Lost in Space: The True Story
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Pre-Launch
In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) evolved from the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). NASA’s main mission consisted of beating the Russians in the so-called ‘space race.’ This was no easy task as the Russians enjoyed a massive head start by placing the first man-made object in orbit on October 4, 1957 -- satellite Sputnik I.
And so was born Project Mercury, a massive undertaking involving the selection of America’s best and brightest to be star voyagers or ‘astronauts’ who soon became household names -- John Glenn, Alan Shepard.
With America absorbed by, steeped in, and fascinated with the space program in the 1960’s, Hollywood followed suit. Entertainment heavily reflected the sociological indicators, current events, and famous people connected with space. Films and television shows explored brave new otherworlds in fantastic stories, amazing voyages, and incredible missions. Lost in Space was one of those offerings.
The Flintstones added the wise-cracking, diminutive, intelligent alien Gazoo (voiced by Harvey Korman). I Dream of Jeannie illustrated every man’s fantasy -- a beautiful, buxom, bodacious blonde able to grant wished, obey commands, and fulfill desires. Only the protagonist was no everyman. He was Captain (later Major) Anthony Nelson, a NASA astronaut.
The granddaddy of them all was Wagon Train in space. Star Trek followed the voyages of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise in the 23rd century. These voyages adhered to the Enterprise’s mission to boldly go where no man has gone before.
Lost in Space premiered on September 15, 1965 on CBS. This futuristic version of the classic 19th century novel Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss captured audience’s attention during the space age. The family in Wyss’ novel endured a shipwreck, domesticated an island, and created a thriving existence. The Robinson family on Lost in Space finds itself marooned in space after a launch gone awry. (Note: The family in the novel is not named Robinson. In fact, it is unnamed. The title reflects Wyss’ honoring the similarly themed Robinson Crusoe.)
The Eye network’s entry in the entertainment space race lasted three seasons and eighty-three episodes. This futuristic version of a family marooned in space was a Swiss Family Robinson for the space age. With the pilot set in 1997, the Robinson family battled the omnipresent dangers of the universe.
Space Family Robinson
Gold Key published the comic book series entitled Space Family Robinson beginning with Issue #1 dated December 1962). The series ran from 1962-1978. Lost in Space was the title of the first story in Space Family Robinson Issue #2 (March 1963). Gold Key began using the Lost in Space subtitle on the cover beginning with Issue #15 (January 1966), only a few months after the television show’s debut in September 1965.
After the show’s cancellation in 1968, Gold Key slightly altered the title to read Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space on Space Station One.
Del Connell created Space Family Robinson for Gold Key. His version portrayed married couple and scientists Craig and June along with their two teenagers, Tim and Tam. Their pets joined them -- parrot Yakker and dog Clancy. Connell’s family dog provided the inspiration for Clancy. The Robinson family was America’s first family in space circa 2001.
Basically, the Robinson family lived on Earth’s first space station where they encountered aliens, adventures, and battles in the theretofore unknown universe when a violent explosion rocks their experimental home.
The comic book rumor mill often promotes the idea that Disney duck artist Carl Barks created Space Family Robinson, but the facts contravene this popular misconception. Ed Shifres’ 1996 book Space Family Robinson: The True Story recounts the history. He wrote to Carl Barks personally and received a letter dated November 6, 1991 supporting Connell as the creator, clarifying the comic book origin, and putting rumors to rest.
First off, my connection to the Gold Key Space Family Robinson comic book stories was zero. I neither wrote the stories nor drew any of the artwork. I believe Del Connell, one of Gold Key’s editors was the writer. My name has gotten hooked into the folklore of the series creation by the fact that I wrote a one-line suggestion to editor Chase Craig around 1960-61 to the effect that Gold Key should do a comic book version of Swiss Family Robinson and title it Space Family Robinson.
It was just an idea that popped into my head. I had never heard of any use of the title in TV or anywhere else.
Since Lost in Space aired soon after the comic book’s debut, one can easily, qualitatively, and quite logically presume the setting of Space Family Robinson and the usage of the Lost in Space name indicates a story nexus between the comic book and the television show. Such is not the case...there was no connection.
In Shifres’ book, Connell explains Gold Key’s creative borrowing of the Lost in Space title on a regular basis simply capitalized on the show’s success, good will, and name recognition.
After the TV show got going and was getting publicity, it was decided to add Lost in Space to our Space Family Robinson title. I believe it was our Eastern office that made this decision, thinking that the addition of the TV show’s name might increase sales of our book. I didn’t like the idea, but the decision was made.
In addition, Shifres notes another futuristic take on the Wyss tale of a stranded family with a tie to the comic book. Hilda Bohem wrote a script entitled Swiss Family 3000, commissioned by Bud Groskopf, Director of Business Affairs at CBS in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s Groskopf sought entry into the producing arena and envisioned futuristic versions of classic stories. His two primary ideas were spaceoffs of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson. Using Bohem’s name would protect Groskopf from any apparent conflict of interest.
When Groskopf learned of Western Publishing’s Space Family Robinson under the Gold Key banner, he approached the comic book company (through Bohem) about live-action rights to Space Family Robinson, presumably to avoid potential litigation regarding his Swiss Family 3000 feature film project. Luckily, Groskopf knew Mel Benstead. Benstead and Groskopf were fraternity brothers and the family of the former owned Western! Groskopf secured the rights and his project appeared to be all systems go. But a conflict delayed the project’s launch.
Irwin Allen wanted Western / Gold Key’s Space Family Robinson for a TV show he was producing at the time. When that avenue resulted in a dead end, Allen decided to use the Lost in Space moniker for his project.
After learning about Allen’s television show for CBS, Groskopf (again through Bohem) took legal action. Groskopf indicates that he reached a settlement with Allen and the network for $20,000. Benstead requested that Groskopf and Bohem return live-action rights to Western. At this point, the rights were somewhat useless because of Allen’s project.
In 1991, Innovation Comics distributed a Lost in Space series and Dark Horse released a series concurrent with the 1998 Lost in Space live-action feature film.
Whose Show Is It Anyway?
So, 1970’s disaster film guru Irwin Allen created Lost in Space.
Or did he?
Lost in Space historian Ed Shifres traces the show’s genesis in his book Space Family Robinson: The True Story. He presents a case for the show idea actually predating the Space Family Robinson comic book. Shifres credits science fiction film and television writer Ib Melchior as the true creator of Lost in Space.
Melchior idealized a sci-fi sub-genre with futuristic stories based on classic tales -- Treasure Asteroid, Columbus of the Stars. A story that reached the big screen became a classic -- Robinson Crusoe on Mars. He wrote a treatment loosely based on Johann David Wyss’ Swiss Family Robinson in 1960 called Space Family Robinson. Melchior registered it on February 28, 1964 with Writers Guild of America (West). But he wasn’t the only one with the idea.
So what about Irwin Allen? Shifres believes Melchior and Bohem, the former to a greater degree, received undue treatment from Allen’s company. He summarizes his thesis in Chapter 13, The Evidence Recapped.
It is my final contention that someone within the Irwin Allen organization obtained both Ib Melchior’s and Hilda Bohem’s scripts. They then extracted components from both -- especially specifics from Melchior’s -- and injected them into the original Lost in Space pilot script(s) to enhance the pilot film and make it a more marketable TV series.
Shifres offers a compelling, curious, and provocative piece of evidence presented by Melchior colleague and special effects expert David Hewitt. Hewitt wrote his own neo-classic story, The Wizard of Mars.
Hewitt’s investors instructed him to meet with television director Felix Feist, a colleague of Irwin Allen. As is wont to happen within the entertainment industry, the two men got to talking about mutual friends and upcoming projects. Naturally, Hewitt mentioned Melchior’s Space Family Robinson. Shifres cites Hewitt’s recall of the meeting in Chapter 11, The Interviews.
I told Felix Feist about my work on The Time Travelers and that Ib Melchior had written Space Family Robinson, and told him of my special effects for that project. He was surprised to hear this. He was working for Irwin Allen at the time and told me to come to the 20th Century Fox lot where he was directing a segment of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He said I would be very surprised at what was on the walls of one of the buildings that Irwin Allen was in.
I went to 20th and again met Felix. He told me to go to a special building and told me if anybody asked me what I was doing there, I was to tell them I was looking for him. The walls in the hallway were covered with story boards and large color paintings -- all of which were similar to Ib’s script.
According to Shifres, other crew members engaged in similar practices.
One of them, an uncredited special effects man, claimed (off the record), that Irwin Allen personally handled him a copy of Melchior’s Space Family Robinson to use as a guide for establishing costs for special effects.
Further, four of the first five episodes expand on scenes and use footage from the unaired pilot. The first five episodes are:
The Reluctant Stowaway
The Derelict
Island in the Sky
There Were Giants in the Earth
The Hungry Sea
Shifres surmises the parallel is evidence of Melchior’s treatment as a basis for Allen’s Lost in Space pilot.
It is interesting to note that in the unaired pilot (this was the original pilot which sold the series), these four out of five episodes were essentially one complete story. The second episode of the series, The Derelict, was barely used in the unaired pilot, nor can it be found in the comparison breakdown between the Allen and Melchior versions. This means that Allen’s original unaired pilot was almost a carbon copy of Mr. Melchior’s screenplay. Melchior’s comparison list describes exact similarities to Allen’s Lost in Space episodes 1, 3, 4, and 5 -- precisely like the unaired pilot, which like Melchior’s screenplay, made no mention of The Derelict story.
The comparison list Shifres refers to consists of forty-two similarities he found in comparing the Allen and Melchior properties. For example, both stories have a setting of 1997.
