As a kid in the 1960s, Dr. Smith provided riveting entertainment. If you’d then told me his was a gay character, I wouldn’t have known what that meant.
Yes! Dr. Smith played a great villain! I recall hating him in the 1960s when I was in the second grade. And, I used to get frightened by the perils the Robertson’s encountered.
Straight or gay, life is too brief and precarious to be concerned with anyones sexual proclivities. Jonathan Harris was an actor and if you enjoyed his performances and they gave you some escape from your troubles what else really matters. May he Rest in Peace.
@Bend Me Shape Me I hope you don't have red or blond hair, because that would be flaunting your deviance, you would need to dye it or you too would be flaunting your deviance, excuse me deviancy
@@juanawashington9940 You sound so dumb. Like you all push your straight agenda down our throats and trust me I have handled some big things in my throat but having to watch straight sex all the damn time is DISGUSTING. NOW GO SIT DOWN CLOWN.
I knew Bill Mumy years ago, and I was shocked when he told me he was still in contact with Jonathan Harris, and that Jonathan was married, and had been for many years. I know that doesn’t mean anything, but he and his wife had one son. Bill always spoke affectionately of Jonathan, and you could tell it was genuine.
Married to his high school sweetheart for nearly 70 years. It's called ACTING, and Harris knew if he remained the villain he'd eventually be killed off so he created the character. He and that robot stole the show.
You are correct, and actually he was a well respected actor. There are interviews with him here on YT where he explains how he did it and that he was total creator of that character. people here are just spewing their crap. Anyone with any knowledge of the show knows in the first season he was a really bad guy. It was his fault they got stranded. HE didn't like that about the character and changed it himself without consent. Ratings went up and Dr. Zachary Smith is now a beloved television iconic character.
I attended a Sci-Fi and comic book convention in Los Angeles during the 1990s, and Mr. Harris was one of the guests. During the panel Q & A, some kid stood up and had the nerve to ask him, "Are you gay?" I was shocked. Without missing a beat, Mr. Harris said, "No, are you???" It got a big laugh from the crowd. Shut the kid up.
at his autograph table he stated that he still had an image to uphold and said: '......just how many autographs do you think I would sell if my fans knew that I was a closeted Homosexual. No my dear fellow, that would break their hearts. No one came out of the closet back then and I am certainly too old and disinterested to do so now." Also those two videos where June Lockhart made wisecracks and sarcastic digs about his sexuality and his character were posted for over a year seen by hundreds of fans and hated on, flagged and sent so many hate messages and comments that the videos were removed and both accounts/posters left youtube.
The Dark Angel , for as long as I've known Johnathan Harris, about 54 years, I've never seriously thought of him as being "gay". I always thought that he was playing the role. He had to come up with a act so that he could stay with the series as one commentator put it. Dr. Smith gay-? HUMP!
@@thejupiter2574 Thanks for adding to the discussion. Makes sense. The haters dynamic is interesting. These are weird times, where if you comment on a topic, you better do it ferociously PC ... or else as a hate-spitting neo-con. Anyone in the middle, simply making conversation, is not allowed to comment / is not welcome at the party. I'm not sure that's the kind of society that any historically marginalized demographic has been fighting for. I know it's not the one I (as a social progressive) have been fighting for, for decades.
I don't care whether Dr. Smith was gay or straight...he was hilarious! The rest of the cast was good, but the show wouldn't have been nearly as amusing without Dr. Smith and all of his schemes.
Dr. Smith: ""Ahhh yes indeed my dear boy. They could not have done that show without me, the great Dr. Zachery Smith and my sidekick the B-9 Robot, or as i like to refer to him as 'The Bubble Headed Booby'.
It could of went in the same direction as Star Trek, a real scientific type show and be more popular with adults, but Harris made it more into a kids type of farce. And as a kid i thoroughly enjoyed it. I identified myself more with Will, and wanted to see Smith get ejected.
Holy shit, it's hilarious to see June Lockhart in her 70s telling that story about how Dr Smith had a little sugar in his shoes. Still really liked the show when I was a kid. It wouldnt have been the same show without the evil/flaming Dr Smith.
To the kid's watching him, it wasn't important that Dr Smith was gay or not (and we didn't really understand what "gay" meant anyways at that age) What WAS important was that Dr Smith was FLAMBOYANT. His mannerisms were exaggerated and over the top. He freaked out in a way that a "manly man" (like Guy Williams or Mark Goddard) would never do. And that's what make him great for the show! When a monster suddenly appeared, Dr Smith would absolutely HOWL in fear! That made the monster even SCARIER and we kids watching the show shared the same reaction. You will notice that most of the monsters are seen FIRST by Dr Smith or the boy Will for maximum reaction. Then later, the 2 braver men come to the rescue and save the day...it's a perfect set up and Jonathan Harris performed it perfectly.
The innocence of the 60s - I never would of thought or guessed at it until the 80s. Anyway, I don't look at him that way. I just thought of him as a greedy power hungry coward. I'll keep looking at Dr. Smith that way.
I don't see the need to rewrite the fictional biographies of iconic characters. If you thought a character was gay, so be it. But don't try to convince the rest of us. You can choose any lifestyle you wish but stop projecting your lifestyle choice on fictional characters. You don't get to make that choice.
@@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753 Even if he was, what do you gain from this discussion? Are you coming out? Are you admitting to having a gay crush on a FICTIONAL CHARACTER? You get over it you pathetic fop!!!
@@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753 Get off yo' momma's side of the bed and get a life. It's bad enough just knowing you exist! To read your stupid rantings just makes it worse!
