CAST INTERVIEWS - BOB MAY
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Bob May was the actor inside the robot responsible for his personality, actions and movements.
Glenn:
Bob May, first of all sorry we're going to take you so far back into
time. Bob: Take me back as far as you like - that's the fun of it! G: I'd like to say a special thank you for being part of Lost In Space and thank you for your time today. B: Well let me tell you something, my time I spent on Lost In Space was a very happy memory, it really was - and it still is - and to give my time to you lovely folks coming over here from Australia, I can only say thank you for recognising me for all these years. G: Bob, I'd like to go right back now and talk about your 'Showbiz' family. B: That's a pleasure. My family were renown - and they played over in Australia and New Zealand in fact - Olsen & Johnson from Hellzapoppin'. Hellzapoppin! was born in 1938 (1939 I was born so that'll tell you how old I am!) But Olsen & Johnson were international stars... craziness, buffoonery and just having fun, making the audience part of their show constantly.
So by the time I was 13 years old I was not only still working as a performer, but I was also directing their shows. By the time I was 16 I was directing, producing and stiff acting. When you act in an Olsen & Johnson show you're not only doing scenes but you are going through trap doors ... you may be a gorilla one moment (laughs) ... you may be doing all kinds of different things! But it was a great experience. G: Bob, later on in 1961 you were married. Can you tell us how you met your wife? B: Yeah, that's a marvellous story because I was hiring people for an Olsen & Johnson show and I was told about this young lady who was a singer and an actress. Her name was Judy Wells and I went out to see her in a club, and I talked to her afterwards. I hired her for the show. We worked together ... and it was instantaneous! That was in 1961 (married here in Hollywood) and we'll be married 35 years in February, and that's the best thing that ever happened to me in my entire life. G: Bob, how did you start work with Irwin Allen? B: Irwin Allen? I did a Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea for him and I was at 20th Century Fox doing a remake of Stage Coach, in fact I was at one of the sound stages and I was to stunt-double Red Buttons. I was talking with Red and the director, and I received a phone call from a casting agent of 20th, asking me if I'd be interested in seeing Mr Allen for a possible television series. I turned around and said to Red Buttons (whom I'd known since I was a little kid because that's 'good old New York days!') and said, "Red, what should I do?" and he said, "Go do it and best of luck!" So I saw Mr Allen. Mr Allen said, "Didn't you work on Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea for me?" I said, "Yes sir, I did." He said, "Well, I'm doing this new television series, it's called Lost In Space. There's a part in there for a robot. Would you be interested?" and I said, "Certainly! Why not?" At that point they said if the suit fits, I get the job. Because they needed an actor that was very strong as well, because of the physical demands that the Robot had. So I went down to the Prop department and Bob (Kinoshita) was down there - the man who designed the Robot - and I got into it, and it did fit, and I said, "Oh good ... I've got myself another series!" Because Lost In Space was my fifth series. G:
Bob Kinoshita ... did you help him design the Robot as well? B: No, no ... I added different ideas that I felt added information to him that would help enhance my playing the part. You've got to understand where Bob's from: Bob's the one who originally designed Robby the Robot. Technically, he's a genius - he really is a genius. I would talk to him about, for instance, the first few scenes of LOST IN SPACE I had to hit my head on this telegraph key to make the light - the voice grill - work. I said to Bob, "You know, we've got to change this thing. I'd really like it in one of my hands..." and he designed a button that was the size of a wooden match that would be inserted into one of the claws (Johnny Burgazie constructed it), so that I could go around and make a 'clicking' motion in sync with every word. The Robot would talk and every syllable of every word had to be shown with the light. Well I'd go to parties and say, "Hello, how are you?" (clicks imaginary switch) you know, just trying to get used to using the thumb on that button. The first year, we had high voltage cables coming out of the back of the Robot. Later, Bob designed motor cycle batteries inside the Robot so it was self-contained. Bob did a lot of good things. G: Can you tell me about the 'Bermuda Shorts'?
