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[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

The stuff he is saying is fascinating, but so is the body language.
He really doesn't like talking about elves. His eyes are darting about all over the place, and he keeps covering his mouth with his hands.
Then he talks about dwarves, he's much happier, he looks straight into the camera.
Where's Kuru? He'd be delighted....

Well, I actually think he's not much happy with the camera in the first place...

[Lalaith]

Well yes, that's what I thought, too.
But I also think he thinks of the elves as more, well, private to him.

[davem]

It seems to be an out take from the Tolkien in Oxford documentary which the BBC broadcast in 1968. Well, I say an out take, but I've only seen clips from it, but that's what it looks like anyway. Carpenter notes that he behaved 'unsfelfconsciously in front of the camera', so I'd go with Lalaith on this. He seems a bit uncomfortable trying to give a 'soundbite' of The Sil. Interesting that he doesn't want to discuss the origin of the Dwarves - & that he still refers to the Valar as 'gods'. The consensus is that he had stopped referring to them as 'gods' back in the 30's. Maybe shorthand for an interviewer unfamiliar with the story, but interesting nonetheless.....

[The Might]

Thanks for the link, and also for the transcript.
Without reading it I could only understand 30% of what he said.
It's hard to understand a native speaker sometimes...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by The Might

Thanks for the link, and also for the transcript.
Without reading it I could only understand 30% of what he said.
It's hard to understand a native speaker sometimes...

Oh, that's good, I was afraid I was the only one...

Though I think really great part of it does the way he talks, and the quality also does not help it... it reminds me of one of our university professors who always speaks (while on a lecture) with hand in front of his mouth. So I can quite well imagine how Tolkien's lectures might have looked (or sounded) like...

Anyway, do you know if they keep clips like that there still? On the same address?

[Elmo]

Tolkien on the beginning of the Hobbit

A bit of Judy Dench added in aswell

[davem]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Anyway, do you know if they keep clips like that there still? On the same address?

As far as I'm aware the BBC still have the whole of the documentary in their archives. Why its never been repeated, or released on DVD, I have no idea. I've seen clips from it in other programmes (& in the documentary 'JRRT: A Film Portrait of JRR Tolkien' - sadly no longer available, as it contains a long filmed interview with Christopher, the only one I know of. Bailie Tolkien also appears, along with Priscilla & Father John). There are radio ineterviews, & one other TV interview, available on the net, but I think this is the longest clip with Tolkien discussing his works in depth.

Edit

The clip with Judy Dench is from the JRRT doc - its about an hour & fifty minutes in total. Christopher is fascinating (oh Shippey & Flieger also pop up in it).

[MatthewM]

Nice find, davem! Great stuff, and like most here, I didn't even understand half of what the Professor was saying, so I thank you for the translation. I wonder if he was well aware that people couldn't understand him well verbally?

Originally Posted by davem

(& in the documentary 'JRRT: A Film Portrait of JRR Tolkien' - sadly no longer available, as it contains a long filmed interview with Christopher, the only one I know of. Bailie Tolkien also appears, along with Priscilla & Father John).

I would like to see this, do you think you can give us some details that Christopher talks of? Anything that isn't widely known? Thanks!