If Robby the Robot wasn't the most famous robot in Hollywood history, he was at least the most prolific. After his smash debut in Forbidden Planet (1953), Robby had memorable turns in The Invisible Boy (1958) and, of course, Lost in Space. This might be one of his most obscure appearances. The TV version of the popular film series The Thin Man had Peter Lawford well cast in the William Powell roll and Phyllis Kirk replacing Myrna Loy. Robby the Robot also appeared on episodes of the marginal sitcoms Hazel and The Gale Storm Show, and popped up at varying times on The Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, The Man From U.N.C.L.E, The Banana Splits and Mork & Mindy.
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Thanks for this - a delight. Believe it or not, some of the dialogue is identical with a Superman episode of similar vintage featuring a robot - "In his home even the window shades are automatic .." (referring to professor Pepperwinkle). I suspect someone recycled a plot (and dialogue).Not surprisingly, the lack of machinery in the rural retreat is a good way to keep the scenery costs low.
ReplyDeleteI just posted a true story on my blog about the aftermath, in my family, of watching this episode of "The Thin Man" when it was first aired in February 1958 when i was 12.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you posted this as it gave me some details I had forgotten. I enjoyed watching it again. I often watch old shows and find they aren't as funny or interesting as I remember, but this episode held up. Maybe I remembered it more vividly than most (before watching it again) because of the "incident."
Read my story here: http://proartz.blogspot.com/2009/02/i-robot.html