Whatever Happened to ROBBY The ROBOT? 

Forbidden planet is one of my films and loved watching lost in space when was a kid.

I'm so glad the algorithm smiled upon you! RU-vid offered me your "How I Made the Lost in Space Robot" last week. Now I'm enjoying going through all your older videos, congrats!

Thanks for the fascinating info. Im 64 and grew up with all these fantastic robots. Learned alot. Now wheres Tobor?

Robby should be in the Smithsonian

I viewed a Netflix copy of Forbidden Planet, and remember that as a bonus, there was an episode of a short-lived TV show of The Thin Man that used Robby. 0:37

"I seldom use it myself, sir. It promotes rust." My favorite Robby quote.

Thanks Dan

How about the drones from Silent Running? THOSE are some of the weirdest and most memorable screen robots ever! Portrayed by actual double leg amputees (same way E.T. was portrayed in some scenes) and kind of creepy yet cute at the same time.

The LiS Robot B-9 (1960s version) and Robby the Robot are 2 of the most iconic robots ever designed. They are certainly the most memorable designs of the 1950s and 1960s. My favorite robot design is still R2-D2 but I've always appreciated his forebears. PS -- Is it just me, or do Japanese designers have some of the best design aesthetics for robots? Astro Boy, the RX-78 Gundam, Mazinger Z, Tetsujin #28, the Evangelion units, the Valkyrie from Macross, etc. These are all fantastic designs, some of them being contemporaries with Robby -- and he's nearly old enough to collect Social Security!

I visited Movieworld back in the 70's. I was astonished to see the original props including the submarine from 'Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea', and the cutaway cars from 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World', and so many more! Robby was on display in the back standing in the original 'jeep' from 'Forbidden Planet'. I wanted to take a picture of him, but his head was turned in a bad direction. I was the only visitor at the time and I asked the manager to help me move Robby's head to a more favorable position. We rotated his head a bit and I got the shot. To this day, I can't believe I put my hands on the original prop! It's so ridiculous to learn that people stole parts of Robby over the years. Such desecration of a famous movie prop is unbelievable! Just to see it in person was more than enough.

It's too bad whoever bought him at auction didn't donate him to a well-endowed museum where he could be safely displayed and maybe even fired up for special events. At least he is so valuable that he likely isn't sitting in a barn somewhere deteriorating or caught in a storage building fire.

In the 60s, Robby also appeared in The Addams Family and Hazel. And of course, he appeared in the music video for Earth Girls are Easy.

Robby the Robot was always my favorite robot. Incredibly to me, I was in charge of Robby and Gorts transport to an event in the late 70's. Thank you Bill Malone! There is another robot I really like and never see any info on. This robot is from an obscure Russian sci Fi movie titled "Voyage to a prehistoric planet" in the US, in 1962.. The robot's name is John. Great robot, with a design as distinctive as Robby or The Robot from Lost in Space. Please! Could you do a segment on him. He deserves to be known, appreciated, and have a place in the Robot Hall of Fame.

Every boy in the 60s knew and loved Robby the Robot and "Robot" from Lost in Space and knew them both by name. Biggest thril was seeing them both together on that series. Hated that they made Robby a bad guy.

Forbidden planet is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi movies, recently purchased it on bluray!...thanks for sharing!

My love for Robots came from watching Robby as a child. Your awesome updating of what happened is pure time travel for me. Thank you sharing and please don’t stop.

Forry Ackerman informed me that the term "robot" first appeared in the play "R.U.R." by Karel Capek.

Robert Kinoshita created some of the greatest works of practical art in film and television history. Tobor, Robbie, B-9, Jupiter 2. Not to mention a long and successful career as a production designer and art director for film and television. His work is in Carnegie Mellon's Robot Hall of Fame. He deserves to be in the Film and TV halls of fame as well.

Forbidden Planet was my all time favorite sci-fi film.

This is great. I was born in 1958. When I was just seven years old, I couldn't wait for my parents to go to sleep, so I could turn on the old black and white TV, and watch these classics. Could you please do an episode on what happened to the " Creature from the black lagoon" movie suit. Your programs should be part of college, and film school itineraries. looking forward to more of your work. Thank you Sir. From Stephen Hedman.... way up in Vancouver Canada.

