The Lord of the Rings (1978 movie) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Lord of the Rings
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by	Ralph Bakshi
Produced by	Saul Zaentz
Screenplay by	Peter S. Beagle Chris Conkling
Starring	Christopher Guard William Squire Michael Scholes John Hurt Simon Chandler Dominic Guard Michael Graham Cox Anthony Daniels David Buck
Music by	Leonard Rosenman Paul Kont
Cinematography	Timothy Galfas
Editing by	Donald W. Ernst
Studio	Fantasy Films Bakshi Productions
Distributed by	United Artists (United States and Canada) Paramount Pictures (International)
Release date(s)	November 15, 1978 (1978-11-15)
Running time	133 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$4 million
Money made	$30.5 million (U.S./Canada) $3.2 million (U.K.)

The Lord of the Rings is an animated fantasy film from 1978. It was directed by Ralph Bakshi. This movie brings to life parts of J. R. R. Tolkien's famous books, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

The story takes place in a magical land called Middle-earth. It follows a brave group of Hobbits, Men, an Elf, a Dwarf, and a powerful Wizard. They form a "fellowship" to destroy the dangerous One Ring. This Ring was made by the evil Dark Lord Sauron. He put much of his power into it, hoping to control all of Middle-earth. If the Ring is destroyed, Sauron will lose his power forever.

Director Ralph Bakshi had always wanted to make a Lord of the Rings film. He finally got the chance with help from producer Saul Zaentz and United Artists. The movie is special because it uses a technique called rotoscoping. This means scenes were first filmed with real actors. Then, animators traced over these live-action shots to create the animation. This mix of live-action and drawing made the film look unique. The movie features the voices of actors like William Squire and John Hurt.

Even though Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings made money, people had mixed feelings about it. Many viewers felt it was incomplete because it didn't tell the whole story. There was never an official sequel to finish the tale. However, this film still influenced Peter Jackson's very popular trilogy of movies made in the early 2000s.

The Story of the Ring

Long ago, in Middle-earth, Elves made special Rings of Power. Nine were for Men, seven for Dwarves, and three for Elves. But then, the Dark Lord Sauron secretly made the One Ring. He planned to use it to rule everyone.

After a big battle, Prince Isildur took the One Ring. But he was later killed by Orcs. The Ring then rested at the bottom of a river for over 2,500 years. Over time, Sauron turned the owners of the nine Rings into scary Ringwraiths.

The One Ring was found by a creature named Déagol. His relative, Sméagol, killed him to get the Ring. The Ring changed Sméagol into the twisted creature known as Gollum. Gollum hid with the Ring in the Misty Mountains.

Hundreds of years later, a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins found the Ring in Gollum's cave. He took it back to his home in the Shire.

The Journey Begins

Many years later, during Bilbo's birthday party, the Wizard Gandalf told Bilbo to leave the Ring to his nephew, Frodo. Bilbo agreed, though it was hard, and left for Rivendell.

Seventeen years passed. Gandalf learned that evil forces knew the Ring was with a Baggins. Gandalf met Frodo to explain the Ring's dangerous history. Frodo then left his home, taking the Ring with him.

He was joined by three other Hobbits: his cousins Pippin and Merry, and his gardener Sam. They barely escaped the Ringwraiths. The Hobbits eventually reached Bree. There, a brave man named Aragorn led them towards Rivendell.

On their journey, Frodo was hurt by the chief of the Ringwraiths. He became very sick. The Ringwraiths caught up to them again near Rivendell. But the river swept the Ringwraiths away.

The Fellowship Forms

At Rivendell, Frodo was healed by the Elf-lord Elrond. Frodo also met Gandalf again. Gandalf had escaped from the evil wizard Saruman. Saruman wanted to join Sauron and get the Ring for himself.

Frodo bravely offered to take the Ring to Mordor, the only place it could be destroyed. So, Frodo set out from Rivendell with eight companions. This group was called the Fellowship of the Ring.

The Fellowship included Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir (a man from Gondor), Legolas the Elf, and Gimli the Dwarf. Pippin, Merry, and Sam also joined Frodo.

Dangers and New Allies

Their first attempt to cross the Misty Mountains failed due to heavy snow. They were forced to go through the underground mines of Moria. Inside Moria, Orcs attacked them. Gandalf fell into a deep pit while fighting a fiery monster called a Balrog.

The rest of the Fellowship continued to the Elf-haven of Lothlórien. There, they met the wise Elf queen Galadriel. Boromir tried to take the Ring from Frodo. Because of this, Frodo decided to continue his quest alone. But Sam insisted on going with him.

Boromir was killed by Orcs while defending Merry and Pippin. Merry and Pippin were captured by the Orcs. They escaped into Fangorn Forest and met Treebeard, a giant tree-like creature.

Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas tracked Merry and Pippin into the forest. There, they were reunited with Gandalf, who had returned after defeating the Balrog.

The Fight for Middle-earth

The five then rode to Edoras, the capital of Rohan. Gandalf convinced King Théoden that his people were in danger. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas then traveled to Helm's Deep to prepare for battle.

Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam found Gollum following them. Gollum wanted to get the Ring back. They captured him but spared his life. In return, Gollum agreed to guide them to Mount Doom. Gollum secretly started planning against them, thinking a giant spider named Shelob might help.

At Helm's Deep, King Théoden's forces bravely fought against Saruman's Orcs. Gandalf arrived with the Riders of Rohan, and together they destroyed the Orc army.

Main Characters

The actors who lent their voices to the film were:

See also

In Spanish: El Señor de los Anillos (película de 1978) para niños