ALL SCI-FI

[Eadie]

Going through Butch's pics I found this pic of Robby from a failed Pilot with Robby as Sherlock Holmes.



Anyone know who the actor beside Robby is? It's definitely not Bill Malone!

Eadie. (I posted this at NautilusSubmarine.com, as well.)

[Brent Gair]

Looks a bit like Marty Ingels.

[Bud Brewster]

I tried using an image search on Google, but I got nothing. So, let's play Sherlock ourselves and look for clues.

Ladies and gentlemen, through observation and deductive reasoning I shall attempt to solve this mystery.

Before you stands what appears to be a famous robot who is quite familiar to us all. And yet . . . small discrepancies cause me to question that assumption.



First of all, study the plexiglass dome carefully. It's extremely shiny and well polished. The real Robby's dome is not quite so perfect and precisely made.



And now observe the torso. The finish would be described at "matte" --- a dull, non-reflective surface. The real Robby's finish was much shinier (when clean, unlike it was in The Case of the Invisible Boy, as recorded so luridly by Watson in his sensationalistic accounts of my investigations).



Ladies and gentlemen, if you're still not convince, I call your attention to the small, rectangular cover that hid the analyzer port on Robby's chest.

Until Bill Malone rescued Robby and restored him, there was a small chip in the lower edge of the chest arrangement immediately above that cover, apparently caused by the frequently impact of the small handle when the cover was raised.

__

This chip is clearly visible in many photos in the Scotland Yard's file on Robby the Robot (alias Robby the Mechanical Butler, Robby the Booze Maker, and Robby the Charman Squeezer).





As you can see, there is no chip on the door located on the individual calling himself Robby Holmes.



Obvious conclusion: this robot is an imposter!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Eadie]

It still doesn't answer MY question.

[orzel-w]

It's Jerry Mathers (Leave It to Beaver).
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Eadie]

Thank You!

Another picture from "Fred" on Nautilus Submarine:

[Brent Gair]

[Eadie]

I asked Mr. Fred, at Nautilus Submarine, if there any more information on this pilot? Since the M-G-M auction was in 1970 and Robby Moved to Movie World in late 1971 or early 1972; I'm presuming that Holmes and Walston was made in 1975.

It was stated that this pilot was mentioned in Starlog # 7 (August 1976). The complete issue is available for download as a PDF at https://ia601205.us.archive.org/27/items/starlog_magazine-007/007.pdf

It also had this other picture from the pilot:



That article also mention a proposed pilot called Space and Beyond where Robby becomes a somewhat reluctant member of an exploration starship's crew when the find him in space. This sounds great! If only the ship were the USS Enterprise!

[orzel-w]

[Brent Gair]

I have to admit...I don't get it.

I saw an online mention of this pilot dating it as 1966. Perhaps that date is incorrect.

Jerry Mathers graduated high school in 1967. That guy sure doesn't look like high school sophomore. And the moustache...Mathers joined the Air Force Reserve in 1966 while still in high school and photos show no 'stache.

I wish there was some more detail on this project.

[Eadie]

Trying to find info on The Love Boat 6th season episode.

Baby Talk ??? My Friend, the Executrix ??? Programmed for Love

Aired December 11, 1982

Guest starring Bix the Robot (a Robby variation), Angela Cartwright, Carol Channing, Grant Goodeve, Peter Marshall, Karen Morrow, Donna Pescow and Betty White.

Just think, Angela Cartwright in a THIRD appearance with Robby (the first two were on Lost In Space)!

Trying to find info on Robby's latest appearance; The Big Bang Theory season 8 episode 2 The Junior Professor Solution.

Robby's latest "appearance" in a fan film, Batman: The Great Mistake of Dr. Miles, can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pD71D-jWc

[Krel]

There was a six-part (I think), comedy show on cable in the early 80s named, "Likely Stories". One of the sketches was a 1950s view of the 1980s. Robby was the black robot maid, complete with a bandanna on his dome. I've never found a photo from that sketch.

David.

[Bud Brewster]

Butch sent me the text of his email to Bob Short, friend of Bill Malone, and the answer Bod sent back. Butch asked me to share it you folks.
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Robert Short <pointdoom@earthlink.net>

Dear Bob;

I doubt that you remember me, but I gave you some of the original "The Man From U. N. C. L. E." toys waaay back in 1978 and Puget Sound Star Trekkers when you were there with Bill Malone and Robby.

The reason for my missive is that I wish any information that you can recall on two projects you may have been involved in for Don Post Studios.

The first is Holmes and Walston, the Robby as Sherlock pilot. The second was a proposed pilot for Robby called Space and Beyond. Both were mentioned in Starlog number 7, August 1976.

I'm trying to compile a complete list of Robby's (and his variations) appearances (not counting conventions, of course) since IMDb is woefully inaccurate.

Anything you can supply would be helpful, particularly any possible links.

Take your time as I am currently in the hospital with pneumonia, bronchitis, pleurisy AND the flu. (The vaccines are 'cooked' in egg yolk and I'm highly allergic to eggs!)

Thanks

PS: How is The Man From U. N. C. L. E. movie doing? There is a scarcity of info.
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HIS REPLY:

Butch, Hi!

This certainly a blast from the past. I'd normally say, "How are things?" but in this case I???ll just say get well soon.

OK, here we go;

Holmes and Walston was a 1/2 hour pilot proposal film we shot under the banner of "Fantasy Classics" for Don Post studios. It was for a children TV series. It was a sales tool to get a network interested but it never got traction anywhere. The story was about the befuddled everyday guy named Walston played by Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver) who inherits from his eccentric uncle a robot that believes it is Sherlock Holmes. The robot once activated drags poor Walston, who he calls Watson, off on a case involving an alien who is stealing power from local power stations. Gort appears as the alien's henchman. Don Post Jr. produced it and Bill Malone and I co-created it. I played Robby, of course.

Let me know if you need any more info on it.

Some of my other Robby appearances were:

FDT Florist Commecial

Charmin Commercial

Roger Corman's "Hollywood Blvd".

Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter

Mork and Mindy

Ark II

Pink Lady

Space Academy

Album cover for Ktel record

and a few others I can't think of at the moment.

Space and Beyond don't ring any bells at the moment.

The Man From U. N. C. L. E. film is coming out mid Aug this year and I did get a chance to work on it in the VFX department.

Best,

Bob
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)