I was seven. I lived in inner Houston. I had just started 1st grade. And then I saw this. I remember watching it on the couch with my Mom and being completely and utterly mesmerized.
Rankin Bass' (the greatest animation production company ever, bar none) Hobbit was the biggest, most influential movie of my life. I loved the art, the music, everything. I soaked the whole thing up. I pored over the book, I listened to the picture book album over and over at school when I had my time on the record player(this was way before the time of vcrs or dvds so I had to wait for the reruns on tv) I was completely hooked. This is from the inside cover of my illustrated copy of the book:
I still, to this day, can recite the movie end to end and if it's on, I'm watching it. I used to have an audio tape that my good buddy DJ George Holland made me that I'd listen to in the car. Seriously, this movie is like crack for me.
For those non-nerd types, Rankin Bass is also the production company that did all those badass Christmas shows, the Thundercats and The Last Unicorn.
"There are moon letters here...see?"
4 comments:
So frickin' amazing. I loved it. I had the record and listened to it over and over and over when I was a kid. Especially the scene between Bilbo and Smaug.
I don't remember much about Rankin Bass' Lord of the Rings. I remember the "Where there's a Whip - There's a Way" song from Return of the King. And I remember the Witch-king being slain by Eowyn.
But the Hobbit - I remember it all. Absolutely fantastic.
Yeah, the Lord of the Rings wasn't done by Rankin Bass (that's why it pretty much sucked).
Where There's a Whip There's a Way, awesome, I just looked it up the other day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdXQJS3Yv0Y
I loved the Hobbit, I read the book a good 12 times between the ages of 7 & 12. Along with the LoTR a good 3-4 times. First time I saw that movie, I was blown away.
It sucked only being able to see once every year or two.
I used to have a record of Tolkien actually reading 'Riddles in the Dark' and doing the voices of Bilbo and Gollum. It was so cool. I wish I still had it.
"There are moments which can change a person for all time, and I suddenly wondered if I would ever see my snug Hobbit Hole again, I wondered, if I actually wanted to."~ (Rankin/Bass Hobbit 1977)
I am 54 now...but have always remembered and loved this quote by Bilbo.
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