First Animated Hobbit - directed by Gene Deitch, produced by Rembrandt Films

In the early 1960’s, animation producer William L. Snyder (founder of Rembrandt Films) told his director and collaborator, Gene Deitch, that he had purchased the rights to an unknown 1927 children’s novel, THE HOBBIT. In order to hold his option, Snyder had to “produce a full-color motion picture of THE HOBBIT“ by a certain date in 1966. So to meet this deadline while he tried to interest the studios in a much bigger motion picture, the very first version of THE HOBBIT was produced by Rembrandt Films and directed by Gene Deitch. Go to for more classic animation produced by Rembrandt Films.