When I say cable I mean to clarify that: in the first year I was walking the Robot, and that was 300 pounds that I had to move around. In the first episode ( The Reluctant Stowaway), if you recall, I had that big fight scene where I was destroying the top part of the ship because of 'dear Dr Smith', my very dear friend Jonathan Harris, who reprogrammed me for destruction. It was very difficult - it wasn't smooth. We needed to get the Robot to be smooth. So cables were designed to pull the Robot, but in doing cables you could only pull it straight. So the Bermuda shorts gave me the flexibility to be able to move around in circles, or around trees, or behind rocks or what have you. Sometimes you got to see my legs, but I won't say what episodes! Your readers are going to have to watch all the episodes to spot them! G: How did you 'see' out of the costume? B: Well if you recall the Robot outfit, you have the bubble on top, and then you have a collar. Well I would look through the collar, and that's how I would be able to see. But you couldn't tell because I had makeup on. Makeup similar to an, oh ... army man, going into battle and he diffuses his face so the facial structures could not be recognised. Same principle. G: Before you started work on the first episode, did you actually see the Pilot? B: No, I never got to see the Pilot until just a few years ago. A very dear friend of mine, Mike Clark, gave me a copy of the Pilot that he had. I was intrigued. But we were so far ahead of ourselves as far as technology on the show ... with the Flying Belt ... that was way before the astronauts ever used it. So if you look at the Pilot and look how serious they were doing the Pilot ... then they added Smith and the Robot, and well, all I can say is Lost In Space became Hellzapoppin' at that point! (laughs) G: The Robot looks to be the most magnificent piece of machinery and of course the personality you injected into the Robot actually makes him a fascinating character. B: Well, that's very nice of you to say that. Let me just phrase it this way if I may: acting is reacting, and the only way that an actor can do what I did, was to understand that an actor is reacting. A Robot has to different things that are said to he is happy, sad, confused. When he reaches in his memory banks of vaudeville and gives you this double take and raises his bubble. Everything has to be a reaction to get a personality. Smith gave the Robot the drama part, the buffoonery, the craziness. Will, Penny, Mr and Mrs Robinson, Major West gave it feeling. Especially, I would say, Will Robinson. Will gave it the emotional feeling. My favourite episode spells that out really clear, and that's 'Junkyard In Space!. Will Robinson and the Robot had a very touching scene where the Robot was going to destroy himself to save the family, and Will was crying at that point - he didn't want to lose his best friend. The Robot had that certain 'choke' in his throat ... and that is an example of the love that Will Robinson and the Robot had. Where with Dr Smith, anything could have happened and probably did, and he would have turned me into a golf cart if he had the opportunity! G: Bob, when did you first find out that your voice was being dubbed by somebody else?
B: I went to see the 'rushes!, and I'm sitting there and all of a sudden this other man's voice came on. It threw me into a state of shock at first. But you have to realise something: all our voices are dubbed when they go to Japan or Germany or Poland, or whatever country. That was the producer's choice, and I respect that. The voice that was used, Dick Tufeld, one of the best announcers in the world, and a very dear friend. As I said, he is highly talented. I had to do everything on the sound stage ... I had to memorise the lines, I had to say 'em, I had to activate the light. Then Dick would come in and do three or four episodes, like that! Just do it, three beats and then start saying words. That doesn't necessarily mean that he wasn't very talented - he was, exceptionally so! He was part of the success of Lost In Space, and I have to say it. G: During the shows run, did you actually meet Dick Tufeld? B: Oh yes, once or twice. When the Robot laughed, sometimes that was my voice, sometimes it was Dicks. When the Robot would sing, that was my voice, except for "Tiptoe through the Tulips" (Thc Space Circus). Dick said there was no way he was going to be able to dub my singing... there just wasn't! (laughs) G: Bob, there is an old Hollywood saying that says 'Stars are not born- they are made' ... I guess would you agree that there was never a truer statement in the case of the Robot? B: First of all let me clarify that to be able to answer that property. You said, "Stars are not born- they are made?" No, I disagree. I feel that a star ... is developed. But has to have something to begin with. The public makes you a star. But if you don't have it in you from day one, you are not going to be. It's like the painter, or the plumber or the electrician. They have to have their talent inside of them - they may get a break from someone - and word of mouth may get them more work. But they have to have something inside, they really do. G: What would you say the Robot stood for? What things did the Robot stand for in the way that, say, young people look up to a celebrity nowadays? B: I don't know if it stood for anything except for paying for my children to be born... but no, I'm only kidding! The Robot was 'The Friend'. The Robot and Dr Smith were an Olsen & Johnson, Abbot & Costello comedy team or a Laurel & Hardy. The Robot was someone ... that cared. Very much so. I had a Christmas card from a young boy once - Mr Allen wanted to keep the Robot a secret, that there was no-one inside the Robot and it was strictly a machine, and in the days we were filming, yes, that's understood. Today with your R2D2's and all the other factors, they tell who's doing it. But he didn't want people to know right then. That's what made him a genius ... he knew how to get to the public, how to make things work. I received a Christmas card from this young child, and it said, "Mr May and then it went on about Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and everything, and on the bottom it said, "I love you Robot." So we took that child and showed him reality, and showed him motion picture. He still believed the Robot was a robot. But he knew that I was the Robot. So we weren't ruining anything - we were having fun with it. And that made it nice. So I cherish that Christmas card.
