this? I bet some of you never even heard of lotr till the damn movie came out! And then you blow on the guys who 1st took this from the books and made it possible to see the events for people with zero imagination. Jackson just came later with his fancy effects and big budget.

[flyingblackboard]

If I might add, it was actually THIS film that first inspired PJ to make his big-budget trilogy; he even made several homages to it.

So close was Jackson's adaptation to Bakshi's that some people I know of who dislike the Jackson films dub it as "Bakshi Remastered".

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Peter Jackson's film takes a lot from this an the audio drama, but this mostly, the scenes with the Black Rider on the road (and the Hobbits under a tree) is almost identical in Jackson's film, as is the scene with the Ringwraiths in the Hobbits' room in Bree (which isn't in the book).

It is almost like he got the story from the older films (and Radio Drama) rather than the book at times...none have Tom Bombadil (evidence?).

[flyingblackboard]

That scene with the Black Rider is not even present in the books (it was an original idea by Bakshi based on two separate events), but since hiding under tree-roots was a very Hobbitish thing to do it was embraced by many fans. John Howe even did his own rendition of the scene. PJ's version of this is thus based on this and Howe's vision of Bakshi's idea!

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Actually you are correct. I'm surprised that I didn't notice that as well as I have just finished reading the book (though it is a long book so that was long ago...though I am a fast reading)...they do get off the road though on a bit...also if it was in the book at that point Merry wouldn't even be there as he joined them later at the Ferry.

[016899]

Bombadil is never in any adaptations (except fotr video game) tolkien even stated that is is unnessescary to move the story along he just wanted the hobbits to have an adventure of their own.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

But there have only been six "true" non-video game (or any kind of game, painting...etc..) adaptations of 'The Fellowship of The Rings' unless I am forgetting something. And you are wrong anyway as the US radio adaptation and 1950s BBC radio play both included Tom Bombadil. I haven't seen the play but I don't think he is in that.

As you see not all versions leave out Tom Bombadil, and in my mind it is better with him (he is mentioned a lot in the books anyway).

[016899]

I own the BBC adaptation and it does not include bombadil.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Ah but which one! You probably own the 1981 version (as do I in a few forms) but I am talking about (as I stated) the 1950s (55-56 to be infact) adaptation which starred Norman Shelley as Tom Bombadil and Gandalf.

[016899]

I thought you were refering to the 50's american version which does have bombadil. I was unaware of any other BBC play besides the 81 version. I'll have to hear the 50's one. :)

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Ah, that explains it! I don't think the 50s version is still "living" though it doesn't sound very good as they make loads of mistakes; Tolkien hated it, it seems.

[flyingblackboard]

He did, yes. It also prompted Tolkien's infamous remark that his books are unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic representation.

[flyingblackboard]

You can't, unfortunately. No recording of the 1950's BBC version is known to exist.

All we know about them comes from Tolkien himself in some letters (Letters 175, 176, 177, 193 and 194). He was very critical of it, calling its Tom Bombadil "dreadful" and thinking that its Gloin is a bit exaggerated and "someone's idea of a German".

The only other stuff we know about it is that apparently in it, Old Man Willow is an ally of Mordor and Goldberry is Tom's daughter (as opposed to his wife).

[Rozmmer]

Its terrible!!!

[FemmeMoiNin]

I agree

[ReasonAndPurpose]

The film was SOOOOOO much better.

[toonfangirl14]

oh dear god what does gollum sound like Oo?

and ... in all honesty, apart from gollum, their voices are actually quite good...'cept frodo who sounds like a cockney lad XD (i think he IS a cockney lad Oo)

... but the way he dissapears is like "this ring is magical with pixie dust!"

no.... it can ultimately seal ur fate when u wear it....wow

and wtf with the shires epileptic fit? it made me lol

and gandalfs eyes look like theyre gona burst out of his head...

this is a trippy ass film XD

[valentinedeer214]

6:35-6:38

Okay, that was just lazy.

[igottaexplain]

hey, bakshi actually believed in art. peter jackson figured it was all a loooooooooooong computer game with cool special effects.

[Raptorman117]

Is it just me, or does the One Ring look like a golden washer?

Hate the silhouetted fight scene with Isildur at the beginning. I've seen better combat moves at Renaissance Festivals!

[cybeavertoo]

well. there had not been invented 'Renaissance festivals' in Bakshi's days! lol

[Raptorman117]

Lol, I think some nerds took one look at this film and went "Pfft. I could do better than that!" Thus began the Renaissance Festival.

[henchjoe]

great animation this scared the shit outa me when i was younga

[Metalhead4569]

The =greatest fantasy series ever! I can't wait til Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit.

[openEYEstudios]

Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) is directing that.

[Metalhead4569]

Really? I thought Peter Jackson was. And Pan's Labyrinth was fucking awesome.

[Fedaykin4321]

Whoever was the voice for Gandalf was a genius...his voice is amazing.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Gandalf was played by William Squire who was a great actor, and I agree his voice is amazing. A great Gandalf, though I thought all the Gandalf's were good.

My actual favourite was Michael Hordern though.

[flyingblackboard]

William Squire's a rather good Gandalf IMO; it's just a shame that his voice is not used to its full potential and is given to rather sloppy animation (especially in the latter half!).

[flyingblackboard]

By contrast, I think that Fraser Kerr's Saruman is just...bad. He sounds like a hoarse gecko.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

I think he is OK acting-wise but miscaste, as Saruman is supposed to be "smooth-tongued" and able to talk his way out of almost anything, which I find hard to believe this (S)aruman can do. But that is not as bad as his colour-scheme.

'Aruman the Red!

[flyingblackboard]

Haha. Someone needs to remind Bakshi that "many colours" is not limited to shades of red.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Indeeed! And probably that black isn't a shade of brown come to think of it!

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

I agree. William Squire was great, and yes the animation for him was sloppy later on...did you notice him reverting to Gandalf the Grey as he entered Meduseld! That was terrible.

[Fedaykin4321]

Dude this animation was amazing for its time, and it's still not bad. I loved this when i was younger, can't believe i finally found it. Thx for posting :D

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Again it was quite cutting edge (even a lot was done to be less expensive oddly enough).

The only maind problem I have is the design of the Orcs (and especially their colour scheme) and (S)'Aruman the Red...most odd!

[016899]

the orcs are probably what they spent the least money on.

[HimWotMustBeObeyed]

Indeed. I don't like the Orcs much. The only scene were they looked *OK* was the scene in which Merry and Pippin run into them, and that is only because of the red lighting.

[capnhawkins]

Gandalf: YOU are the one who has the Ring. (points at him threateningly).

This isn't too bad for a cartoon but there are just some parts, including this one, that just make me laugh my head off.

[capnhawkins]

This movie makes me laugh.

[newdamage89]

Is there not a version that is the same style as the animated version of The Hobbit?

[acidheadx]

Gollum sounds like a homosexual

[Makinoija]

He is.

[Rajalord27]

gandalf is clearly on drugs

[sammyunwin15]

rofl... o.O