Production
The film was produced and directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass of Rankin/Bass Productions in New York City. It was adapted for the screen by Romeo Muller; Rankin took on the additional duties of production designer. When interviewed for the film, Rankin declared that he would add nothing to the story that was not in the original.[3] The New York Times reported that The Hobbit cost $3 million to produce.[3] In a 2003 interview, Rankin stated, "I love the Tolkien work". He explained that he was able to make the film because The Hobbit was still in the public domain at the time, despite claims to the contrary from the copyright holders.[4]
The story's protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is voiced by Orson Bean, backed up by Hollywood director and actor John Huston as the voice of Gandalf.[5] In supporting roles, the comedian and performance artist Brother Theodore voiced Gollum,[6] and Thurl Ravenscroft performed the baritone singing voices of the goblins. The gravelly voice of the dragon Smaug was provided by Richard Boone, with Hans Conried as Thorin Oakenshield.[7]
The Hobbit was animated by Topcraft in Tokyo, a now-defunct Japanese animation studio whose animation team re-formed as Studio Ghibli under Hayao Miyazaki; some of the animators went on to establish Pacific Animation Corporation. According to Rankin, the visual style of the film took its cue from the early illustrations of Arthur Rackham.[3]
While Topcraft produced the animation overseas, the concept artwork was completed at the Rankin/Bass studio under Rankin's direction.[3] Rhode Island artist Lester Abrams did the initial designs for most of the characters; Rankin had seen Abrams' illustrations to an excerpt from The Hobbit in Children's Digest.[8]
Harry N. Abrams published a large, illustrated coffee table edition of the book featuring concept art and stills.[3] Jules Bass adapted Tolkien's original lyrics for the film's musical interludes, drawn primarily from the songs in the book. He assisted Maury Laws, Rankin/Bass's composer and conductor-in-residence in the composition of an original theme song, "The Greatest Adventure (The Ballad of the Hobbit)", sung by Glenn Yarbrough. It was the film's sole original song, and came to be heavily associated with Yarbrough.[3]
