Invisible Boy, The (1957)

A ten-year-old boy and Robby the Robot team up to prevent a supercomputer from controlling the Earth from a satellite.

Edmund Cooper’s original short story made no mention of a robot, but, following the success of Forbidden Planet (1956), producer Nicholas Nayfack persuaded Cyril Hume to rework it as a vehicle for Robby the Robot.

The parallel between young Timmie Merrinoe (Richard Eyer) being groomed for greatness by his scientist father (Philip Abbott), and Robby’s rebellion against the megalomaniac supercomputer is neatly drawn.

But younger viewers will be more interested in Robby and Timmie’s invisible antics (designed to teach his folks a lesson) than any cornball moralising.

Timmie Merrinoe
Richard Eyer
Dr Tom Merrinoe
Philip Abbott
Mary Merrinoe
Diane Brewster
General Swayne
Harold J. Stone
Prof. Frank Allerton
Robert H. Harris
Colonel Macklin
Dennis McCarthy
Robby
Robby the Robot
Robby (voice)
Marvin Miller
Arthur Kelvaney
Alexander Lockwood
Prof. Baine
John O’Malley
Dr Bannerman
Gage Clarke
Prof. Zeller
Than Wyenn
Prof. Foster
Jefferson Dudley Searles

Director
Herman Hoffman

Video