Here’s why it didn’t happen.
All of the English-language screen versions ofThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Ringscame out afterJ.R.R.
Tolkienpassed away in 1973, so well sadly never know what he might have thought of them.
But things were nearly quite different.
Early on, Tolkien was really quite positive about the idea, in a pragmatic sort of way.
Like his friend and fellow English professor C.S.
Sillification is not a real word but obviously relates to silly, which means foolish, thoughtless, empty-headed.
Either very profitable terms indeed; or absolute authors veto on objectionable features or alterations.
Tolkien did draw the line at Disney, though.
He had an intense dislike of the animation studio.
Fortunately, Ackerman had gone in a very different direction with the tone of the imagery he was proposing.
Tolkien told Christopher the drawings resembled Rackham rather than Disney.
Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was an English artist famous for his illustrations of fairies and fairy tales.
His mythical creatures were complex and delicate, and often intertwined with nature and particularly with trees.
Its easy to see why this sort of style appealed to Tolkien, the creator of the Ents.
In fact, it seems like Tolkien read what was essentially a full script.
A photocopy of Zimmermans treatment is currently held at the J.R.R.
Tolkien Collection at Marquette University in Milwaukee.
Tolkien complained about Zimmermans extreme silliness and incompetence and complete lack of respect for the original.
The Eagles were over-used in the film script.
Zimmerman had the landlord at Bree ask the hobbits to register and gave them numbered room keys.
Zimmerman described Orcs as having feathers and beaks.
Tolkiens tone gets crosser and crosser as he writes.
Practically everything having moral import has vanished from the synopsis, he complained.
Tolkien had historical issues with Zimmermans treatment of Rohan and the Rohirrim, too.
Sam and Frodo) has, and it is not too strong a word, simply been murdered.
The original production notes followed the ending of the story fairly closely.
What would Tolkien have thought ofthe animated films from the 1970s and 1980s, or the Peter Jackson films?
There are some things he disliked in the Zimmerman treatment that did eventually show up in theJackson movies.
Tolkien remarked that she had far better disappear than make a meaningless appearance.
Zimmerman had changed Sarumans death so that he killed himself.
Let the Ents look to it!
Zimmerman, however, failed the test.
One is from Janet Crofts chapter on film scripts ofThe Lord of the RingsinFantasy Fiction into Film: Essays.
