The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings Mind's Eye 1979

Concerning The Lord of the Rings Mind's Eye 1979

Bernard Mayes, founding chairman of National Public Radio in the U.S., apparently wrote adaptations of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for Mind's Eye. The Lord of the Rings production is said to have been recorded in a bathroom with a microphone taped to a rubber duck.

The cast, drawn from local theater performers in Virginia, struggled with the pronuciation of many names and words in the story. Of course, in 1979, most people would have been hard pressed to say Tolkien's names correctly.

The story is abridged but includes Bombadil. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is reduced in length. But the lack of sophistication compared to modern computer game and movie soundtracks is probably the most unappealing aspect of the production. It was deliberately constructed to emulate the old style radio dramas of the 1930s through 1950s -- a period which is as remote to most of the Peter Jackson fans today as Middle-earth is supposed to seem to everyone reading Tolkien's book.

The intended effect is largely lost on a jaded, semi-educated adult audience, but children may still appreciate the simplicity enough to see the story with their minds' eyes.

Cast for The Lord of the Rings Mind's Eye 1979
Bilbo	Ray Reinhardt
Frodo	James Arrington
Merry	Pat Franklyn
Pippin	Mac McCaddon
Sam	Lou Bliss
Gandalf	Bernard Mayes
Narrator	Gail Chugg
Tom Bombadil	Bernard Mayes
Strider	Time Luce
Aragorn	Tom Luce
Pat Franklyn	(Additional voice)
Mac McCaddon	(Additional voice)
Bob Lewis	(Additional voice)
Gail Chugg	(Additional voice)
John Vickery	(Additional voice)
Erik Bauersfeld	(Additional voice)
Ray Reinhardt	(Additional voice)
Carl Hague	(Additional voice)

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