Radio Free Middle-Earth!

The 1981 BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is definitive. The reason is that the story is pretty much comprehensive (like most adaptations poor Tom Bombadil gets the ax). Another reason is the outstanding cast. Michael Horden is ideally cast as Gandalf and leads a strong group which includes Ian Holm as Frodo (of course he later plays Bilbo for Peter Jackson's movies), Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum, and Bill Nighy as Samwise (the best rendering of the character I've encountered). Others of the cast are less well known to me, yet they are no less successful in bringing their characters to a crackling life. 

I enjoyed the series this time in my car. In rural Kentucky it's not uncommon to drive a considerable distance to do pretty much anything, and having some proper entertainment makes any trip more pleasurable. The CD discs are apportioned one to each of the thirteen chapters used to tell the tale. The radio is less successful than film and even television in bringing the action to vivid life, but as to understanding the characters, it's superior and the listener is not distracted by sometimes overwhelming imagery. There was apparently an adaption of the Tolkien classic by the BBC in the 1950's but alas no recordings survive. I'd have loved to hear that one as well. The only actor I recognized from that cast was David Hemmings. For more on this production check out this link. 

The BBC's first foray into the Middle-Earth came many years before in 1968 when The Hobbit was adapted for radio. This is a much more light-hearted outing, in keeping with the tone of Tolkien's first novel, which was intended for a younger audience. But that doesn't mean it's not entertaining for adults. The story adapts to radio quite well since there are abundant voices. This adaptation does an odd thing in that it has both a narrator and insertions by Bilbo himself who is amendments to the storytelling as it rolls along. This makes the show instantly more alive.  

The Hobbit is such a short tale that getting most all of it into the adaptation is pretty easy. A downside to this one is that several key names get unusual pronunciations such as strange accents on the wrong syllables in the names of Thorin, Gandalf and Gollum. The last in particular is strange sounding. I don't really understand the odd sound of Thorin's name since all the other dwarves are correct. But despite these flaws I heartily recommend this frisky adaptation. The set is five disks but only four dedicated to the adaptation. The fifth gives you some of the soundtrack music and is relatively short. To check it out go to this Internet Archive link. And for more information go to this link. 

Mind's Eye produced a hefty catalog of classic literature adapted to dramatic audio productions intended for radio. They turned up on my radar when they adapted Tolkien's The Hobbit in 1979 and in that same year The Lord of the Rings. I have the productions on that vintage format of audio cassette, showcasing my adherence to 20th Century whenever possible. This production of The Hobbit has a warm and friendly tone, with Gail Chugg the narrator who tells us the story with a warm ease. The voice actors are divergent and effective. To learn more, check out this link. 

Then that same crew tackles the more ambitious The Lord of the Rings. Now it's no contest between the overall acting in this production and the BBC effort. Too many of the characters are expressed with what seems to be immature voices Sam for instance is played by veteran Lou Bliss a lady who was once Crusader Rabbit among other things. Further a number of Tolkien's unique names get pronunciations we are not accustomed to today. The names of Legolas and Saurman in particular clatter on the ear. The presentation is hurt mightily by the wooden acting of the actor portraying Frodo. But the great value of this production is the only adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's great saga which treats us to Tom Bombadil and his antics on the behalf of our distressed Hobbits. Another outstanding feature is Gail Chubb's warm and inviting narration and Tom Luce as Treebeard. Each part of what became the trilogy is apportioned four cassette tapes in the handsome wooden box, each set with an identifying color. To learn more, check out this link. 

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