The Hobbit (1977) Part 1

People complain a lot about Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of The Hobbit, usually with the now-cliche claims that it didn't need to be that long (true) and that he didn't need to include all the White Council/Sauron stuff (SO UNTRUE - who wants to watch a movie where a major character just butts out halfway through with no real explanation?). But let's face it, a more faithful adaptation doesn't really mean a necessarily GOOD adaptation. Case in point: The 1977 cartoon adaptation, by Rankin-Bass. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ewovra8sRXs/VG7s48zPBRI/AAAAAAAAGgQ/jg6BGMzrDa4/s400/rankin%2Bbass.jpg Yeah. By those people. I guess it could have been worse. And while technically closer to the book than Jackson's version, it's not that good. It manages to turn Tolkien's own songs and story into padding and filler, jettison a big part of Bilbo's importance to the plot, ditches important Macguffins and characters, all while retaining all the flaws the book had (yes, the book did have some, so rile down). https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ArewP6Oy2oY/VG7q46wjEDI/AAAAAAAAF-s/HCpwoT4KzuQ/s400/tha%2B-%2B001%2B-%2Bbook%2Bintro.png Can you tell this was adapted from a book yet? GANDALF (VO): In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.  John Huston. Thanks to this movie, I cannot see him in any other roles without expecting him to address someone as "Burglar Baggins." And apparently by "hole" https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Lqa3NydwrA/VG7q499IsbI/AAAAAAAAF-0/2esboJdaCmk/s400/tha%2B-%2B002%2B-%2Bbook%2Bintro%2B2.png He means a garden shed with green hair.  Many ages ago, when this ancient planet was not quite so ancient... The Rolling Stones were born. Also, that description can apply to ANYTIME in the past. You're not narrowing it down, man. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-68Sk1sbVn64/VG7q4zG1hnI/AAAAAAAAF-4/putnSrpxiX8/s400/tha%2B-%2B003%2B-%2Bbook%2Bclouds%2Bintro.png Ah, the best transitions are the ones that make you think of forest fires. So whimsical. ... long before men recorded his history...  ... except for all the records they have in this series... ... there was the time of Middle Earth  And its pals, Lower Earth, Upper Earth, Slightly To The Left Earth and Way Over To The Southwest Earth. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VDBcydkNFPo/VG7q5az4anI/AAAAAAAAF-8/UdGZ-TEPppc/s400/tha%2B-%2B004%2B-%2Bconfusing%2Brock%2Bformations.png I must have missed the part of the Tolkien canon where he mentioned the giant improbably-shaped gravity-defying death-mountains right next to the Shire. where men shared his days with elves, dwarves, wizards, goblins, dragons and... hobbits.  And they would all get drunk and sing bawdy songs together. In the lands of Middle Earth, Thanks, we know where we are now. in an area known as the Shire... Which dear John Huston pronounces as "The SHY-iiiiir." ... It was a village named Hobbiton. ... "it was"? What is "it"? Did I miss the subject of this sentence? 00:00:41,252 --&gt; 00:00:45,088 There, in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. 10 00:00:45,589 --&gt; 00:00:48,007 Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, 11 00:00:48,216 --&gt; 00:00:51,093 nor a dry, bare, sandy hole. 12 00:00:51,510 --&gt; 00:00:55,806 It was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. 13 00:01:12,319 --&gt; 00:01:14,321 Bilbo Baggins? Yes? 14 00:01:16,114 --&gt; 00:01:19,242 - I'm looking to hire a burglar. - Burglar? 15 00:01:19,450 --&gt; 00:01:21,577 I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. 16 00:01:21,786 --&gt; 00:01:26,039 You mean you do not wish to share a grand adventure? 17 00:01:26,248 --&gt; 00:01:29,667 '''Dear, me? No!''' We hobbits are plain quiet folk. 18 00:01:29,917 --&gt; 00:01:32,336 Adventures make one late for dinner. 19 00:01:34,296 --&gt; 00:01:37,173 '''Enough! I'm Gandalf.''' 20 00:01:37,382 --&gt; 00:01:41,052 And Gandalf means me! 21 00:01:42,678 --&gt; 00:01:47,807 '''- Gandalf? Not the wondering wizard?''' - The same! 22 00:01:48,558 --&gt; 00:01:49,559 Listen. 23 00:02:07,866 --&gt; 00:02:11,619 Thorin and company, at your service. 24 00:02:12,286 --&gt; 00:02:14,079 Dwalin, Balin... 25 00:02:14,288 --&gt; 00:02:15,956 ...Kili, Fili... 26 00:02:16,164 --&gt; 00:02:19,334 ...Dori, Nori and Ori. 27 00:02:19,542 --&gt; 00:02:22,461 Oin, sir. And Gloin, sir. 28 00:02:22,670 --&gt; 00:02:25,339 '''Calling Bifur. And him, Bofur.''' 29 00:02:25,547 --&gt; 00:02:29,842 And Bombur at your service. 30 00:02:30,051 --&gt; 00:02:33,762 We are all at your service. 31 00:02:54,071 --&gt; 00:02:57,073 What do these dwarves want in Hobbiton? 32 00:02:57,324 --&gt; 00:03:00,034 They've come for tea, and for supper... 33 00:03:00,243 --&gt; 00:03:03,662 ... and for you, Burgler Baggins!