TOBOR THE GREAT

TOBOR THE GREAT. Lee Sholem, dir. USA: Dudley Pictures / Republic, 1954. Carl Dudley, story. 77 min. "A Republic Presentation" available through Republic Pictures Home Video. A newly developed robot "has emotions & can receive telepathic impulses; saves its inventor & his grandson from kidnapper-spies" (Walt Lee), late 1950s, communist spies. The emotions programmed into him by his good American inventors include "human love" and desire to protect human young. The robot has been developed for space flight to solve the one remaining problem: "the human factor," human limitations. See for a remote-control for the robot easy enough for a little boy to use, the useful and dangerous potentials of robots—depending upon who programs them—parallel to Tobor as both beautiful in appearance and threatening. Cf. and contrast Robby the Robot, primarily in "his" roles opposite children after FORBIDDEN PLANET: see Lost in Space TV series and LOST IN SPACE (film).