So glad I ran across your videos. I LOVE this kind of TV and Movie history stuff. Thank You for all your wonderful work Sir.

War of the Robots was the episode of Lost In Space that I remembered the most out of all of them from when I saw it as a kid, although I must have watched it every single week.

Great educational information! But how does a movie prop get vandalized while in a museum?

I just want to say thank you very much for taking the time out in talking about all the movies that I and my friends grew up watching classic science fiction movies, thank you for the research that you've done to find out of all the different props and costumes of all the science fiction movies. When I was a kid I watched every science fiction movie and fell in love with them. Please keep up the good work I told all my friends about you and they love your work.

I was lost in Los Angeles a while back, and saw Robby on Skid Row. It was a sad sight, as he was drinking cheap motor oil, and was leaking all over the sidewalk. He was also missing one of his arms. Rumor has it that he sold it to buy more oil. That was 25 years ago, and I’ve heard that he was recycled into DVDs of “The Forbidden Planet.”

I visited the Science Fiction Museum when Robby was housed there in the '70's. At the time, there were no other people except for the manager. I asked if I could get a picture of Robby, but the head was turned at a bad angle. Together, we turned his head a bit and I got the picture. (I took nothing off of Robby!) Quite an experience.

I want to know what happened to two ships. Flight of the Navigator and Explorers. Also what happened to the Johnny 5 robot!

Robby is my favorite Robot of all time,followed by Lost In Spaces B9. But Robby is definetly the best design off all time. Its sad the 50's and 60's had to end. Those were the best years and nothing looked futuristic after that.

I was blown away the first time I watched The Forbidden Planet. Thank you for sharing the news about Robbie.

OK!! ROBBY THE ROBOT is probably my most favorite....even more than the B9. Like most people I was first introduced to ROBBY when he made his appearance on LOST IN SPACE. Then I watched him n FORBIDDING PLANET. Thank you for featuring ROBBY THE ROBOT on your show. Hugs from Okinawa. :)

Just rewatched the movie the other night and he was so well done

I really enjoyed this video. Who owns: Silent Runninings Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Twiki, and who owns Jason of Star Command's Wiki?

Great information! Thank you for making this video.

I loved this story. Robby and B9 are my favorite classic robots. I have talking figures of both. B9 from 20ish years ago. KB toys I think. Pull back wheels spring arms and moves when activated. Either a button or light sensor, which startled me every time it pops on! Danger Danger! Needs some gear repares, but I bought a big bag of random toy gears on eBay that should fix him up.. But Robby was at Wal-Mart 6 -7 years ago. With the Iron giant and Godzilla. Which I passed on. He walks and talks and flashes lights. B9 is shorter but they make great display pieces.

I love these trips down cinematic history lane. You are very professional , and your content is well thought out, well produced , entertaining , and educational . Great Job!

Well done. BTW, the initial inception of Robby was created by A. Arnold "Buddy" Gillespie. Buddy was the head of the MGM Special Effects Department during the heyday of MGM Studios.

Hello Dan, Thanks so much for sharing this story on Robby The Robot. And thanks for sharing the memories.

Fascinating info on this prop. Thanks for this video.

Thank you sir for giving us this update on Robby!

you have a great voice for this stuff, glad the algorithm deigned to finally let ppl know your channel exists.

It's so sad when these wealthy people buy beloved props like Robbie and then they dissappear, disgusting I would say , shame on the selfish buyer.

I watched FB the other night, pure amazing classic Sci-fi…. Good old Robbie, “Will 70 gallons be enough Sir?” 😂

Fun fact about Royalite plastic; The "Saucer Section" of the eleven-foot Starship Enterprise filming miniature was also formed from Royalite.

This channel is gonna take off for sure! 👍🏼

Robby must have been the first movie robot to be thought of as a real character, not just a nearly mindless clanking automaton typical of that movie era. Plus his design is top- notch and beautiful, and has stood the test of time like his "cousin" robot from Lost In Space.

I am LOVING these insights, thank you so much for these. I’m lucky enough to own my own Robbie, it’s a 12” toy that lights, walks & talks, I dare say the details wouldn’t pass muster with a purist, but I think he’s great.

This is the second clip I watched from you. I enjoyed them and your voice is very pleasing. Thank you.

