The second of Rankin/Bass' animated TV specials based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien,
Return of the King plots the quest to defeat the evil wizard Sauron. Frodo, nephew of
The Hobbit protagonist Bilbo Baggins, vows to destroy the Ring, even if it costs him his own life. He carries the Ring to the volcanic innards of Mount Doom. All this he does on behalf of good-guy Aragon, who will never be able to escape the dreaded land of Sauron so long as the Ring retains its evil powers. Orson Bean, who'd been the voice of Bilbo Baggins in the 1977
Hobbit cartoon special, returns to portray Frodo.
Return of the King originally aired May 11, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide