Forbidden Planet’s Robby the Robot sold today for $5,375,000 including premium at Bonhams “TCM Presents…Out of this World!” auction.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956. Original Robby the Robot suit consisting of three main interlocking sections: His intricate “head,” the upper torso with bellows-jointed arms, and the legs; constructed of Royalite plastic, metal, rubber, wood, acetate, and Perspex, with a 1950s pair of men’s size 10.5B black leather loafers located inside Robby’s feet; with Robby’s original Jeep, control panel, alternate original “claw” hands, alternate original “Uncle Simon” The Twilight Zone head, and original wooden shipping “stage crates” with original painted studio transmittal information and shipping labels.

Originally created for M-G-M’s outer space epic Forbidden Planet, Robby the Robot ranks among the single most iconic props in science fiction film history and arguably is the cinema’s most famous and instantly recognizable robot. Bonhams is proud to present Robby, his Jeep, and his other major components at auction for the very first time.

 

[Thanks to Bill Burns and Andrew Porter for the story.]