1: Elektro sneaks a fag (and cops a feel) backstage before a show (1954)
2: Elektro and Sparko go through their repertoire of tricks for a
female admirer at the New York World's Fair (1939-40).
female admirer at the New York World's Fair (1939-40).
An American correspondent writes (with reference to a recent post):
"You Brits may have built the first robot, Eric, but in Elektro we had the biggest, the best, and most bad-ass."
And, whilst my fondness for Eric - the man without a soul - remains undiminished, I have to admit that Elektro was pretty impressive: seven feet tall and weighing in at 265 lbs, his steel frame was covered with an aluminium skin.
He could not only walk, talk, and respond to simple voice commands, but blow up balloons and smoke cigarettes like a trooper. Further, as can be seen from the above photos, Elektro also had an eye for the ladies and owned a robotic dog, Sparko, that was trained to bark at humans.
He could not only walk, talk, and respond to simple voice commands, but blow up balloons and smoke cigarettes like a trooper. Further, as can be seen from the above photos, Elektro also had an eye for the ladies and owned a robotic dog, Sparko, that was trained to bark at humans.
Manufactured by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Mansfield, Ohio, in 1938, Elektro made his debut appearance the following year at the New York World's Fair. He then made a career in the 1950s working in a promotional capacity for the company, touring all over the US and helping to sell their fridges, washing machines, and other electrical goods.
Alas, people are fickle and times change; Elektro's popularity eventually waned ...
Finding himself out of work, he accepted the role of Thinko, in the sexploitation comedy Sex Kittens Go to College (dir. Albert Zugsmith, 1960), appearing alongside Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot. The version released in adult theatres included an additional nine minute dream sequence featuring Thinko with some erotic dancers.
Unfortunately, the film was neither a great critical nor a commercial success and, having failed to make a name for himself in Hollywood, Elektro ended his days as a minor attraction at an amusement park in California before slipping into almost complete cultural obscurity.
Finding himself out of work, he accepted the role of Thinko, in the sexploitation comedy Sex Kittens Go to College (dir. Albert Zugsmith, 1960), appearing alongside Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot. The version released in adult theatres included an additional nine minute dream sequence featuring Thinko with some erotic dancers.
Unfortunately, the film was neither a great critical nor a commercial success and, having failed to make a name for himself in Hollywood, Elektro ended his days as a minor attraction at an amusement park in California before slipping into almost complete cultural obscurity.
However, I'm delighted to inform readers that Elektro managed to avoid the scrapyard and now has pride of place at the Mansfield Memorial Museum, where he is billed as the oldest surviving American robot in the world.
Photo credits: 1: Bettmann / Getty Images. 2: Westinghouse Electric Corporation
For a wonderful short colour film featuring Elektro in action at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, click here.
Musical bonus: Meat Beat Manifesto, Original Control (Version 2), (1992), ft. Elektro: click here.
For a wonderful short colour film featuring Elektro in action at the 1939 World's Fair in New York, click here.
Musical bonus: Meat Beat Manifesto, Original Control (Version 2), (1992), ft. Elektro: click here.
This post is for Zena, a long term lover of robots.
