Very dangerous indeed. And a similar problem existed with the Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. That problem being - both Robot suits were top-heavy. VERY top-heavy. And if you tilted past a certain point, there was simply no way to recover and the suit actor (and suit) was going to fall over. If the fall was FORWARD - and it very likely would be - due to more weight in the front due to the arms etc. - then the suit and actor inside would smash into the ground. With a high likelihood that the wrists or forearms would be broken. And then the face of the actor would likely hit the neon tubes right in front. If they break, you could get either electrocuted or doused in some toxic materials. Possibly both. And the ONLY way out was for the crew to unbolt the top of the robot suit and drag the stunt actor out. Which - if his arms are broken, is going to be very difficult at best. The B-9 Robot was slightly better than Robby in that regard because IF a falling accident had occurred, the actor inside MIGHT have the presence of mind to remove his hands from the claw units and tuck them inside the torso shell completely. Perhaps even being able to brace himself and protect his face. But the arms on the Robby suit weren't quite as fully retractable. I'm unsure whether the actor in the robby suit could pull them back into the torso completely or not. ( Bill Mumy mentioned in an interview that the stunt actor could indeed pull in his arms completely and use them to spin the torso around completely 360 on the rotation waist collar. So that's how I know the B-9 suit operator could pull in his own hands completely. ) Fortunately - no such accident to the best of my knowledge ever happened. All in all - just another day on the job. Standards were a LOT DIFFERENT back then!
@@logandarklighterThere was that time someone stepped on his cable while May was going up the Jupiter’s ramp and he fell backwards. He was out for a second, I think and woke up to find Lockhart bending over him in alarm. I may be off on some details, so please correct me. I wore an outrageously heavy robot suit in a stage play in Savannah, Ga. in May 2010, and the weight of that thing combined with the lack of ventilation while working under stage lights in front of an audience almost killed me. It was extremely hard not to tip over. Actors who play robots, gorillas, giant Japanese monsters and so on deserve every cent they make. I wouldn’t do it again for love or money.
@@GrantTarredusI seen that episode when he was going up the ramp into the Jupiter, you catch it right as he starts tilting back, it almost looked like Penny tried to grab him , I even freeze framed the moment, great hidden history ✌👍
I suppose it's theoretically possible (and don't ask B9 about this, because it's explicitly a Non-Theorizing type) that the legs were just put on backwards after the restoration... the tilt of the bellows in the upper conjoined section is the almost exactly the reverse of that shown in the older images.
It's sad to me how the story of this prop played out. I didn't even exist when the original run of this show aired, but it is such an iconic 'ROBOT' design. Like... if you try to imagine what a robot looks like this is it. I wish it was in more complete state but it's an absolute fluke when a prop this old can survive this long. The starship enterprise model from the original run of startrek is a fine example of just absolute luck that it survived at all. A huge 11 foot filming model with awkward pylons that should have long since been destroyed or cracked, surviving to be loved and admired by generations to come. You just don't know the true value of a thing until long after productions wrapped up.
Judging by the appearance of the rubber knees that were still on the original treadsections when it was recently auctioned off at the Greg Jein auction, the legs probably rotted away to the point where they had to be replaced. I was shocked to see that Greg had the original brain. Like you, I thought the original was still on the Robot. I had heard very little original parts were still on him and I remember seeing that picture many years ago of the white painted treads. I also remember when Kevin was selling it on ebay. It didn't sell so he ended up selling it privately. I wonder if the buyer was aware of just how little of the original Robot was actually still on it?
Great video. Reminds me of the old joke “This is the best ax I’ve ever owned. It’s had three new handles over the years, and two new blades, but it’s still going strong.” I’ve always wondered why that children’s show went to the time and expense to alter the robot costume so much. I can’t see any aesthetic production need for it. As far as I am aware this was the original robot prop’s only other appearance in a film/show outside LIS. Robbie appeared in SO many different roles in the 50s and 60s without his appearance being radically altered from Forbidden Planet. Of course TZ messed with the head a bit but in his next appearance it was correct again. Why screw up the B9 like that? I don’t see the point.
