Original subtitles

Since Lost in Space was left unresolved, I wanted to resolve it. So I had co

-written the screenplay, which I took to CBS, and they wanted to do it. I then

took it to 20th Century Fox. They wanted to do it. I took it to the cast.

They wanted to do it.

And then I took it to Irwin Allen.

Kind of like, hey, we can't lose here.

But Irwin didn't want to read it. Irwin didn't want to talk about it.

He didn't want to go back to any of his past television projects.

He was a big Oscar -winning filmmaker at that point in time, and he didn't want

to go back to his TV stuff.

So he basically said that if there ever was a time when he wanted to go back and

do Lost in Space, either as a feature or as a television movie of the week, it

would be his script and it would be his idea, and he'd call my agents, and that

would be that.

And that was the last time I talked to Irwin, and that was, I think, 1980.

And then I used some of those ideas from my script when I was writing the Lost

in Space comic book.

So I got to get some of it out.

Bobby was extremely passionate about his role, okay?

I mean, I wouldn't say he was a method actor, but the guy really loved being

robot. I mean, you know, his chair was painted silver.

His dressing room was painted silver.

And he just loved being in there.

I would think that any opportunity I would get to get out of there whenever I

could, if I were in the robot, I would, get me out of here, cut, fine, let me

out of here.

Bobby was very comfortable in there, and he did a fantastic job as the robot.

I mean, I can't sing his praises highly enough as the actor that he was inside

there, because not only did he have to memorize and give us all of the

he had to do the technical stuff at the same time.

inside this, you know, fiberglass shell, plus at many times carry the burden of

like hundreds of pounds on his shoulders and still be able to act.

I mean, he's an unsung hero of the 60s.

But he did get a little overly passionate, I think, about the robot.

So one day, Mark Goddard and I used to constantly goof around.

We used to steal producers' golf carts and drive them out to the moat on the

back lot and throw them in the water. I mean, I can't get sued for that now, can

I? I mean, we used to do a lot of stuff during lunch and things, just for fun,

just to goof around.

So one day we were breaking for lunch, as I recall, if memory serves me well.

I've been watching the O .J. Simpson trial. I have to, as I recall.

Anyway.

We were going to lunch, and the effects guys were about to get Bobby out of the

robot so he could go to lunch. And Mark and I said to, I think it was Stu Moody,

one of our wonderful special effects guys, who would always tell you, don't

worry, everything's safe.

He had, like, no fingers.

He'd always tell you not to worry about it. You're going to be okay.

He's like, oh, Stu, are you sure?

Anyway.

We said, don't worry, Stu, we'll let Bobby out of the robot. You go on ahead

lunch. So everyone left the set, and Mark and I left Bobby alone in the

of the stage 11, and it was like the sand exterior set. He was out there in

middle about some foam rubber rocks, and we left him there. That was it. We just

said, let's leave Bobby in the robot and go to lunch. Well, we were gone maybe,

you know, five or ten minutes. It wasn't like leaving him in there for an hour.

We were gone a few minutes.

We looked at each other and said, oh, we can't. We can't leave Bobby in there.

You know, that's not fair.

We've had our little joke.

Let's go back and let him out now.

So Mark and I are walking back to the set and the doors are open and we can

you know, 30 yards away, there's the robot in the middle of the set and

smoke coming out of the robot.

And Mark and I look at each other like, oh, oh my God, like what if one of those

wires inside...

Maybe Bobby was trying to get out and one of these wires fell down and like

burnt him to a crisp. He's sizzled. He's electrified. And I'm like, we killed

him. We've electrocuted him. We start running to the robot thinking, oh, you

know, this is like beyond bad. This is like we've like killed Bobby May or

something. We're really upset.

We start to get the thing out of the bubble.

Here's Bobby May holding a little pen flashlight.

smoking a cigar, not a cigarette, smoking a cigar.

He's holding a pen flashlight and he's reading The Hollywood Reporter.

Could have been a variety, but he's sitting there reading a trade, smoking a

cigar with a pen flashlight. He's happy as a clam.

He's totally fine that he's in the robot.

It's like, oh, hi, Mark. Hi, Bill.

Hey, did you know Disney's making it? It's like unbelievable, unbelievable.

He had to be there, but to the best of my knowledge, that's how it occurred.

Guy Williams taught me how to fence.

Jonathan taught me comic timing.

Mark was like, I wanted to be Robin to his Batman.

Bobby and I worked great together.

Marta Kristen turned me on to Bob Dylan, something I'll always thank her for.

I fell madly in love with Angela Cartwright. That was a great thing.

June has kept our little group together over the years by calling everyone and

making sure we'd get together for a lunch here and there. She's a great rock

roll, wonderful woman who expanded my mind by playing Scrabble with me

she could.

It was a great group, still is a great group.

Love to do it again someday.