Coming so soon after the death of the actor Bob May (who also wandered around stage sets in a robot suit), not to mention two other of his idols- we must assume Eye of Polyphemus will be verklempt for a while.
The new year is less than three weeks old, but we have already lost three shining gems of science fiction. I have already written about Patrick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalban. This weekend made it three when Bob May passed on.
May had a long career in television, commercials, and movies, but he is most famous for a role in which you never actually saw him. It was may who was inside the Robot B-9 costume during the run of Lost in Space."He was a veteran actor and stuntman who had appeared in movies, TV shows and on the vaudeville stage when he was tapped by “Lost in Space” creator Irwin Allen to play the Robinson family’s loyal metal sidekick in the series that debuted in 1965.I am afraid i do not have a whole lot more to add other than acknowledging the banter Jonanthan harris' Dr. smoth and the robot was the highlight of the series. The robot's voice was provided by Dick Trufeld, but those mannerisms orchestrated by May helped seal the deal.
“He always said he got the job because he fit in the robot suit,” said June Lockhart, who played family matriarch Maureen Robinson. “It was one of those wonderful Hollywood stories. He just happened to be on the studio lot when someone saw him and sent him to see Irwin Allen about the part. Allen said, ‘If you can fit in the suit, you’ve got the job.’
You will find more details here. Godspeed, Mr. May.
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