The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)
From Tolkien Gateway
In 1955, the BBC Radio Third Programme aired a treatment of The Fellowship of the Ring in six episodes. A year later, three episodes on The Two Towers and The Return of the King followed in 1956. Together, they became known as the 1955 radio series of The Lord of the Rings.
Episodes
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- Episode 1: ?
- Episode 2: ?
- Episode 3: "Aragorn", November 29, 1955[1]
- Episode 4: December 4, 1955[1]
- Episode 5: "The Moria Gate", December 11, 1955[2]
- Episode 6: December 18, 1955[2]
- The Two Towers
- Episode 1: ?
- Episode 2: ?
- Episode 3: ?
- The Return of the King
- Episode 1: ?
- Episode 2: ?
- Episode 3: ?
Cast
Role | Actor |
---|---|
Gandalf | Norman Shelley[2][3] |
Tom Bombadil | Norman Shelley[1][3] |
Frodo | Oliver Burt[1] |
Sam | Victor Platt[1] |
Pippin | Basil Jones[1] |
Merry | Michael Collins[1] |
Aragorn | Godfrey Kenton[1] |
Legolas | Frank Duncan[2] |
Elrond | Garard Green[2] |
Gimli | Eric Lugg[2] |
Boromir | Derek Prentice[2] |
Bilbo | Felix Felton[2] |
Narrator | Derek Hart[1] |
Unspecified, presumably Goldberry | Nicolette Bernard[1] |
Unspecified | Frank Duncan[1] |
Unspecified | Derek Prentice[1] |
Adapted by Terence Tiller.[4] Music by Anthony Smith-Masters.[1]
Differences from the book
- Tom Bombadil: Considered by Tolkien "dreadful", though it is left unexplained why.[3]
- Goldberry: She is for some reason portrayed as Bombadil's daughter.[3]
- Willowman: He is shown in league with Mordor, rather than just an antagonist of the Hobbits.[3]
- Glóin: He was "someone's idea of a German". Tolkien thought he was not too bad, though a bit exaggerated.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1672, November 25, 1958
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Radio Times, Volume 129, No. 1674, December 9, 1958
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 175 (dated November 30, 1955)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 193 (dated November 2, 1956
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 176 (dated December 8, 1955