Robert Kinoshita (February 24, 1914 – December 9, 2014) was an American artist, art director, set and production designer who worked in the American film and television industries from the 1950s through the early 1980s.

Biography

Kinoshita was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and grew up in

Boyle Heights Boyle is an English, Irish and Scottish surname of Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon or Norman origin. In the northwest of Ireland it is one of the most common family names. Notable people with the surname include: Disambiguation *Adam Boyle (disambiguation), ...

neighborhood. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, he went to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

to study architecture. Kinoshita graduated from USC in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in architecture and design. During World War II, Kinoshita and his wife Lillian Matsuyama were

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simpl ...

at the Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona following the signing of Executive Order 9066. His career as a screenwriter started with ''Hundred Men and a Girl'' in 1937, while it took several years post war before he returned to the big screen in 1956 for the

special effects Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wo ...

tasks and built the famous

Robby the Robot Robby the Robot is a fictional character and science fiction icon who first appeared in the 1956 film '' Forbidden Planet''. He made a number of subsequent appearances in science fiction films and television programs, which has given him the ...

in ''

Forbidden Planet ''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story by Allen Adler and Irvi ...

'', although without credit.

Robots and Kinoshita

Kinoshita is best known as the designer of three of the most famous

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may ...

s in

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

: Tobor from the 1954 film '' Tobor the Great'' as well as the 1957 television pilot '' Here Comes Tobor'';

from the films ''

'' in 1956 and '' The Invisible Boy'' in 1957; and Environmental Control Robot from the 1960s TV series ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'', which was called "Robot". Reported costs for Robby the Robot's construction range from $100,000-$125,000. Measuring around 7 feet (213 cm) tall, Robby was the result of the efforts of a number of individuals, although the final design as it appeared in ''Forbidden Planet'' is usually attributed to Kinoshita, who was head

draftsman A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for ...

of the art department, and who produced the working drawings and

blueprint A blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing or engineering drawing using a contact print process on light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed rapid and accurate production of an unlimited number ...

s for Robby's construction under the supervision of art director A. Arnold "Buddy" Gillespie at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

As an art director for films

Around April 1965,

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

hired Kinoshita as the art director for the ''Lost in Space'' series. Two of Kinoshita's tasks were to design a robot (which he nicknamed "Blinky") and to redesign the pilot film's ''Gemini XII'' space ship into what would become the '' Jupiter 2''. This robot never had a real name—only the model number "B9." In the show he was referred to as "the robot" or called by the generic name, "Robot." He was brought to life by the combination of actor Bob May and

voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

Dick Tufeld Richard Norton Tufeld (December 11, 1926 – January 22, 2012) was an American actor, announcer, narrator and voice actor from the late 1940s until the early 21st century. He was a well-known presence on television as an announcer, but his ...

. Two of Kinoshita's famous robots appeared faceplate-to-faceplate in the ''

'' episodes "War of the Robots" and "Condemned of Space", where Robby the Robot appeared as a guest robotoid and robot, respectively. Among his credits are art direction on four other well-known TV shows: ''

Highway Patrol A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...

'' (1955–1959), '' Bat Materson'' (1960–1961), ''

Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productio ...

'' (1970–1971), and ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, ...

'' (1973–1974). Kinoshita also contributed production design to several features including ''

The Phantom Planet ''The Phantom Planet'' is a 1961 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced by Fred Gebhardt, directed by William Marshall, that stars Dean Fredericks, Coleen Gray, Anthony Dexter, and Francis X. Bushman. The fi ...

'' (1961). The B9 robot fan club provided photos of Kinoshita on his 94th birthday as well as an interview. Robert Kinoshita turned 100 in February 2014 and died in December 2014.

Filmography

Production Designer

* ''Hundred Men and a Girl'', directed by

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to ci ...

(1937) * ''Luke and the Tenderfoot'' (1955) – TV series (2 episodes) * '' The Rebel Returns to Town'', directed by Alfred L. Werker (1956) * ''

The Black Sleep ''The Black Sleep'' is a 1956 American independent horror film directed by Reginald LeBorg, and written by John C. Higgins from a story by Gerald Drayson Adams. It stars Basil Rathbone, Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Bela Lugosi, and Akim Tam ...

'', directed by Reginald Le Borg (1956) * ''Star Broken'', directed by

Lesley Selander Lesley Selander (May 26, 1900 – December 5, 1979) was an American film director of Westerns and adventure movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and dozens of TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to 1968. Before that, Selander was ...

(1956) * '' Pharaoh's Curse'', directed by

Lee Sholem Lee Tabor Sholem (May 25, 1913 in Paris, Illinois, – August 19, 2000 in Los Angeles, California) was an American television and film director. Nicknamed ""Roll 'Em" Sholem", he is identified more than anyone else in the industry with speed a ...

(1957) * ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' was an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955 and ended on April 6, 1957, with a total of ...

'' (1956–1957), TV series (14 episodes) * '' Rock All Night'', directed by

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

(1957) * '' Teenage Doll'', directed by Roger Corman (1957) * '' Here Comes Tobor'', directed by Duke Goldstone (1957) – TV movie * ''

Harbor Command ''Harbor Command'' is an American police series that was syndicated from October 11, 1957, to July 4, 1958. The series stars Wendell Corey as Captain Ralph Baxter, an officer of the Harbor Police of a large coastal city (the city is unnamed, b ...

