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The Reluctant Stowaway - Mark Goddard Memories
"The Reluctant Stowaway" episode of Lost In Space costarred a very reluctant actor - me. We had made the pilot which I thought was pretty solid, and I was curious about the changes that Irwin Allen and CBS made in regard to cast additions.
I was impressed with the evilness of Dr. Smith's character, and I agreed with the element of conflict that needed in a dramatic series. On the other hand, when I first saw the Robot, I was taken aback. The Robot was supposed to be a threat to the Robinsons and Major West. THREAT? - Maybe to the sandbox set at my 4-year-old daughter's nursery school, but to Zorro, Lassie's mom, Chris Ballad of the Detectives, a Von Trapp, a kid who could wish you into a corn field, and a Blonde bombshell, he was no threat.- Cute, but no threat.
When they started pulling him around the set on cables, up ramps, and around styrofoam rocks, I knew the time between set-ups would be long and tedious. That's probably the reason why I got into trouble with Billy on the 20-Century lot. Too much time on my hand!
Anyway, it seemed that I was always tripping over the cables or trying to stay out of the way when they moved the Robot in and out of the scene. I always thought the background music, whenever the Robot moved around the set, should have been "Beer Barrel Polka", to a slow march beat.
What I most remember about this episode, was the so-called fight scene between the Robot and West. All I had to do was disconnect his power pack. But darn, I kept breaking my fingernails on the Robot's lobster claws. He was tough, but the Major prevailed. Yes, the Major prevailed to fight another day.
Smith! Get over here!