B: (laughs) Well, some of them are written, and some of them were Jonathan Harris and myself Jonathan is a very clever man. He is! New York trained actor ... European training. We had fun working together, and when you have fun, things develop. When they develop between Smith and the Robot, they worked! G: Did you ever contribute to some of the names that Dr Smith called you on the show? B:
No, that was Jonathan. I'd like to be able to take that credit, but
Jonathan would take his script home at night and work on it and come
up with these different 'bubble headed boobies! and everything else
... that was Jonathan. G: As the Robot, you had to take a lot of abuse! B: Oh yeah, but I handed out some. If you recall, Jonathan had to polish me ... (War Of The Robots) and he gave me a rub-down, and that was fine, that was fine! G: Were you always inside the Robot suit during the Lost In Space run, what I mean is, was there anybody else besides you? B: No, there was nobody else inside the suit at all. I was the Robot, I always was the Robot, and I will always be the Robot. Billy and Mark Goddard pulled a stunt on me one time to make sure of it all. They locked me inside of it and went to lunch, and I was stuck in there the whole lunchtime. I shouldn't say this for your younger readers, but I have to tell the story. I was having a cigarette inside of the Robot, and Mr Allen came onto the set and saw smoke coming out the top of the Robot and says, "My God! The Robot's on fire!" and went to get a fire extinguisher. I yelled at him, "NO! NO! IT'S ONLY ME - I'M SMOKING!" Well, from then on, anytime they wanted a certain amount of smoke coming out of the Robot, they would hand me a cigar and say, " Smoke it! " Well, a cigarette is one thing, but a cigar gets ... (laughs) with that close area, it became kind of rough!
They inserted it right above where I put my arm into the mould of the Robot arms. So I had an ashtray built in there. So it was fun. But you've got to respect a man like Stu, because Jonathan will tell you - I will tell you - June or Billy, any of us that had to work with Stu: in any endangered areas Jonathan would say, "Stu, is this going to hurt?" and Stu would say, "Yeah" and he says, "Okay, as long as you tell me!" and it never did hurt because of Stu, and it was the same with me. But there was one time that wasn't his fault, and Nathan (Jerry) Juran was the director. Jerry and I argued about "well ... should we be in the Bermuda shorts or should we be in the full outfit?" and I didn't want to be in the full outfit, because we were going up the gangplank into the ship and there were too many people there and I was worried about somebody hitting cable. I felt that I could do it more comfortably in the Bermuda shorts, and safer. Well, Jerry's the director, and the director is the captain of the ship. So we went into the full outfit, and somebody - somehow stepped on a cable, and I did a 360' flip in the air (In the open' scenes of The Space Trader). Now if you're talking about Olympic scoring, I did a '1O' ... I had a '10' from all the judges! Because it went up in the air, flipped over, and I was out cold, and the next thing I remembered is that June Lockhart had me in her arms - in her lap - saying, "Are you all right, Bob?" Well you have to understand that I had a little baby boy ... a series is good work - it's a nice living - but I had no living without the Robot. So I looked up at June, and the only thing I could ask her at that point was, "How's the Robot?" Well, the Prop crew did a magnificent job ... it took 30 minutes. They rebuilt what was busted. Mr Allen, who had a great deal of compassion and feeling and understanding for me, asked me if I was all right and, Y'know, he told me I could take the rest of the day off if I wanted to. I said no, let's go ahead. Maybe that's because of my New York training - let's get on with the show. As my Dad said in Annie Get Your Gun - and he's the one that actually sang it to Ethel Merman "There's no business like show business". Well, I add one thing to that: there's no business like show business when there's business! G: During the first season, the elliptical sensors and the scanners inside the Robot's head did not work after a while. Can you tell me what happened there? B: Right, we