'' (1957–1958) – TV series (14 episodes) * '' The Rough Riders'' (1958) – TV series * ''

Mackenzie's Raiders ''Mackenzie's Raiders'' is an American Western television series starring Richard Carlson that aired thirty-nine episodes in syndication between 1958 and 1959. The series is narrated by Art Gilmore, and was produced by Ziv Television Programs. ...

'' (1958–1959) – TV series * ''

'' (1959), TV series (5 episodes) * '' Bold Venture'' (1959), TV series * ''

Tombstone Territory ''Tombstone Territory'' is an American Western series starring Pat Conway and Richard Eastham. The series' first two seasons aired on ABC from 1957 to 1959. The first season was sponsored by Bristol-Myers (consumer products) and the second s ...

'' (1957–1959), TV series * '' World of Giants'' (1959), TV series (1 episode) * ''Adventures in the bottom of the sea'' (1958–1959), TV series * ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was born to ...

'' (1959), TV series * '' Lock Up'' (1959–1960), TV series (5 episodes)

Art Director

* ''

'' (1955), TV series * ''

Macabre In works of art, the adjective macabre ( or ; ) means "having the quality of having a grim or ghastly atmosphere". The macabre works to emphasize the details and symbols of death. The term also refers to works particularly gruesome in natu ...

'', directed by

William Castle William Castle (born William Schloss Jr.; April 24, 1914 – May 31, 1977) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Orphaned at 11, Castle dropped out of high school at 15 to work in the theater. He came to the attenti ...

(1958) * '' The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent'', directed by

(1957) * 'The Path of Vengeance'', directed by Mark Stevens (1958) * ''The Love of a Geisha'' (''Tokyo After Dark''), directed by Norman T. Herman (1959) * '' Men Into Space'' (1959–1960) – TV series * ''

The Nun and the Sergeant ''The Nun and the Sergeant'' is a 1962 Korean War drama film starring Anna Sten and Robert Webber in the title roles. It was produced by Sten's husband Eugene Frenke, who had produced the 1957 film '' Heaven Knows, Mr Allison'', also a pairing o ...

'' of

Franklin Adreon Franklin "Pete" Adreon (November 18, 1902 – September 10, 1979) was an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Early life and career Born in Gambrills, Maryland, Adreon was a Marine Reservist during the 30 ...

director (1962) * '' Ripcord'' (1962) – TV series (1 episode) * ''

'' (1965–1967) – TV series * '' Mash: The Private War of Sgt. O'Farrell'', directed by Frank Tashlin (1968) * ''

'' (1970–1971) – TV series (24 episodes) * ''The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War'', directed by Russ Mayberry (1973) – TV movie * '' Lieutenant Kojak'' (1973–1974) – TV series (8 episodes) * ''

Planet Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surface ...

'', directed by

Marc Daniels Marc Daniels (January 27, 1912 – April 23, 1989), born Danny Marcus, was an American television director. He directed on programs such as I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Hogan's Heroes, and more. Life and career Da ...

(1974) * '' Ironside'' (1974) – TV series (1 episode) * '' The Dead Don't Die'', directed by

Curtis Harrington Gene Curtis Harrington (September 17, 1926 – May 6, 2007) was an American film and television director whose work included experimental films, horror films and episodic television. He is considered one of the forerunners of New Queer Cinema ...

(1975) – TV movie * ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'' (1976) – TV series (2 episodes) * '' Terror at 12,000 meters'', Directed by Robert Butler (1976) – TV movie * '' Project U.F.O.'' (1978) – TV series (12 episodes) * ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'' (1978–1979) – TV series (23 episodes) * ''

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaw ...

'', directed by John A. Alonzo (1980) * '' The Gong Show Movie'', directed by Chuck Barris (1981) * ''

Going Ape! ''Going Ape!'' is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Jeremy Joe Kronsberg and produced by Paramount Pictures. The original music score was composed by Elmer Bernstein (who would later compose music for a later similarly ape-themed comedy '' ...

'', Directed by

Jeremy Joe Kronsberg Jeremy Joe Kronsberg is an American film director, producer and screenwriter who appeared in such films as ''Every Which Way but Loose'', ''Any Which Way You Can'' and ''Going Ape!''.Matt Houston'' (1982) – TV series (1 episode) * ''Girls of the White Orchid'', directed by

Jonathan Kaplan Jonathan Kaplan (born November 25, 1947) is an American film producer and director. His film ''The Accused'' (1988) earned actress Jodie Foster an Oscar for Best Actress and was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International ...

(1983) – TV movie * '' Lovelines'', directed by

Rod Amateau Rodney Amateau (December 20, 1923 – June 29, 2003) was an American film and television screenwriter, director, and producer. Career Among the programs that he directed were '' The Dennis Day Show'', ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', ...

(1984) * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to :wikt:conceal, conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassment, embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own ...

'' (1984) – TV series (3 episodes)

Producer

* ''

'', directed by William Marshall (1961) * ''Hell's Bloody Devils'', directed by

Al Adamson Albert Victor Adamson Jr. (July 25, 1929 – June 21, 1995) was an American filmmaker and actor known as a prolific director of B-grade horror and exploitation films throughout the 1960s and 1970s. The son of silent film stars Victor Adamson a ...

(1970)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kinoshita, Robert 1914 births 2014 deaths Men centenarians American centenarians American art directors American production designers American scenic designers American artists of Japanese descent Japanese-American internees American roboticists