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Location: NJ | The man behind the 'Lost in Space' robot died Sunday of congestive heart failure. Bob May, who donned The Robot's suit in the hit 1960s television show, was 69. May is survived by his wife Judith; his daughter; his son, Martin; and four grandchildren.
Before 'Lost in Space' creator Irwin Allen recruited May to play the Robinson family's robot sidekick in the series, May had a long career in film, TV, and on the vaudeville stage.
"He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit," said June Lockhart, who played family matriarch Maureen Robinson. "It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see Irwin Allen about the part. Allen said, 'If you can fit in the suit, you've got the job.'"
May once claimed the suit felt like a "home away from home."
Lockhart said May wore the suit for hours at a time and learned the lines of every actor in the show so he would know when to respond to their cues. Because it wasn't easy to get in and out of the suit, he kept it on during breaks. "He was a smoker," Lockhart remembered. "From time to time (when he was on a break), we'd see smoke coming out of the robot. That always amused us."
Although May didn't provide the robot's distinctive voice (that was done by announcer Dick Tufeld), he developed a following of fans who sought him out at memorabilia shows. The character shared by May and Tufield is still famous for his line, "Danger, Will Robinson," which became a national catch phrase.
"Lost in Space" was a space-age retelling of "The Swiss Family Robinson" story in which professor John Robinson, his wife and their children were on a space mission when their craft was knocked hopelessly off course by the evil Dr. Zachary Smith, who became trapped in space with them.
May appeared in films with Jerry Lewis and in TV shows as 'The Time Tunnel,' 'McHale's Navy' and 'The Red Skelton Show.' He was also a stuntman in many 1950s and '60s TV shows. |
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Location: Colorado | Danger...Warning Will Robinson |
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Location: Yorkshire, England | Very sorry to hear that news, Lost In Space was one of my very favourite (sorry...favorite) TV shows as a kid over here in the UK in the '60's, along with `Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea' and `Time Tunnel' |
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Location: NJ | Don't apologise for Proper English . . . |
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Location: Yorkshire, England | Well... U.S. spelling of English probably makes more sense, but thanks anyway! |
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Location: Avondale, AZ | You mean that there was a man inside the robot? I guess I can still learn new things. |
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Location: NJ | psssssttt . . . the JupiterII didn't "fly", either.
sorry . . . |
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Location: Yorkshire, England | Didn't anyone tell them? No wonder they didn't make it to Alpaha Centauri then!
Just out of interest, I have the first series box set with the original `unaired' pilot episode. (No Dr.Smith and no Robot !!) It certainly had a much darker feel than the rest of the episodes. Hard to imagine how it would have developed without those two characters. |
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Location: Melbourne Australia | and Professor John Robinson was really Zorro |
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Location: SoCal | It always struck me as strange, to see Timmy's mom lost in space. Who was gonna clean Lassie's poop up?
Who was in the robot in Forbidden Planet? Wasn't it pretty well the same robot (one could walk, the other seemed to float)...... |
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Location: Converse, Texas | Funny... "smoke coming out of the robot..." |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | The only part of growing older that really sucks is knowing more and more dead people.
There may be something else, but I forgot. |
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Location: NJ | The robot in Forbidden Planet was Robbie.
Different Robot. He walked (swaggered, actually).
The one in Lost in Space had seperate legs & could "shuffle", but each "foot" had little tank treads & could roll with his feet held together.
I met Jonathan Harris(Dr. Smith) and the robot at the LicensingShow a bunch of years ago (when they did the "LostInSpace" movie re-make . . . |
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Location: Michigan | Dr.Smith , he was great and to this day I bet ya Don would still want to kick his ass.He always got close to doing it but John Robinson would always stop him.
Man can you imagine being stuck on a spaceship with Judy Robinson for 5 or so years ? :eek: :eek:
If I remember Will had a guitar in space.
Dr.Smiths favorite saying to the robot
WHY YOU BUMBLEING BUCKET OF BOLTS ....GWB |
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Location: Maple Shade, NJ. | Does anybody know the name of the fuel they needed to get the Jupiter back in the sky???
Thats been a trivia question I have not been able to answer......never bothered to google it. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Danger! Danger! Geek Alert! <> |
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Location: NJ | Liquid Deutronium. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | and there you have it.
(I've always been convinced, Solid Deutronium was more promising and viable ) |
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Location: NJ | yeah, but Halliburton had the market cornered on the liquid stuff. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Same old story about current infrastructure... |
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Location: closely held secret | Today's Physical Science lesson...
New element discovered!
Seems that this new element exists practically everywhere, but because it is inert, no one recognized it until a major research institution was given a mega-dollar government grant to determine why everything slows down around all governmental bodies.
The recent hurricanes and gasoline issues are proof of the existence of the new chemical element. A major research institution has recently announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element has been named "Governmentium."
Governmentium(Gv) has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert. However, it can be detected, because it impedes every action and reaction with which it comes into contact.
A minute amount of Governmentium can cause an action that would normally take less than a second, to take over four days to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 4 years; it does not decay, but rather undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since every reorganization will cause more morons to combine with neutrons to form isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element which radiates just as much energy as Governmentium but differentiates itself by having only half as many peons and twice as many morons. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | And after only 8 years of research! |
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Location: NJ | Is THAT all it was??
Seemed longer. |
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Location: NJ | Speaking of "Lost In Space" . . .
Any of you guys ever hear any of Billy Mumy(Will Robinson)'s CD's??
He wrote/collaborated on a lot of the latter-day America stuff.
So if y'like that, y'might like his stuff.
kinda' California Velveeta-Rock . . . |
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Location: closely held secret | He's got three albums of his own out as well. According to IMDB he plays guitar, bass, keyboards, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, percussion and sings. |
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R.I.P. - Bob May
