Tobor the Great

Directed by Lee Sholem
USA 1954

An 11-year-old becomes attached to the robot (unimaginatively named "Tobor," or robot spelled backwards) invented by his grandfather, Holmes. Most of the plot concerns the relationship between the boy, the inventor, and the robot, which has feelings. Some anticommunist propaganda seeps in when Holmes and Chapin are captured by Reds. Of course, Tobor manages to rescue them, only to be rewarded with an eternal existence in space. Aimed solely at arousing sentiment.

Excerpt from TV Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 1st, 1954

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DVD Review: Lionsgate - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Lionsgate Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:16:51
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.75 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Lionsgate Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (Also From Lionsgate) • small poster unfolds from insert DVD Release Date: May 13th, 2008 Keep Case Chapters: 12

Comments:

Quite an unusual title for Lionsgate to release but a perfect one to review with my penchant for bad sci-fi cinema of the 50's.

Image quality is poor - hazy and interlaced - contrast is dull. The transfer resides on a single-layered disc coded for region 1 in the NTSC standard. Audio is unremarkable but clear enough and there are optional subtitles.

The film is somewhat of a hoot - really aimed at younger children - and has that 'Saturday matinee' appeal. The home set reminds me very much of Leave it To Beaver. It's sweet and simple but even my boys perked up when Tobor was onscreen. It's not totally horrible, but it is fairly weak. I don't feel this is worth the price unless, like I, you can't get enough of this form of nostalgic adventure... as one regressing to childhood cinema.