Why did Tolkien sell?

[Feanorian]

Why did Tolkien sell the movie credits to the original creators of those god-awful cartoon movies. I have heard differing reasons, the most often repeated is that he sold them to pay his wife's hospital bills? I have not been able to find anything though. Does anyone know anything?

BTW, I really like this sub-forum, it seems like a great idea. :D

[Beorn]

(Kudos to Niniel (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12824))

Letter 198:
198 From a letter to Rayner Unwin 19 June 1957
[An American film-maker had enquired about the possibility of making a cartoon film of The Lord of the Rings.]
As far as I am concerned personally, I should welcome the idea of an animated motion picture, with all the risk of vulgarization; and that quite apart from the glint of money, though on the brink of retirement that is not an unpleasant possibility. I think I should find vulgarization less painful than the sillification achieved by the B.B.C.

Letter 201:
201 From a letter to Rayner Unwin 7 September 1957
[On 4 September, Tolkien was visited by representatives of the American company which was interested in making an animated film of The Lord of the Rings. He was given a copy of the synopsis of the film, which he agreed to read.]
You will receive on Monday the copy of the 'Story Line' or synopsis of the proposed film version of The Lord of the Rings. I could not get it off yesterday. ....
An abridgement by selection with some good picture-work would be pleasant, & perhaps worth a good deal in publicity; but the present script is rather a compression with resultant over-crowding and confusion, blurring of climaxes, and general degradation: a pull-back towards more conventional 'fairy-stories'. People gallop about on Eagles at the least provocation; Lórien becomes a fairy-castle with 'delicate minarets', and all that sort of thing.
But I am quite prepared to play ball, if they are open to advice – and if you decide that the thing is genuine, and worthwhile.

Letter 202:
202 From a letter to Christopher and Faith Tolkien
11 September 1957
My heart and mind is in the Silmarillion, but I have not had much time for it. ....
It may amuse you to hear that (unsolicited) I suddenly found myself the winner of the International Fantasy Award, presented (as it says) 'as a fitting climax to the Fifteenth World Science Fiction Convention'. What it boiled down to was a lunch at the Criterion yesterday with speeches, and the handing over of an absurd 'trophy'. A massive metal 'model' of an upended Space-rocket (combined with a Ronson lighter). But the speeches were far more intelligent, especially that of the introducer: Clémence Dane, a massive woman of almost Sitwellian presence. Sir Stanley himself was present. Not having any immediate use for the trophy (save publicity=sales=cash) I deposited it in the window of 40 Museum Street. A back-wash from the Convention was a visit from an American film-agent (one of the adjudicating panel) who drove out all the way in a taxi from London to see me last week, filling 76 S[andfield] with strange men and stranger women -1 thought the taxi would never stop disgorging. But this Mr Ackerman brought some really astonishingly good pictures (Rackham rather than Disney) and some remarkable colour photographs. They have apparently toured America shooting mountain and desert scenes that seem to fit the story. The Story Line or Scenario was, however, on a lower level. In fact bad. But it looks as if business might be done. Stanley U. &: I have agreed on our policy : Art or Cash. Either very profitable terms indeed ; or absolute author's veto on objectionable features or alterations.

This shows that he was open to a movie, so long as it didn't stray too far off course. He expressed his complete disapproval of the Zimmerman version (207). He thought it would be a novel idea to have a movie. What he wasn't expecting was a rip off barely the same yet barely having the same story line.

[Rangerdave]

Remember that the man was an academic.
That means meager saleries and small pensions.

And while Professor Tolkien was by no means poor, he never turned down a free meal. (very hobbitlike)

RD

[Niniel]

Wow, this is fast! I only asked for this section 12 hours ago...
But, back on topic, the criticism Tolkien has about the film that wsa during his life, makes me wonder what he would think of PJ's version. After all, there are some quite important changes from the book and I don't think Tolkien would have agreed with all of them.

[Arebeth]

Two answers:

1. He needed money (just like everybody does) even if I don't really think so, in his case.

2. He wanted his stories to become more popular and accessible to people who didn't read a lot of books.

[Eledhwen]

News article, Dec. 6, 2001
Tolkien Would Have Hated Fellowship of the Ring Film

J.R.R. Tolkien would have hated the forthcoming first installment of the Hollywood adaptation of his magical The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, the author's biographer said Wednesday.
Michael White, whose book about the Oxford professor and creator of the trilogy set in the mysterious Middle-earth comes out this week, claims that Tolkein would have loathed the whole cinematic project.

"I think he would have just closed his eyes to it," White said of Tolkien, who died in 1973 at age 81.

"He had a hatred of all things Hollywood and did not believe in the idea of imitation being the best form of flattery."

The dark tales about Frodo Baggins the intrepid hobbit became best-sellers only late in life for the pipe-smoking family man, a fact Tolkien is unlikely to have regretted.

"Being a cult figure in one's own lifetime," he is quoted as saying, "I am afraid is not at all pleasant. In my case, at any rate, it makes me feel extremely small and inadequate."

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit have sold 160 million copies between them and Tolkien has been voted the 20th century's most popular writer in numerous polls.

[Arebeth]

I don't like this idea of saying what someone would have said when he's not there anymore to say it himself. Things have changed since those times (technically especially) and no one can tell what would have been his reaction. Personally I read almost the opposite but I can't remember where. I'll try to find it back.

[Eledhwen]

I gave Michael White's opinion as fair comment, but you are right to challenge it. I have no idea what White's relationship with Tolkien is/was if any. Anyone can write a biography and is suddenly regarded as an expert, especially if it's posthumous and can't be challenged by the biographee (do you like my new word?).

All we have to go on is Tolkien's views on the animated offerings made during his lifetime. He was pretty scathing about RotK, but I haven't read much about The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Beorn posted some of Tolkien's letters where he tore to shreds a screenplay treatment he was sent, which was so bad it was never made.

I think he would have been quite kind to Peter Jackson, and if he had still been alive, I'm sure PJ would have asked him to collaborate. Tolkien would have been delighted that Elvish was spoken, though Haldir at Helm's deep contradicts the flow of Middle Earth's history: LotR was set in the time when Man had to take charge and sort things out themselves, without the help of the disappearing Elves.

Tolkien's mythology speaks to our deepest longings, and despite the changes, PJ's films reflected that to some extent. This is proved by the massive leap in sales of the books following the release of Fellowship of the Ring.