Agree with you with the kid's show needing the robot. They probably thought the LIS robot, being so iconic, would upstage the show if left as is. Mork and Mindy did use TOS spacesuits, though -- and shirts which they modified.
I suppose if I had wanted to buy the suit, I would go in expecting that a great deal of the original exterior was lost in the transition from that saturday morning show, but my biggest wonder would be if it were still possible for someone to get in and wear it again.
It never ceases to amaze me that people will just insult something as cool as that robot. Time marches on, I guess. BUT, luckily, you are here to set the record straight. Very enjoyable and interesting commentary. Thanks, Dan.
Robot behind is so beautiful. I wish i had the money to have one made. Hopefully someday. Been a collector for 37 years. God bless from the sledgemaster
Had no idea the bubble interior housed the "brain". Learned something new. As for the prop, it's probably as authentic as could be expected, since the robot had so many fragile (neon, glass) and perishable (rubber parts). Plus the hero suit was designed in parts so that it could be worn by Bob May, so components could easily be separated and lost or moved. Reminds me of a James Bond Mercury cougar used in OHMSS. They auctioned the car, but the vehicle had been repainted, which basically eliminated what you saw on screen -- but it's the same car. But the robot has unique parts, so it's more recognizably "genuine".
I do remember it being used in a commercial of some kind - maybe it was for lawnmowers. As a Lost In Space fan, I was disappointed when the robot DID speak in the commercial, but it was definitely not Dick Tufeld.
The legs are not real - I learned that after I made the video - the legs were sold at auction about a year ago. Thanks for reaching out! Cheers! Dan :)
This was such a Great Video Sir, thank you. We all LOVE the Original Robot and its so sad how they destroyed it for that Mystery Island Show. Twentieth Century should have made sure nothing happened to the Original and put it in the Smithsonian. By the way you have such a GREAT Voice Sir, My God, I'm sure you have done Radio work. Thanks Again.....
Those terrible claws….We in the B9 Builders club always said that someone who made accurate claws should send Kevin a pair. Those replacement claws are straight and just don’t look good. How they ended up on that ‘hero’ robot during restoration ? Well that should be another video!
Thanks, Daniel! If only I could have the guy responsible for “altering” the poor robot and painting him white under my power I’d be tempted to do a few things Fu Manchu would blanch at.
I think it would be funny if one person bought all those parts and reassembled them and then claim he had the original b9. If I owned the hero b9 I would want all those parts to put back on it fully restored of course. I restore antique clocks and the goal is always to repair and restore whats on the clock and not switch out parts.
There is one thing about the Robot back in the days of the series that I can't find, and that is the tread section. Was it motorized or was he always pulled by cables. I know later on, in some LIS Specials and so forth, you can see that he is pulled. However, in some of the scenes in the series, it almost had to be motorized. You can tell in some scenes that he jerks a little taking off. Some scenes, there are just no place for cables when either going across the flight deck, or when Will or Dr. Smith are walking right in front of him. So I was curious if you knew or could find out. Be a great topic for yet another video...
Once you replace a part, it’s no longer original. Should leave things like the B-9 in their original condition. And display it next to a like new, reproduction.
He's behind you. This is a bit like old railway steam engines, they would have a few, lets say castle class engines in the workshop. Take them all apart, then rebuild a castle class engine from all the parts they had, just chose a name plate to put on it, and then put it back in service. So you ended up with a named steam engine that maybe only had one part from the last one of that name.
If I were in the market for original "things," I would not be happy with the Lost in Space, Robot, of today. Collectors want originals for a reason. It is easy to recreate almost anything. I've seen fake silver coins that would almost fool a professional collector of coins. So, no I would not be happy collecting recreations. But it is nice to see items that represent what the original looked like. Just don't try to pass them off as original.
