November 27, 1977 –
The Rankin/Bass animated special, The Hobbit, first aired on NBC TV, on this date.
In the book, Bilbo is knocked unconscious by a falling rock during the Battle of Five Armies immediately after seeing the eagles arrive to help. In the movie, perhaps due to an anti-war bias at the time of filming, Bilbo states that he “simply doesn’t understand war” and then hides behind a stone, using the ring to become invisible and watching the entire battle. When asked about his whereabouts Bilbo lies and says that he had “a bump to the head” and was “out for hours“.
The Haus of Dcaligari 