The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series): Difference between revisions

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(more radio times issues. boromir and faramir by the same guy?)
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In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], three episodes each on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Together, they became known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''.  
In [[1955]], the [[BBC|BBC Radio Third Programme]] aired a treatment of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' in six episodes. A [[1956|year later]], six episodes each on ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'' followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 [[:Category:Radio adaptations|radio series]] of '''''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'''''.  


==Episodes==
==Episodes==
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* Episode 1: ?
* Episode 1: ?
* Episode 2: ?
* Episode 2: ?
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[November 25]], [[1958]]</ref>
* Episode 3: "Aragorn", [[November 29]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, [[November 25]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 4: [[December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
* Episode 4: "Many Meetings", [[December 4]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1673">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, [[December 2]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[December 9]], [[1958]]</ref>
* Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", [[December 11]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, [[December 9]], [[1955]]</ref>
* Episode 6: [[December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1674"/>
* Episode 6: "The Breaking of the Fellowship", [[December 18]], [[1955]]<ref name="RT1675">Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, [[December 16]], [[1955]]</ref>
;The Two Towers
;The Lord of the Rings
* Episode 1: ?
* Episode 1: ?
* Episode 2: ?
* Episode 2: ?
* Episode 3: ?
* Episode 3: "Into the Dark", [[December 2]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, [[November 30]], [[1956]]</ref>
;The Return of the King
* Episode 4: [[December 9]], [[1956]]<ref name="RT1725"/>
* Episode 1: ?
* Episode 5: ?
* Episode 2: ?
* Episode 6: ?
* Episode 3: ?


==Cast==
==Cast==
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| Unspecified, presumably [[Goldberry]] || [[Nicolette Bernard]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
| Unspecified, presumably [[Goldberry]] || [[Nicolette Bernard]]<ref name="RT1672"/>
|-
|-
|Unspecified || Frank Duncan<ref name="RT1672"/>
|[[Celeborn (Lord of Lórien)|Celeborn]] || Garard Green<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Galadriel]] || [[Nicolette Bernard]]<ref name="RT1675"/>
|-
|[[Gollum]] || [[Gerik Schjelderup]]<ref name="RT1725"/>
|-
|[[Faramir (son of Denethor II)|Faramir]] || [[Derek Prentice]]<ref name="RT1725"/>
|-
|-
|Unspecified || Derek Prentice<ref name="RT1672"/>
|[[Mablung of Ithilien|Mablung]] || [[Godfrey Kenton]]<ref name="RT1725"/>
|-
|-
|}
|}


Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[November 2]], [[1956]]</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>
Adapted by [[Terence Tiller]].<ref name="L193">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 193]] (dated [[November 2]], [[1956]])</ref> Music by [[Anthony Smith-Masters]].<ref name="RT1672"/>


==Differences from the book==
==Differences from the book==
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*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She is for some reason portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Goldberry]]:''' She is for some reason portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Old Man Willow|Willowman]]:''' He is shown in league with [[Mordor]], rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.<ref name="L175"/>
*'''[[Glóin son of Gróin|Glóin]]:''' He was "someone's idea of a German". Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[December 8]], [[1955]]</ref>
*'''[[Glóin son of Gróin|Glóin]]:''' He was "someone's idea of a German". Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.<ref name="L176">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Humphrey Carpenter]], [[Christopher Tolkien]] (eds.), ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 176]] (dated [[December 8]], [[1955]])</ref>


{{references}}
{{references}}


[[Category:Radio adaptations]]
[[Category:Radio adaptations]]

Revision as of 14:29, 28 March 2009

In 1955, the BBC Radio Third Programme aired a treatment of The Fellowship of the Ring in six episodes. A year later, six episodes each on The Two Towers and The Return of the King followed. Though only the latter six episodes were called thus, the entire series has become known as the 1955 radio series of The Lord of the Rings.

Episodes

The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings

Cast

Role Actor
Gandalf Norman Shelley[3][6]
Tom Bombadil Norman Shelley[1][6]
Frodo Oliver Burt[1]
Sam Victor Platt[1]
Pippin Basil Jones[1]
Merry Michael Collins[1]
Aragorn Godfrey Kenton[1]
Legolas Frank Duncan[3]
Elrond Garard Green[3]
Gimli Eric Lugg[3]
Boromir Derek Prentice[3]
Bilbo Felix Felton[3]
Narrator Derek Hart[1]
Unspecified, presumably Goldberry Nicolette Bernard[1]
Celeborn Garard Green[4]
Galadriel Nicolette Bernard[4]
Gollum Gerik Schjelderup[5]
Faramir Derek Prentice[5]
Mablung Godfrey Kenton[5]

Adapted by Terence Tiller.[7] Music by Anthony Smith-Masters.[1]

Differences from the book

  • Tom Bombadil: Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.[6]
  • Goldberry: She is for some reason portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.[6]
  • Willowman: He is shown in league with Mordor, rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.[6]
  • Glóin: He was "someone's idea of a German". Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.[8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, November 25, 1955
  2. Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1673, December 2, 1955
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, December 9, 1955
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1675, December 16, 1955
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1725, November 30, 1956
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 175 (dated November 30, 1955)
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 193 (dated November 2, 1956)
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 176 (dated December 8, 1955)