Reminiscent of "Trigger's Broom" in the classic British Comedy 'Only Fools and Horses', when he says he's had the same broom for years, having only replaced the head and handle separately a few times each over the years.
I always thought Dr. Smith was a Russian saboteur, sent to cause the failure of the mission, but far too cowardly to mess up things to the point where he would lose his life.
I can't believe they painted the robot white, as you would say how crazy is that, 😮😮 probably the same people who made the second version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, I think they're still in hiding 😅😅😅😅😅
You may know that Robby, from "Forbidden Planet," was designed by the same man, I believe his name was Kenoshita, and that he started off designing washing machines! @kelli217
I keep imagining how dangerous was all those neon lights and their high voltage generators for the actor inside the robot.
Very dangerous indeed. And a similar problem existed with the Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet.
That problem being - both Robot suits were top-heavy. VERY top-heavy. And if you tilted past a certain point, there was simply no way to recover and the suit actor (and suit) was going to fall over. If the fall was FORWARD - and it very likely would be - due to more weight in the front due to the arms etc. - then the suit and actor inside would smash into the ground. With a high likelihood that the wrists or forearms would be broken. And then the face of the actor would likely hit the neon tubes right in front. If they break, you could get either electrocuted or doused in some toxic materials. Possibly both. And the ONLY way out was for the crew to unbolt the top of the robot suit and drag the stunt actor out. Which - if his arms are broken, is going to be very difficult at best.
The B-9 Robot was slightly better than Robby in that regard because IF a falling accident had occurred, the actor inside MIGHT have the presence of mind to remove his hands from the claw units and tuck them inside the torso shell completely. Perhaps even being able to brace himself and protect his face. But the arms on the Robby suit weren't quite as fully retractable. I'm unsure whether the actor in the robby suit could pull them back into the torso completely or not.
( Bill Mumy mentioned in an interview that the stunt actor could indeed pull in his arms completely and use them to spin the torso around completely 360 on the rotation waist collar. So that's how I know the B-9 suit operator could pull in his own hands completely. )
Fortunately - no such accident to the best of my knowledge ever happened.
All in all - just another day on the job. Standards were a LOT DIFFERENT back then!
@@logandarklighterThere was that time someone stepped on his cable while May was going up the Jupiter’s ramp and he fell backwards. He was out for a second, I think and woke up to find Lockhart bending over him in alarm. I may be off on some details, so please correct me.
I wore an outrageously heavy robot suit in a stage play in Savannah, Ga. in May 2010, and the weight of that thing combined with the lack of ventilation while working under stage lights in front of an audience almost killed me. It was extremely hard not to tip over. Actors who play robots, gorillas, giant Japanese monsters and so on deserve every cent they make. I wouldn’t do it again for love or money.
@@GrantTarredusI seen that episode when he was going up the ramp into the Jupiter, you catch it right as he starts tilting back, it almost looked like Penny tried to grab him , I even freeze framed the moment, great hidden history ✌👍
What they did to that robot on 'Mystery Island' was disgraceful.
I suppose it's theoretically possible (and don't ask B9 about this, because it's explicitly a Non-Theorizing type) that the legs were just put on backwards after the restoration... the tilt of the bellows in the upper conjoined section is the almost exactly the reverse of that shown in the older images.
It's sad to me how the story of this prop played out. I didn't even exist when the original run of this show aired, but it is such an iconic 'ROBOT' design. Like... if you try to imagine what a robot looks like this is it. I wish it was in more complete state but it's an absolute fluke when a prop this old can survive this long. The starship enterprise model from the original run of startrek is a fine example of just absolute luck that it survived at all. A huge 11 foot filming model with awkward pylons that should have long since been destroyed or cracked, surviving to be loved and admired by generations to come.
You just don't know the true value of a thing until long after productions wrapped up.
TOTALLY agree!!
