The visual content, including documentary footage of Tolkien, was of great interest; even if the actual content of the programme (as you state) covered 'the same ground' as most documentaries.

The BBC documentary Tolkien in Oxford seemed to provide most of the footage. According to Hammond & Scull in C&G a portion of an interview done on that occasion is included in J.R.R. Tolkien: An Audio Portrait [and A Film Portrait of J.R.R. Tolkien], and has appeared in other documentaries about Tolkien. However the footage of some of the Tolkien in Oxford documentary, like Tolkien drinking, was new to me too!

In addition to footage from Tolkien in Oxford, there was also (earlier?) footage from The Bookstand. Although Tolkien didn't say much (in the question about the polarisation of characters to good or evil, he literally looks at the guy and says nothing! -quite amusing.) I'd never seen this footage either. In fact I don't see any mention of it in C&G at all in the Recordings entry! Had you seen (or even heard of) this interview Deagol?

Hammond & Scull state that other recordings made by the BBC of Tolkien's voice or image appear not to have been preserved. I'm guessing The Bookstand was also by the BBC(?) though. Footage just seems to keep coming up in the most (generally) worthless programmes!

Well worth watching...

BH

I think I can safely speak for everyone on this site when I say that every update on your website is much anticipated and appreciated.

Thanks for all your hard work

Dior

ps. I have a few scans to send you. I will be able to do this tomorrow.

Thanks foe your very kind words!
They are much appreciated.

It is surprising how much additional detail you can pick up once the books are in front of you. I am waiting on delivery of 2 or 3 more books before I update the 1974-1976 section.

Just watched part 2 of this series. This one covered Tolkien and Mervyn Peake.

It covered the same ground as most documentaries on Tolkien, with the usual array of minor inaccuracies and mispronunciations. On the plus side, there were some extracts from interviews with JRRT, one or two of which I haven't seen before, and a series of photos (or stills from a film) showing him socialising over a drink or two.

[On the amusing side, the author A.S. Byatt was (visually) reminiscent of Jack Nicholson as the Joker!]

I actually didn't intend to link it to the collector profile on TolkienLibrary. I was talking about the entire collection that Neil undoubtedly has; of which we are only seeing a small section of in those photographs.

I agree with your point regarding documenting books generally; quite difficult without the books in hand. And that, is a lot of books...

BH