TOBOR THE GREAT is a 1950s science fiction programmer concerning a man-made robot and a small boy who befriends him. Here, the robot is not as memorable or stylized as “Robby” from Forbidden Planet or "Gort" from THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, but it’s at least more spectacular than the boxy, clunky mechanical embarrassments you’d often see challenging the Bowery Boys or TV’s Superman during the same era.

Dr. Ralph Harrison (Charles Drake), a scientist for the Civil Interplanetary Flight Commission, is concerned with the dangers of sending a man into space, and he makes his protest known by resigning. His colleague, the elderly but brilliant Professor Nordstrom (Taylor Holmes), has come up with an alternative: he has invented a motorized tin man named Tobor (that’s “robot” spelled backward) which is presently remote-controlled but ultimately, he wants to use ESP to communicate with it and have it man a spacecraft. Tobor is revealed at a press conference in which a spy has snuck into, as information about the invention is desired by foreign enemies. When Professor Nordstrom and his young grandson (Billy Chapin, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER) are kidnapped, it’s up to our friend Tobor to come to the rescue.

Although some might consider TOBOR THE GREAT slow-moving and antiquated, fans of 1950s B science fiction films will no doubt enjoy the nostalgic 77-minute tale of a boy and his robot. Since this is the 1950s, Billy Chapin’s Brian (nicknamed “Gadge”) is right out of “Leave it to Beaver,” pronouncing “oh gosh” and “oh gee willickers” when excitable, but a scene where he tries to control Tobor and put him back in his Frankensteinian basement resting place before he demolishes the entire house is a highlight. Other fun moments come when Tobor charges out of the house and drives off in a jeep on a rescue mission, or when Professor Nordstrom blasts battle soundtrack effects from SANDS OF IWO JIMA (an in-joke as that film was also distributed by Republic Pictures) to ward off some prowlers. There are several great cameos here by some very familiar faces, including William Schallert as a reporter, and look quickly for Robert Shayne and Lyle Talbot, both representing the military.