Updated: June 09, 2024

Robby was the brainchild of, and designed by Robert Kinoshita, and built in mid-1955 by the MGM prop department, at a reported cost of $125,000.00 from blueprint plans provided by industrial designer, Japanese-American engineer Robert Kinoshita, to 'star' in the epic science fiction classic Forbidden Planet ( 1956 ) and its B-movie follow-up The Invisible Boy ( 1957 ) a year later. Robby the Robot has become one of the most popular Robot icons in the history of movies and media, as recognizable as George Lucas' erstwhile comedy team of R2-D2 and C-3PO who 'co-starred' in his epic sci-fi fantasy Star Wars ( 1977 ).

Today, Robby the Robot is a superstar of science fiction, the perfect realization of Isaac Asimov's famous "Three Laws of Robotics" established over 40 years ago in Forbidden Planet ( 1956 ). The Barton brothers completed their full-size replica of Robby in the spring of 1975, and celebrated by booking him at as many Star Trek and sci-fi conventions as they could. Robby was a big hit, a major media star once again, even though the clone made all the personal appearances while the original MGM Robot stood gathering dust in an Orange County movie museum.

Robby is now owned by the top Forbidden Planet collector in the world, film director 'Bill Malone'. Robby's voice was provided by talented actor and announcer Marvin Miller. Robby stands at a height of 7' 6" tall, weighs about 300 lbs., and was originally operated by an MGM special effects technician named 'Glen Robinson' who subsequently worked on MGM's Logan's Run ( 1976 ).