I have a question.
'Everyone' apparently knows that Tolkien thought LoTR 'unfilmable'.
However - was this really the case? I've been hunting around and trying to find
a reference for this.
I have two possibilities:
Letter #194: 'here is a book very unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic
representation.'
The other is a report I found on TORn citing Humphrey Carpenter:
"The interview was on the subject of Humphrey Carpenter's latest work, a
biography of playwright Dennis Potter, but towards the end of the interview Ms
Hill asked Carpenter what he thought Tolkien's reaction would have been to "The
Lord of the Rings" being filmed.
Carpenter's response was interesting. He said that he had known JRRT fairly
briefly (unlike Potter, whom he never met), and that he (Carpenter) had staged
a production of "The Hobbit". JRRT's reaction to this production was that he
considered his works to be unstageable; he simply didn't feel that they could
be successfully translated to a dramatic form. Although he had sold the film
rights long before this took place, he had no real expectation that "The Lord
of the Rings" could be successfully filmed."
Is this the source of this 'unfilmable' quote, or does it spring from somewhere
else?
Any pointers much appreciated ... (Yes, have searched google new, google web
and google groups).
Demosthenes
