Robby the Robot

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Image:Forbidden Planet poster.jpg Robby the Robot was a fictional character who had a number of appearances in science fiction movies from the 1950s onward. "Robby" was a 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, and it became an icon representing the genre of science fiction films.

The "Robby" robot suit was also reused in a lesser movie called The Invisible Boy, and it made cameo appearances in several other movies and TV shows over the next few decades.

Robby differed from his successors in that he walked (somewhat awkwardly), while later models by his designer (Robert Kinoshita) such as Robot B-9 of Lost in Space moved smoothly on motorized treads.

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

According to http://www.the-robotman.com, the original Robby suit is now in the hands of an unnamed private collector. However, extremely detailed Robby replicas continue to make appearances at shows and events around the world thanks to Fred Barton productions (see external links).

Among the locales in which Robby the Robot can be seen includes the wax figure museum Movieland in Los Angeles, CA.

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