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Robby the Robot

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File:Forbidden Planet poster.jpg
A film poster for Forbidden Planet, showing Robby.

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

Description and overview

Robby the Robot was 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.

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". 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 "Emergency Cancellation Archimedes" causes Robbie 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.

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.

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
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