had to cut out the 'ears' moving around because of sound. They made too much sound and (laughs) they were doing too much dubbing at that point. So therefore we cut the ears from moving. The little lights still blinked up in the head, but the motors were cut out for sound purposes. G: Can you tell me about some of those outrageous publicity shots we've seen? B: No! (laughs) Yeah, we had some fun. Umm ... I milked a cow once, I had my chauffeur drive me in - I was blowing bubble gum with Billy and I was playing the guitar to Angela. There were a lot of fun things of that nature. G: That bubble on top of the Robot, was that actually made of glass or was that plastic? B: That's plexiglass. G: Could you tell us how it was to get inside the Robot and to get out of it ... was it very difficult? B: It was very difficult to get inside or outside of the Robot. It needed several Prop men because they had to disconnect it in three different areas, they had to unplug the electrical lines, and I had to get out. The suit weighed 250 pounds - the top section. Another 50 pounds on the bottom like when I carried the Bermuda shorts that was tough because they had to put it on me and while they were locking it in place on the Bermuda shorts, I had to maintain that weight, and I carried it with a parachute harness that Bob and I worked out. It was difficult. It was something that you got used to and you started to ... well, you wouldn't think about it ... you would just do it. But yes, it took several people to get me in and out. G: How long did it take? B: Maybe two minutes, to get in and to get out. We had very competent crew, there was no doubt about it. Red Skelton's brother (Paul Skelton) was one of our Propmen, as to was Johnny Burgazie. There were several of these guys that have worked big big shows, big motion pictures, prior to coming to Lost In Space. That was Irwin Allen's greatest gift of picking the finest crew in the business. Whether it was a guy that's cleaning up the sound stage, the guy knew his job, and did it to perfection. All the way up to our producer. But that's the gift of a producer like Irwin Allen. And I say this, being a producer, being a director, and being there on the set of an Irwin Allen show. Irwin Allen was a genius - he got the best and only the best. Therefore with something like the Robot they would have taken much more time to get in and out. These men knew their job and they did it, and we were in and out in a couple of minutes, that's in and out in a couple of minutes, that's about all. G: What I'd like to do now, Bob, is talk about the stars of the show ... the leads. Not much is known about Guy Williams. Can you tell me about Guy? B: Guy Williams, God rest his soul, we miss him tremendously. Guy Williams played Zorro in the television series by Walt Disney. Marvellous actor, very good actor .. he was numero uno as June would say. And yes he was, and we miss him. G: Can you tell me about June Lockhart? B: June Lockhart - the Doll of all dolls. Again, you must understand where her background comes from - Gene Lockhart. Great actor, her father. June paid her dues, she learned her trade and never once changed from being the lovely lady she is, and she'll always be that way - her two daughters are that way. We love June .. she has held us all together. She is our 'Den Mother' - she got us together when we did some game shows and some talk shows, she was the one who got us together. I don't know what we would have done without June ... and I don't even want to think about it! Because June, she also did Lassie you know, and she is a true Mum. G: We've heard that Mark Goddard got up to all sorts of mischief on the show. Can you tell us about Mark at all? B: Mark? Serious actor. He worked with one of the greatest actors of our time, Robert Taylor. He played a detective. Mark has also done some soap operas. Mark is a 'finished' actor, he really is. To put him in this situation where you have a monkey and a robot and (laughs) different animals and creatures and everything like this, is the essence of the reason he's such a good actor because a mediocre actor couldn't have come off as well as he did, and the only reason he did is because he is a good actor. G: Another actor that was so young and yet has so many credits...
