A Film Portrait of J R R Tolkien

I'll second that! If you don't have this - buy it!
(Christopher Tolkien is interviewed at great length.)

Interestingly, Hammond had the following to say about this documentary when it was aired in US on the discovery channel:

[...] In fairness to the program's producers, the original cut was fifteen minutes longer. The version on American television was cut for the sake of commercials, and unfortunately it's this same version that is available (at $100+) on videocassette. I saw the complete version (the producers made a copy available to The Tolkien Society in the U.K.), and the extra fifteen minutes made a difference. There was also to be a still longer version commercially available (though oddly enough, with some material in the broadcast version deleted!), but this has never materialized. The producers have had enough trouble selling the broadcast version (which I believe still has not aired in Britain).

(Mon, Mar 20 1995 3:24 pm) on rec.arts.books.tolkien

I'm sure it never was aired (on TV) in the UK. From what Hammond states the US version has some material omitted. The UK version I have says 'approx. Total Running Time 110 minutes'.

BH

I think it would make a great commercial DVD and it would sell very well over the next couple of years because of the Hobbit films.

I asked David Brawns from Harper Collins last year if they would consider releasing this on DVD and he said that HC would consider it.

Beren, with your contacts at HC could you give him a gentle reminder.

Thanks Khamul for that tidbit from Wayne. Does anyone here have a copy of the UK version?

I have a copy - PAL-VHS

I missed out!!!
I really want it, does anyone know where I can get a uk or us (preferably uk) version of this?

by Deagol on 2008/1/15 13:12:30
I have a copy - PAL-VHS

ditto

There have been two versions issued in the UK that I know of:

J.R.R. Tolkien. (60 minutes) Distributed by Landseer.

A Film Portrait of J.R.R.Tolkien. (110 minutes) Distributed by Visual Corporation.

The 60 minute version was available as part of a Tolkien Teaching Pack.

Unfortunately both have been unavailable for years. They turn up occasionally on eBay.

Not sure if the UK version will play on US TVs.

I appear to have the Visual Corp. version.

The first time I read Hammond's comments as wasn't quite sure what version (on TV) he was describing. Earlier (in the quote) he describes the US TV version as 1 hour long (or implies that it is). The UK version is clearly more than 15 minutes longer (although I suppose the US TV version may have only run to 45 minutes with commercials). Either way he doesn't ever appear to be talking about the 110 minutes version.

[For information] The Tolkien Teaching Pack that Deagol sites was from 1995; but the Visual Corp. version (from 'The Tolkien Partnership') was quite a bit earlier (1992; MR was forthcoming, and spelt wrong in the credits!)

I think I bought mine on Amazon...

BH

I have just had a look at some old issues of The Tolkien Collector.

The 60 minute version was first broadcast in 1993 and the 110 minute version was first issued on video in 1997. The reference to Morgoth's Ring must be a slip - not updated from the original broadcast.