Judging by the appearance of the rubber knees that were still on the original treadsections when it was recently auctioned off at the Greg Jein auction, the legs probably rotted away to the point where they had to be replaced. I was shocked to see that Greg had the original brain. Like you, I thought the original was still on the Robot. I had heard very little original parts were still on him and I remember seeing that picture many years ago of the white painted treads. I also remember when Kevin was selling it on ebay. It didn't sell so he ended up selling it privately. I wonder if the buyer was aware of just how little of the original Robot was actually still on it?
If the legs were, as they appear to be, rubber, then they would have deteriorated many years ago.
Great video. Reminds me of the old joke “This is the best ax I’ve ever owned. It’s had three new handles over the years, and two new blades, but it’s still going strong.” I’ve always wondered why that children’s show went to the time and expense to alter the robot costume so much. I can’t see any aesthetic production need for it. As far as I am aware this was the original robot prop’s only other appearance in a film/show outside LIS. Robbie appeared in SO many different roles in the 50s and 60s without his appearance being radically altered from Forbidden Planet. Of course TZ messed with the head a bit but in his next appearance it was correct again. Why screw up the B9 like that? I don’t see the point.
You may know that Robby was designed by the same man, I believe his name was Kenoshita, and that he started off designing washing machines!
Agree with you with the kid's show needing the robot. They probably thought the LIS robot, being so iconic, would upstage the show if left as is. Mork and Mindy did use TOS spacesuits, though -- and shirts which they modified.
Classic Ship of Theseus situation. Just found your channel and love it!
Hey, thank you so much. The channel seems to have really taken off in the last 5 months. I appreciate the support :-) Dan
I suppose if I had wanted to buy the suit, I would go in expecting that a great deal of the original exterior was lost in the transition from that saturday morning show, but my biggest wonder would be if it were still possible for someone to get in and wear it again.
Great robot information 👏
It never ceases to amaze me that people will just insult something as cool as that robot. Time marches on, I guess. BUT, luckily, you are here to set the record straight. Very enjoyable and interesting commentary. Thanks, Dan.
If someone bought those parts and built another; wouldn’t it also be an authentic hero just with a replacement center section?
Robot behind is so beautiful. I wish i had the money to have one made. Hopefully someday. Been a collector for 37 years. God bless from the sledgemaster
You can build a fairly decent looking replica for less than you think :-) if you ever seriously consider it reach out. Thanks, Dan
Had no idea the bubble interior housed the "brain". Learned something new. As for the prop, it's probably as authentic as could be expected, since the robot had so many fragile (neon, glass) and perishable (rubber parts). Plus the hero suit was designed in parts so that it could be worn by Bob May, so components could easily be separated and lost or moved. Reminds me of a James Bond Mercury cougar used in OHMSS. They auctioned the car, but the vehicle had been repainted, which basically eliminated what you saw on screen -- but it's the same car. But the robot has unique parts, so it's more recognizably "genuine".
Does anybody out there remember that the robot suit was used in a commercial for riding lawnmowers?????
I do remember it being used in a commercial of some kind - maybe it was for lawnmowers. As a Lost In Space fan, I was disappointed when the robot DID speak in the commercial, but it was definitely not Dick Tufeld.
Is a good question. Good to see another of ur videos. God bless from the sledgemaster
Thanks 👍
Another great & informative offering.
Love what you're doing, man 🤖👍
Maybe the rubber corrugated legs are on backwards, which would make the seam different.
The legs are not real - I learned that after I made the video - the legs were sold at auction about a year ago. Thanks for reaching out! Cheers! Dan :)
This was such a Great Video Sir, thank you. We all LOVE the Original Robot and its so sad how they destroyed it for that Mystery Island Show. Twentieth Century should have made sure nothing happened to the Original and put it in the Smithsonian. By the way you have such a GREAT Voice Sir, My God, I'm sure you have done Radio work. Thanks Again.....
Those terrible claws….We in the B9 Builders club always said that someone who made accurate claws should send Kevin a pair. Those replacement claws are straight and just don’t look good. How they ended up on that ‘hero’ robot during restoration ? Well that should be another video!
