Robert Kinoshita
Encyclopedia
Robert Kinoshita is an artist
, art director
, and set and production designer
who worked in the American film and television industries
from the 1950s through the early 1980s.
s in science fiction
: Tobor
from the 1954 film Tobor the Great
as well as the 1957 television pilot Here Comes Tobor
; Robby the Robot
from the films Forbidden Planet
in 1956 and The Invisible Boy
in 1957; and "B9 Environmental Control" robot from the 1960s TV series Lost in Space
, who was called "Robot".
Created at a cost of anywhere between $125,000 and $1,000,000 — depending on which source is quoted — and measuring around 7 feet tall, Robby the Robot
was the result of the efforts of a number of individuals, although the final design as it appeared in Forbidden Planet is usually attributed to Kinoshita, who was head draftsman
of the art department, and who produced the working drawings and blueprint
s for Robby’s construction under the supervision of art director A. Arnold “Buddy” Gillespie
at MGM.
Around April 1965, Irwin Allen
hired Robert Kinoshita as the art director for the Lost in Space series. Of the many tasks to befall Kinoshita, two of them were to come up with a robot (which he nicknamed "Blinky") and to redesign the pilot film's Gemini XII space ship into what would become the Jupiter 2. This robot never had a real name—only the model number "B9." In the show he was referred to as "the robot" or called by the generic name, "Robot." He was brought to life by the combination of actor Bob May
and voice actor Dick Tufeld
.
Two of Kinoshita's famous robots appeared faceplate-to-faceplate in the Lost in Space
episodes "War of the Robots" and "Condemned of Space", where Robby the Robot appeared as a guest robotoid
and robot, respectively.
Among his credits are art direction on three other well-known TV shows: Bat Masterson
(1960–1961), Hawaii Five-O
(1970–1971), and Kojak
(1973–1974).
The B9 robot fan club provides photos of Kinoshita on his 94th birthday as well as an interview.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
, and set and production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
who worked in the American film and television industries
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
from the 1950s through the early 1980s.
Biography
He is best known as the designer of three of the most famous robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s in science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
: Tobor
Tobor
Tobor is a fictional robotic character, featured in the 1949-1954 American science-fiction TV-series Captain Video and His Video Rangers as well as being the main character of the 1954 movie Tobor the Great...
from the 1954 film Tobor the Great
Tobor the Great
Tobor the Great is a 1954 science fiction film, written by Carl Dudley & Philip MacDonald, and directed by Lee Sholem. It stars Charles Drake, Karin Booth, and Billy Chapin. The film was released on DVD on May 13, 2008 by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.Dr...
as well as the 1957 television pilot Here Comes Tobor
Here Comes Tobor
Here Comes Tobor was a proposed American science-fiction TV-series. It was produced for the 1956-1957 season. However, the project was not aired and only a pilot episode was filmed....
; Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot is a fictional character who has made a number of appearances in science fiction movies and television programs after his first appearance in the 1956 MGM science fiction film Forbidden Planet.-Overview:...
from the films Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
in 1956 and The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy
The Invisible Boy is a science fiction film, directed by Herman Hoffman, and starring Richard Eyer and Philip Abbott. It is the second film appearance of Robby the Robot, a famous science fiction character, who first appeared in Forbidden Planet , which is set in the 23rd century. Released by...
in 1957; and "B9 Environmental Control" robot from the 1960s TV series Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
, who was called "Robot".
Created at a cost of anywhere between $125,000 and $1,000,000 — depending on which source is quoted — and measuring around 7 feet tall, Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot
Robby the Robot is a fictional character who has made a number of appearances in science fiction movies and television programs after his first appearance in the 1956 MGM science fiction film Forbidden Planet.-Overview:...
was the result of the efforts of a number of individuals, although the final design as it appeared in Forbidden Planet is usually attributed to Kinoshita, who was head draftsman
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
of the art department, and who produced the working drawings and blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s for Robby’s construction under the supervision of art director A. Arnold “Buddy” Gillespie
A. Arnold Gillespie
Albert Arnold Gillespie was an American cinema special effects artist.-Early years:Gillespie joined MGM as a set designer in 1925, a year after it was founded. He was educated at Columbia University and the Arts Students League. His first project was the silent film Ben-Hur, released that same year...
at MGM.
Around April 1965, Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen
Irwin Allen was a television and film director and producer nicknamed "The Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genre. He was also notable for creating a number of television series.- Biography :...
hired Robert Kinoshita as the art director for the Lost in Space series. Of the many tasks to befall Kinoshita, two of them were to come up with a robot (which he nicknamed "Blinky") and to redesign the pilot film's Gemini XII space ship into what would become the Jupiter 2. This robot never had a real name—only the model number "B9." In the show he was referred to as "the robot" or called by the generic name, "Robot." He was brought to life by the combination of actor Bob May
Bob May (actor)
Bob May was an American actor best remembered for playing The Robot on the television series Lost in Space, which debuted in 1965 and ran until 1968...
and voice actor Dick Tufeld
Dick Tufeld
Dick Tufeld is an American actor, announcer, narrator, and voice actor from the 1950s onward.He is perhaps best known as the voice of the Robot in the TV series Lost in Space, a role he reprised for the 1998 feature film...
.
Two of Kinoshita's famous robots appeared faceplate-to-faceplate in the Lost in Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
episodes "War of the Robots" and "Condemned of Space", where Robby the Robot appeared as a guest robotoid
Robotoid
A robotoid is an "artificial lifeform" that is created through processes that are totally different from cloning or synthetics.Perhaps the first mention of "robotoid" was in the Lost in Space episode War of the Robots which originally aired on February 9, 1966 and credits Robby the Robot as a...
and robot, respectively.
Among his credits are art direction on three other well-known TV shows: Bat Masterson
Bat Masterson
William Barclay "Bat" Masterson was a figure of the American Old West known as a buffalo hunter, U.S. Marshal and Army scout, avid fisherman, gambler, frontier lawman, and sports editor and columnist for the New York Morning Telegraph...
(1960–1961), Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O
Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...
(1970–1971), and Kojak
Kojak
Kojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973, to March 18, 1978, on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
(1973–1974).
The B9 robot fan club provides photos of Kinoshita on his 94th birthday as well as an interview.