Hi Dan Other brittant video. Robby the robot always my favourite. Forbidden planet is my favourite science fiction movie , l saw as 8 year old l was totally amazed by its effect on me . I thought it was star trek .So many ideas that Gene used for star trek . In 1970s . I love Forbidden planet with all my heart. I love Robbies scenes and very different score for the film . The underground Knell Technology just blew me as a kid and not seeing the knell species was a master shoke . I have seen Forbidden planet on huge screen incredible experience. Always watch Forbidden planet once a year part of my science fiction movie season .

Robby also appeared in a Twilight Zone episode called Uncle Simon.

Nice article! I'D Like you to do a video on the various toy representatives of Robby.

I saw the top half of him in a Columbo episode years ago.

He complied with Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. It's great that Robbie was able to be restored. Thank you for the history on my all time favourite robot and 50s SF movies.

once again-great vid. enjoyed and watched to the end 😀

It’s easy to tell them apart, Robby is a Robotoid and B-9 is a Robot!

Speaking of "Lost In Space," what ever happened to the Chariot and the Jet Pack? Oh, The PAIN!

Massively underrated channel.

you are so professional , engaging and interesting . It is a joy to take the trips into cinematic history with you at the helm . Keep up the great work!

My master loves this. He was a fan of the TV show. Your video showed up due to a Starship launch video.

Just right now I’m watching the episode of Columbo with Robby playing chess. For those who want to know… S03E06 “Mind over Mayhem”. I ran over here to mention it to you Dan, but of course you have all your history marbles in order and Columbo did get mentioned.

Robby was also in a Starlog Magazine television ad from the 70s or 80s.

Just found you Dan. Thanks for sharing all this great information. Loved every minute.

He was in the Addam's family as Lurch's replacement.

Too bad the original has disappeared into the black hole of a private collection. Be nice if the owner would loan to an exhibition so people can see it and enjoy it from time-to-time.

Love your videos. Great research and info. Thanks.

I remember seeing Robby and his Jeep at the Movieworld Museum. That was an amazing place, well worth digging into. There was a rumor around the industry that Barton copied Robby and kept the original. I can't say that was true, but copying props and keeping the originals was known to happen.

I saw Robbie just last week in the Atomic Museum in Las Vegas! If I knew how to post a pic here, I would.

I just watched Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet in 1965 they had this really interesting robot that actually looked plausible. It’s on RU-vid. I think you’d like it

Born in 50 this was my all time favorite movie and character. 2nd was the cook who ordered 500 gallons of their version of moonshine. LOL His ability to move in the costume was amazing and his driving was the best at 120 mph, again LOL. Still love the movie to this day and I am 73 soon to be 74. I like the channel, subscribed and want to see more.

Hubby found a Warner Bros. "Light & Sound Walking Robby the Robot" at a Goodwill a few months ago. It's 15 inches tall and says several lines from the movie. Super cool. Paid, $15.00 IIRC.

This channel is AWESOME! Thanks Dan!

I went to school with the Barton guy. He has a picture in the Hamilton High School yearbook with him and Robbie the Robot.

I just subscribed, great channel. As a side note you are the ONLY RU-vidr qualified to have a huge mic because you have a wonderful radio voice.

I re-watched "Forbiden Planet" yesterday on TUBI network. OMG I found a planet of fans and our host Dan Monroe on YT! Am I still here or is someone planning this? Pretty sure I'm still here. Thanks to all for your comments below! I love them.

As a child, I watched both " Forbidden Planet and the TV Series Lost in Space. " I think there was another movie called " Tobor - The Great ! ". What happened to that robot 🤖 😳 🤔 I wonder 🤔? Thanks, RU-vid, for this fond look back at a classic movie character !

I'm wondering what happened to his car that was displayed with him at the museum

6:00 - That seems so typical for this age. Some rare pop-culture item goes on sale - here comes a deep pocket individual to snag it and then sit on it forever and ever.

Great video!!! I visited the museum in the 70's. I was lucky to see "Robby." Thank you!

Good video, new to the channel and subscribed 👍🏻

I thought I saw Robbie in the sci fi museum in Seattle, along with Robot from lost in space.

Thank you for this video. I think the lines given to Robbie the Robot to say in, “Forbidden Planet” was a precursor to how next gen Artificial General intelligence (AGI) would probably lead a futuristic robot that can learn, make comparison decisions, and have a speaking style that people would be comfortable with.

