I've enjoyed watching this infamous failed pilot for a TV series spun off from TOBOR THE GREAT thanks to it's inclusion on a Spanish made DVD of the parent film. A bit of research reveals that Tobor was actually a character devised for the old DuMont Television Network's "Captain Video And His Video Rangers" show, which I have never seen to this date. Kids have always had a thing for movie robots (check out VOYAGE TO THE PREHISTORIC PLANET for another great robot) and after Robby the Robot became a hit via FORBIDDEN PLANET the "Captain Video" producers decided to take a shot at giving Tobor his own series. This would have been the pilot episode and sadly nobody picked it up.
Pilots usually set the tone and format for a show so the series would have had Tobor and his young friend Timmy (or is it Billy?) dispatched on a fascinating weekly mission to ensure the development of United States defense & space projects: This one's subtitle "Tobor And The Atomic Submarine" aptly describes the plot of a scheming international criminal hijacking an experimental atomic powered submarine on a test cruise. The most amusing scene for me is where the scientist in charge of the program assures the military observers present that young Timmy is cleared for vital defense industry secrets.
Basically the action varies between low budget TV sets intercut with appropriate stock footage of things like aircraft carriers, jet planes swooping by, large explosions, and other things of interest to the 8 year olds who were the intended audience. The film has slipped into the public domain along with a lot of the old DuMont programming and can be found online for a free viewing or download. If you keep your expectations low -- or just happen to adore giant robot movies -- it will make an otherwise idle hour slip by
