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Robby the Robot is a popular fictional character who has made a number of appearances in science fiction movies and television programs from 1956 onward.

Contents

Description and overview

Robby the Robot is a 7-foot, 2-inch tall mechanical suit designed for an actor to wear, to play the part of a robot. It was originally designed for the 1956 MGM movie Forbidden Planet,1 and quickly became a science fiction movie and television icon.

As Forbidden Planet was inspired by Shakespeare's play The Tempest, Robby's character was inspired by Ariel, the sprite in the play. An important feature of Robby was an unalterable command that he was not to inflict fatal harm upon human beings. This comes into play near the end of the film, where Robby is commanded to kill the monster, but cannot do so because it comprehends that the monster is an alter ego or extension of Dr. Morbius.

The "Robby" robot suit was reused in a less popular movie called The Invisible Boy, and it made several further appearances in other movies and TV shows over the next few decades. While Robby's appearance was generally consistent, there were notable exceptions, such as the 1962 Twilight Zone episode "Uncle Simon", where he was given a somewhat more human "face," made from what appeared to be a two dollar silver bucket. At other times, Robby usually retained the working gears inside his bubble head, although the details of his "brain" and chest panel were sometimes altered. Robby has made few television or film appearances since the 1970s, although he is featured in a 2006 commercial for AT&T.

Robby differed from his successors in that he walked (somewhat awkwardly) on mechanical legs, while later models by his principal designer Robert Kinoshita, such as Robot B-9 of Lost in Space, moved smoothly on motorized treads. In Forbidden Planet Robby was operated by Frankie Darro from inside the suit and his distinctive voice was provided by actor Marvin Miller. In that film, the phrase "Order canceled" causes Robby to desist from his current orders/activity.2

Before the appearance of Robby, robots in movies and plays tended to lack personality characteristics, being simple mechanical devices. Since his appearance, robots with personalities have become more and more common in movies.citation needed

In 2004, Robby the Robot was inducted into the Robot Hall of Fame. In 2008, a robot clearly inspired by Robby was included in the video Game Fallout 3 and is known as the Protectron which is a laser firing security/multi-purpose robot.

Fate of the original "Robby" suit

For many years, Robby the Robot was on display at the Movie World / Cars of the Stars Museum in Buena Park, California. The museum is now closed. A replica is currently on display at the Metreon entertainment complex in San Francisco. There are, however, many full-scale reconstructions and duplicates of the original "Robby" suit presented to the public in various venues. "Robbies" are now being sold at Hammacher Schlemmer.com and the original one is owned by the world's foremost Forbidden Planet collector, film director William Malone.

Fred Barton, a notable robot historian, is credited with saving Robby from ruin and restoring him to his original state. It is his restoration that is available from Hammacher Schlemmer.

Appearances

Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet

See also

References

  1. ^ Robby original role/bio, Robot-Hall-of-Fame
  2. ^ Warren Stevens: Films - Forbidden Planet
  3. ^ Lost in Space: War of the Robots - TV.com
  4. ^ IMDB episode capsule, [1]

External links
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