Cool! very good, had no idea the 70's TV appearances were not Robby. Most people also don't know how very tall Robby is. (He can't even get out the front door of Mobius' house in Forbidden Planet). Also how noisy he is..( no dialog recorded while he was running). Also MGM made lots of spares and a big storage box, so restoration was a bit easier. Much easier than the Time Machine Prop.

Love this content. You bring back a lot of memories. Please do some vids about the TWIKI robot from Buck Rogers or the robots BOB and VINCENT from the Black Hole or Winslow from Phantom Of the Paradise (still tons of fans left for that film)

The Robot was in a episode of Lost in space. He played the evil Robot that Will found and supposedly repaired.

The way Robbie walks is just fascinating to watch with his arms pivoting up and down. The mechanical relays clicking in and out when he's 'thinking' look so stylish. Love him!

Robby was used in a lot of TV shows in various configurations. I have one of the 14” units my son and I modified to be “Uncle Simon” from Twilight Zone. The replacement voice module has a couple of quotes we recorded off of the series. “Barbara - Barbara, bring me hot chocolate”. We even did the cane and leg-brace.

There was a messed-up version of Robby in one of the original Twilight Zone episodes - Uncle Simon? - an old man builds a robot duplicate of himself.

The one on the Gail Storm Show back in the late 50's must have been the original then.

Robby has always been a part of a film greater than the sum of its parts. Without Ann Francis, Robby is “simply a machine.” I first watched Forbidden Planet on Channel 9 broadcast from New York on Channel 9 Million Dollar Movie; the film was shown every night for a week. The impression it made was subliminal. More than fifty years later, I took pen to paper and wrote to Ann Francis. The theme of my letter was about her character Alta, how it affected me as a then 8 year old, and the difference she made in her acting and performance compared to the usual ’50’s screaming females. What was most striking is that she responded in writing. For the next ten years we corresponded. Each letter she wrote to me from Santa Barbara became an extension of the real message of Forbidden Planet. Just as Alta was clear and concise, Ann’s letters were in her own strong handwriting. She included pictures with Robby at the Academy. I’m not equipped with the writing skills to describe the feeling Anns letters meant to me. It was as if I was on Altair 4 with all the knowledge of the Krell every time one of her letters appeared in my mailbox. Yes, I understand she was an actress. But, if you look at all her work, she possessed a spirit that was so striking, so vulnerable, and so beautiful it’s no wonder Robby never shined so much without her.

Very informative! I'm so glad I discovered your channel!

In 2020 I bought a walking, talking plastic Robbie from Walmart for $20! He’s about 14” tall and will play 2 one line quotes from the film by the original voice actor and a short clip from the soundtrack. Looks great. He’s awesome!!

THANKS DAN! love the vids you put out!

The robot was on display at the Writers Guild Theatre in Hollywood a few years ago, along with several other salvaged things from Forbidden Planet, such as control panels from the saucer set and a piece of the model of the interior of the krell machine with the parts moving on the tracks.

I'm loving your content!

I know u mentioned several commercials but I think you did Robbie a disservice by not specifically mentioning his being featured in the K-tel album titled Dancing Machine in the mist 70s. Probably the only time he was known to dance! Along with his picture on the album jacket, and the the album he was promoting, the offer included a poster of Robbie! It was a technical schematic of Robbie, I’m sure it wasn’t very technical but a very cool bonus item.

Robby's original price tag of $100,000 in 1956 would cost $1,033,886 today, so paying $5,000,000 isn't too much of a stretch.

I love the robots Robby and B-9 ! They are part of my childhood until now. I have good plastic models of both of them. They are a small treasure for me. Thanks for this video !

I'd love a lot more information on Dick Tufeld, the voice of B9 Robot. Since I wanted Robot to be my best friend as a child, his voice was very important as well. A powerful voice yet somehow kind and clever.

one of my favorite scenes of all time is when Alta hugs Robbie at the end.....there's just something about it .. I guess it humanized Robbie or something...

Superb voice you have, sIr.

Dan, thanks for bringing the interest back for Robbie and B-9. The 2 most iconic sci-fi robots for us kids born in the 60's in Australia. Loving these episodes.