Thanks, Daniel! If only I could have the guy responsible for “altering” the poor robot and painting him white under my power I’d be tempted to do a few things Fu Manchu would blanch at.
The rubber on the treads would have degraded over the years, so it would makes sense that they would be replaced.
The life of a movie prop is a rough one of constant modifications.
Great video...👍
This was a subject I didn't know I needed to know, but I did and better off for it.
I think it would be funny if one person bought all those parts and reassembled them and then claim he had the original b9. If I owned the hero b9 I would want all those parts to put back on it fully restored of course. I restore antique clocks and the goal is always to repair and restore whats on the clock and not switch out parts.
Jupiter II was Originally Gemini 12, so B-9 is now the Robotic Equivalent of the Ship of Theseus 🛸
There is one thing about the Robot back in the days of the series that I can't find, and that is the tread section. Was it motorized or was he always pulled by cables. I know later on, in some LIS Specials and so forth, you can see that he is pulled. However, in some of the scenes in the series, it almost had to be motorized. You can tell in some scenes that he jerks a little taking off. Some scenes, there are just no place for cables when either going across the flight deck, or when Will or Dr. Smith are walking right in front of him. So I was curious if you knew or could find out. Be a great topic for yet another video...
I always thought it had a 8 track player for CLOAD
Sounds like the owner is parting the robot out.
Awesome and amazing.
Nuff said 😅
Oh no you didn't!! B-9 again. Interesting.
The Magnetic Lock... oh this is an older video for sure
the one thing real is the guy inside working it BOB MAY! 🤷♂️🤔👍
Wasnt the original bubble a lamp fixture globe?
I wish it was :-) the bubble was custom made using Plastics and molds by the 20th Century Fox special effects team
the Saticons have all the original parts and pieces, they took them back to their planet and left Will with only duplicates.
The Robot of Theseus.
Why would they sell it piecemeal, wouldn’t it be more valuable as a whole robot. 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸
Once you replace a part, it’s no longer original. Should leave things like the B-9 in their original condition. And display it next to a like new, reproduction.
He's behind you.
This is a bit like old railway steam engines, they would have a few, lets say castle class engines in the workshop. Take them all apart, then rebuild a castle class engine from all the parts they had, just chose a name plate to put on it, and then put it back in service. So you ended up with a named steam engine that maybe only had one part from the last one of that name.
If I were in the market for original "things," I would not be happy with the Lost in Space, Robot, of today. Collectors want originals for a reason. It is easy to recreate almost anything. I've seen fake silver coins that would almost fool a professional collector of coins. So, no I would not be happy collecting recreations. But it is nice to see items that represent what the original looked like. Just don't try to pass them off as original.
Similar to the quandry when restoring an old car with new panels etc. When does it cease to be original?
...excellent question. I suppose by percentage or original features?
Reminiscent of "Trigger's Broom" in the classic British Comedy 'Only Fools and Horses', when he says he's had the same broom for years, having only replaced the head and handle separately a few times each over the years.
If you’re going to sell it it’s all original 😂
Didn’t quite work that comment did it ? Watch the actual program then you will understand the joke
I always thought Dr. Smith was a Russian saboteur, sent to cause the failure of the mission, but far too cowardly to mess up things to the point where he would lose his life.
Hey how about a show on ASTROBOY?
I can't believe they painted the robot white, as you would say how crazy is that, 😮😮 probably the same people who made the second version of The Day the Earth Stood Still, I think they're still in hiding 😅😅😅😅😅
Every9ne needs a bot they just dont knowit yet
One of 7o7
666 Like That is me!!
Ugh, Mystery Island destroyed Robot.
You may know that Robby, from "Forbidden Planet," was designed by the same man, I believe his name was Kenoshita, and that he started off designing washing machines!
@kelli217
YES!! Robert Kinoshita!! Thanks for reaching out! Cheers! Dan :)