What goes around comes around. Ib Melchior received the following credit in the 1998 Lost in Space film: Special Advisor, Ib Melchior, Creator of Space Family Robinson.
Allen’s Lost in Space pilot for CBS entitled No Place To Hide never aired. As in the aired pilot -- The Reluctant Stowaway -- No Place To Hide shows the Robinson family and Major Don West launching into space on October 16, 1997 with the mission to explore an outer world for habitability as Earth suffers from overpopulation.
However, No Place To Hide provides more detail on the background of the crew than its counterpart. The data is interesting for historical purposes but does not affect the story line.
Dr. John Robinson (Guy Williams) is a Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Stellar Dynamics.
Dr. Maureen Robinson (June Lockhart) is a biochemist at the New Mexico College of Space Medicine and the first female astronaut in the International Space Administration.
Will Robinson (Billy Mumy), age 9, is a graduate of the Camdo [sic] Canyon School of Science with the highest average in school history.
Penny Robinson (Angela Cartwright), age 11, has a zoology hobby and a genius IQ of 147.
Judy Robinson (Marta Kristen), age 19, is a musical comedy actress.
Dr. Don West (Mark Goddard) is a graduate student at the Center for Radio Astronomy where he discovered the plausibility of habitability on other planets.
Some minor changes reflect in Stowaway. Don West is a Major in the United States Space Corp, the Robinsons’ mission has a cost of $30 billion, and the spaceship’s name is Jupiter 2. In No Place To Hide, it is named Gemini 12.
To be fair, though, one must note two unique characters who did not appear in the versions of Bohem or Melchior. These characters arguably give Lost in Space a qualitative difference against Melchior’s Space Family Robinson paradigm -- Dr. Zachary Smith and the Robot. Jonathan Harris plays Smith. Bob May plays the robot and Dick Tufeld provides the robot’s voice.
Harris compellingly portrayed Smith as a highly intelligent antagonist whose greed overshadows his goal, whatever that may be at the time. In any event, Smith serves his own ends, providing more conflict for the Robinson crew. Villains like Smith date back to Shakespeare and beyond. Familiar to be sure, but Harris played the role with an originality contrasting nicely with the squeaky clean Robinson team. Clearly, he was the show’s breakout character.
In the compendium Science Fiction Television Series (1996), Mark Phillips and Frank Garcia provide background on an all too familiar backstage tale involving Harris’ portrayal, popularity, and attention.
When Guy Williams and June Lockhart signed up for Lost in Space, it was understood that they would be the stars, and their show would be a serious adventure series. With the last-minute addition of Dr. Smith, however, writers found Harris’ character a lot more fun to write for.
The dailies in which Dr. Smith would kibits with the temperamental robot, or play mind games with the trusting young Will Robinson, worked better for the brass than the family scenes. The more Harris hammed it up, the more Irwin Allen loved it. As a result, by the end of the first year, Harris dominated the storylines. The other actors, with the exception of Billy Mumy, were often superfluous to the story.
Harris gave fans an interpretation concerning his character’s appeal in Dr. Smith’s ‘Lost’ world: A marooned space family and a wisecracking robot, Michael Smith’s article in the October 16, 1997 edition of the New York Post. The article coincided with the launch of a Lost in Space marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel, a programming inside joke to fans of the show. On Lost in Space, the Robinsons and Don West launched into space on October 16, 1997.
He was so many things -- deceitful, sly, menacing, a coward, disreputable, charming and delicious. And kids loved me because ‘I got away with it.’ Nobody every spanked me. He became the only anti-hero on TV who became a hero.
Harris used even more adjectives to describe his Smith character in One Case Where Evil Triumphs, a TV Guide article by Dwight Whitney dated June 18, 1966.
I am deliciously wicked. I am selfish, self-pitying, pompous, pretentious, peremptory, conniving, unctuous, scornful, greedy, unscrupulous, cruel, cowardly, egotistical and absolutely delightful. The boy [Billy Mumy] loves me, but I would gladly sacrifice him to achieve my ends. I am the Baroque Villain whose mind is pure fantasy. ‘He’ is fantasy.
The robot introduced a new catch phrase to the popular culture lexicon -- Danger, Will Robinson! It signaled peril for the youngest crew member.
Variety heralded the special effects of Lost in Space while discounting the show’s characters in its September 22, 1965 issue.
For the young set, and those who like their science fiction no matter how simple the characters and plot lines, Lost in Space looks like a winner. The opener was as up to date as the last space shot and then some. Created and produced by Irwin Allen, under the banner of 20th-Fox, the big credit in this hour-long space series, goes to L.B. Abbott and Howard Lydecker, who did the special photographic effects. These effects included a walk in space, a rain of meteors striking a space craft, an up to date Frankenstein in the form of a robot, and a man lost in the wild expanse of yet to be explored universes.