G: A beautiful young lady on the show was Angela Cartwright. Can you tell us about Angela? B: Can I tell you about Angela, that sweet beautiful child ... who is now a grown up, gorgeous lady with a couple of kids ... oh yeah! Her place of business is called "Rubber Boots", that doesn't sell boots, but it's a wonderful place. Angela started back, oh way back ... Danny Tbomas ... and when you work for Danny Thomas it's like working for Olsen and Johnson, you learn ... and that's great training. She did some other things before doing the Sound of Music. We were lucky enough to have her on Lost In Space. G: Next in line we have Marta Kristen ... B: Marta? Great gal ... beautiful ... you know, she really is ... and she's just as sweet. Marta had done "live" plays, "live" shows in the theatre, as well as doing other feature films before joining Lost In Space. G: We now come to your partner in crime, Jonathan Harris. B: (laughs) Jonathan Harris ... the man himself! My 'partner in crime' as you would say. Jonathan ... gets himself totally involved in a project. Is very helpful to everyone, very easy to work with, because you're working with a professional. You're working with someone who wants things to be... right. Not just passable, but right. Jonathan did a lot of theatre and he did a lot of television. I like Jonathan, we keep in touch, we talk. It was an honour working with him. I learned from him. Anybody that's around Jonathan has to learn. If not ... they've closed their ears and closed their eyes! G: Bob, as the show progressed, the Robot's English became more 'polished' as time went on. Now Dick Tufeld was locked into what you said ... B: Dick Tufeld was locked into my phraseology. He was locked into my timing. Yes, the Robot became more polished, because the Robot grew as a person, even though the Robot is a piece of machinery - and a computer - the Robot developed a personality. G: Speaking of personalities, can you tell me about your meeting with Daryl F. Zanuck Jr, who was at that time the boss of 20th Century Fox? B: (laughs) I had never met him and he had never met me before, and I had the weirdest outfit on, they were baggy pants with this dark shirt and this makeup, on ... that made me look like a raccoon! I'm walking from the sound stage to go to the commissary for lunch, and this man walks up to me and says, "What do you do around here?" and I said, "Well, I'm on the television series Lost In Space." He says, "What do you do?" and I said, "I'm the Robot. He says, "YOU'RE the Robot? My name is Mr Zanuck ..." I said, "Oh, Hi Mr Zanuck." He says, "We gotta do something about this wardrobe!" and I said, "Well I'm inside the Robot, and people don't get to see me." He said, "No no! You don't understand ... people DO see you and they're interested in meeting you. But we can't have you dressed like that!" and the next day I had the most gorgeous outfit, thanks to Mr Zanuck! G: What did you wear before, inside the Robot suit? B: Before? It was the baggy pants with the dark shirt, pair of sneakers and the raccoon make up. Then he got me this very nice pullover top that was multi-colours and gee ... I really felt that I was on Lost In Space. G: Do you still have it? B: No no ... that belonged to 20th Century Fox. G: Of the entire production of Lost In Space, can You name me a special guest star that you liked on the show? B: Oh, there were so many. Michael Rennie was great. There just were too many fine, fine actors to be able to pin one, that would be very unfair - I couldn't do that. G: Bob, the first five episodes of Lost In Space I still think are the most tremendous watch to at are your impressions when you I back at the show even today, and look those first five episodes? B: I would say with television series like The Flash and Earth2 and these other shows that have come on, I would say that Lost In Space would still hold its own today, because we didn't try to bring across any big message - we were there to entertain - and anytime you have a show that just entertains it can last a lifetime. So I feel that in the very beginning straight through all the years we filmed, Lost In Space is still 'major time release' that's allowed to be on right now.
READ THE NEXT GREAT PART TO THIS INTERESTING INTERVIEW WITH BOB MAY.
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My
Dad was a Broadway star, Marty May, and did Annie, Get Your Gun
with Ethel Merman. I did Artists and Models with Jackie
Gleason. My mother, June Johnson, was a Broadway star, television
star and she was also under contract to RKO. I started back in 1941,
a Broadway show called Sons of Fun, which was Olsen & Johnson's.
I was raised in an era where they taught you both sides of
the curtain and it was kind of fun because you learned what went on
behind the curtain that made everything in front of the curtain work.
B:
The Bermuda shorts... that is something that I asked Bob about, and
Bob laughed and he put them together. We called 'em 'Bermuda' shorts
because they were so floppy (laughs) and so big that they looked like
the typical Bermuda shorts that you'd go out into the ocean and hang
ten, or five or whatever the expression is ... I'm not a surfer (laughs)
so you can't tell by me! But the Bermuda shorts were designed so that
the Robot could move around in different circles and 'S' formations
where you could not lay a cable.
G:
Can you tell me Bob, how those humorous situations came around with
Dr Smith?
Then we had a marvellous special effects man, Stu
Moody, and he would help the situation with the smoke and things like
this. He was such a great guy, and we all had so much respect for
him. I mean, myself I was in endangered areas where explosions would
happen underneath me and around me and everything else, and as long
as Stu Moody was doing things ... I had no worries. I had no worries
at all. But Stu and Johnny Burgazie, and there were so many ... the
Prop guys that were there ... they got together with the smoking routine
and they put a little ashtray inside the Robot.
B:
Billy! Billy Mumy... Alfred Hitchcock loved him ... he adored him
and rightfully so. Billy reminds me a tremendous amount of another
young actor by the name of Brandon Duwilder. He was the same type
of an actor - was a genius as a young kid. Billy is a genius even
today. He writes for ASCAP. He has comic books that he writes. He's
doing Babylon 5. He contributes tremendously to our profession.
I like Billy, I really do. We keep in touch all the time.
