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Zaentz has indeed boasted that his purchase of the Tolkien rights was a bargain which has profited him greatly. Shortly after the projected John Boorman version fizzled out, UA was bought out by TransAmerica, which promptly fired most of its executives, including those behind the Tolkien deal. New management regarded the LR and Hobbit rights as wasted money, and were happy to unload them for whatever they could get.
The traditional figure for Tolkien's sale for years has been $10,000. However, about the time FR came out, the Times of London reported that the true contract price was $250,000 (actually they reported 103,000 pounds.)
Both 'traditions' are correct. A quarter-million is what UA paid, and 10 grand is what Tolkien got- the difference going to HM Government.
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Tolkien's attitude can be illustrated as well by an account of his seeing a school stage production of The Hobbit in Oxford which he had given permission for (without seeing the script). He apparently enjoyed himself greatly and smiled broadly when his own dialogue and incidents were enacted; but scowled and muttered under his breath at deviation and 'invention.'
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.
Last edited by William Cloud Hicklin; 10-24-2007 at 01:04 PM.
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