Summary

Robby the Robot is one of the most interesting mechanical part of all prison term , and here ’s who he is and why he appeared in 21sci - fimovies and shows . The realm of sci - fi is a monumental web of interweaving stirring and references , with most sci - fi projects being full of Easter eggs to other iconic sci - fi projects . enfranchisement likeStar Wars , Star Trek , Doctor Who , and more have made their way into unnumerable other projects via Easter bollock and references . However , an iconic case mention Robby the Robot has pulled off this same achievement , but many do n’t eff who he is .

While the history ofsci - fi has been full of various robot designs , the aim of Robby the Robot is one of the most iconic . Robby the Robot is a large hoar machine , with his sci - fi aesthetical being like to many other fictional machinelike creations of the 1950s . Robby has a chicken feed dome for a point , giving a view of the lightbulbs that fill his cranium . His legs and body are made up of several spherical balls of alloy , while his arms are always outstretched , giving the appearance of a mechanical snake god . So , here is where he ’s from .

It would n’t be bonnie to call them movie misunderstanding . Rather , these are the time when cracking sci - fi film had to bend the rules about robots and AI .

Collage of Haley Joel Osment as David, Alicia Vikander as Ava in Ex Machina, and Amie Donald as M3GAN in M3GAN

Robby The Robot Was A Character In Forbidden Planet

Robby the Robot was a character produce forMGM ’s 1956 sci - fi filmForbidden Planet , with this marking the first of Robby ’s many coming into court throughout sci - fi history . Forbidden Planetfollows a group of humans from Earth who land on a distant planet , discovering that another homo named Dr. Morbius and his daughter already go there . Robby the Robot is the creation of Dr. Morbius , with Robby being a genial and humorous supporter who is task with taking precaution of the Earthlings during their time on the planet .

Although many mod viewers may not have seenForbidden Planet , heaps of people have seen the film ’s iconic poster , which features the fearsome robot carry away Altaira . As it turns out , however , this poster is not a rumination of the film at all . Not only does this scene never occur inForbidden Planet , but it also paints Robby the Robot as a villainous character . In realism , he is a tolerant figure who is specifically programmed not to harm mankind in any way , with this bill poster ’s art being quite misleading .

Why Robby The Robot Appeared In So Many Movies & Shows

WhileForbidden Planetwas the debut of Robby the Robot , it was far from his final appearance , with the lineament going on to become an picture of sci - fi . Due to the intricacy of the robotlike prop , MGM decided to reuse Robby conspicuously in the 1957 filmThe Invisible Boy . This further cement Robby as a recognizable part of the pop culture ethos , with the airscrew continuing to be reused conspicuously throughout the sixties and 1970s .

The Twilight Zonewas specially influentialwhen it come to Robby ’s iconic position , with the series recycle the prop for several different episode that boast golem . lose in Space , Mork & Mindy , and other sci - fi serial uphold using the character , with it slowly shifting from being a cost - deliver measure to being a homage to the Greco-Roman 1956 film . Robby the Robot even made it out of sci - fi dimension , with him appear in other genres likeColumbo , The Addams Family , andThe Big Bang Theory . Here is a complete list of all of Robby the Robot ’s TV and moving picture appearance :

Movie / TV Show

Josh Hartnett looking shocked in Fight or Flight

Year of Appearance

Forbidden Planet

1956

Sidious, Tyranus, Maul, and Vader.

The unseeable male child

1957

The Thin valet de chambre

Robby the Robot in different media

1958

The Gale Storm Show

The Many passion of Dobie Gillis

Robby the Robot in Gremlins

1963

The Twilight Zone

1959 , 1963 , 1964

Robby the Robot on the artwork for Forbidden Planet

Hazel

1962

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

1966

Lost in place

1966 , 1967

Ultraseven

1967

The Banana Splits Adventure Hour

1968 , 1970

Columbo : Mind Over Mayhem

1974

Hollywood Boulevard

1976

Ark II

Holmes & Yo - Yo

Music Machine

1977

Project U.F.O.

1978

The New Adventures of Wonder Woman

1979

Mork & Mindy

Space Academy

Pink Lady

1980

Heavy Metal

1981

probable Stories , Vol . 3

1983

Gremlins

1984

Phantom Empire

1988

Cherry 2000

1987

Earth fille Are Easy

Star Kid

1998

Duck Dodgers

2003

Looney Tunes : Back in Action

Stacked

2005

The Big Bang Theory

2014

Where Is Robby The Robot Now?

Although all kinds of Robby the Robot replicas have been made throughout the years , the original suit was retired in 1971 , with any appearance past that point not using the prop fromForbidden Planet . In 1971 , the Robby the Robot suit was sold and put on show at the Movie World / Cars of the Stars Museum in Buena Park , California . Once the museum closed in 1980 , filmmaker William Malone became the owner of the original suit , restoring it back to its original condition .

Malone keep the original Robby the Robot suit for several 10 , holding onto it until 2017 . In 2017,Robby the Robot was sold at auction for a whopping $ 5.3 million , with Robby becoming themost expensive film propto ever be sell at an auction . The buyer of the Robby the Robot cause is still unknown , so the condition of the original airplane propeller remains a mystery . However , it is always potential that Robby the Robot could turn up again in anothersci - fiproject in the future , possibly even in aForbidden Planetreboot movie .