It doesn't matter if Dr. Smith was gay. He was a brilliant and entertaining actor and performer. His dialogs were unique. He was and will always be my favorite actor.
OMG Dr. Smith was Gay? - You don't say - I was 9 years old when LIS aired - I was glued to the TV each and every week - I had a velour shirt just like the Robinson's wore - Great show and cast.
Watching this series back in the very early 70s Zachary Smith was definitely our favourite . The screaming and one-liners and hiding behind little Will Robinsons back when there was danger in front of him was hilarious Great upload 👍🏻🇬🇧
@@tapasyatyaga4041 You think gay men don't get married to women and have children, especially back in those days when being gay could get you arrested and locked up for simply existing?
@@martymahem236 Yes. Gay men do get married. I'm a criminal defense attorney. I deal with allegations constantly. We look at proof and evidence. Can you provide credible proof that he was gay. The burden is on you if you are asserting that he is gay.
@@Scyllax You never once saw Dr. Smith flirting with a man, but he was interested in at least two different female characters on the show? Bold of you to assume that since he was flamboyant, he must be gay.
Keep in mind folks that the allegation is that Dr. Smith might’ve been gay, NOT that Jonathan Harris was in real life. Dude was born in the Bronx, but hated the accent and patterned the way he talked after British performers of the day. He described himself as a character performer, meaning he enjoyed delivering over the top camp, something he did to advance and develop the character and provide a bit of comedy to the program producers thought might be lacking.
'Dr. Smith' was basically an extension of his earlier character on 'The Bill Dana Show.' Probably why he was hired for LIS. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith) wrote his own dialogue. He quickly realized that he would be written out of the show unless he made his character more than a stereotypical villain. So he made his character a caricature of the standard villain/bully. He would be scheming and conniving at one moment, but as soon as anyone threatened or even opposed him, he'd transform into a caricature of a stereotypical coward.
Most homosexual men are married with children. Especially in the "old days," when you HAD to get married right out of high school, or else. Only a tiny percentage stay true to their actual nature.
@@GLC2013 There is no doubt, you are the ultimate authority on homosexuality. It probably has to do with your own homosexuality that led to your career of studying the lives and times of the homosexual. You probably needed to know what that tiny stirring in your pants was and needed sweet relief, leading to your career in "studying" it. I bet you conducted lots of "interviews".
@@DIESEL0759 As a matter of fact, I am a homosexual and have decades of first hand experience with men. Sorry I burst your infantile bubble and pointed out the obvious fact that Harris was a three dollar bill. Doesn't say much for your brain power that you couldn't figure that out for yourself in the last FIVE decades!
Hold on… she didn't actually say he was gay, she just agreed that he was a queen… "Oh yes, he was the same off scree as he was on" (paraphrased) I seem to recall that in THAT context, "queen" might mean "drama queen", not necessarily meaning gay.
Thanks to the UK's Horror Channel, Lost in Space is currently being repeated and is giving those of us who watched it as kids some 50 years ago the chance to take a trip down memory lane. Unusually, it is exactly as I remember it and well worth viewing for anyone who has never seen the show. The interaction between Mr Harris and the robot with attitude is priceless.
Back when I was a kid loving this show, not only did I not know what "gay" meant, but neither did my parents. We all just got a kick outta the situations and the funny aliens, and Dr. Smith was the naughty old man who was always cooking up some scheme that put everyone in danger...and always got his comeuppance, but never learned the error of his ways! Sad that everything is so sexualized nowadays.
+MerlinsDragon1970 ... several episodes had female characters that were attracted to Dr. Smith. The Lady from the Green Mist was a character that was floating in space outside the Robinson's spacecraft. In a green body suit she would writhe, squirm, and sensually pine for Dr.Smith. His reaction was he was terrified by this beautiful seductress. Screaming in fear and repulsion. This seamed to be the reaction to any female character that had any kind of attraction or interest in him.
+MerlinsDragon1970 You know, in the '30's Dr. Frederick Wertham claimed that Batman and Robin had a gay relationship too. Jump to the 1970's and even National Lampoon had an article where they showed the Dynamic Duo in a suggestive position on a motorcycle, AND Dr. Smith and Will Robinson! I wonder, has any one asked GAYS in their 60's if THEY caught any gay nuance in the show???
+Rob Rosen YOU are sooooo full of shite Rosen. Someone should stick you into a cryo freezing tube to keep you and your "hate" away from society Then maybe in the future they will take you out of deep freeze and operate on your brain or just toss your hate tainted brain as Hazardous Waste
Rob Rosen Your reply to Dark Angel reveals that the bottle is still kept next to the computer. And your use of capital letters is cute, btw. Kind of like - ACT NOW!!! SUPPLIES ARE RUNNING LOW!!!" "You have problems facing the truth" ~ nonsensical rant. "Try attacking the Washington Times" ~ nonsensical rant. "Is it easier for you to make a personal attack..." ~ don't know if it's easier, but its fun, and its justified. "You think by killing the messenger..." ~ nonsensical rant, but not a bad idea... Signed, STUPID FAGGOT. Bye!!!!
I often got strange looks when I jokingly repeated some of his bizarre word choices. “Stop that, you ninny!” was frequently met with “HUH?!” They didn’t really get it because none of them had been born for another 20 years after “Lost in Space” went off the air. It just took all the fun out of life.
Some of us didn't know that definition of "gay" when we watched LIS during its original run. Too bad GenX,Y,Z etc didn't have that luxury. R.I.P. Jonathan Harris comic genius
He was funny, Billy, Smith, and Robbie Robot were the life of the show. Also, does 343 GuiltSpark remind anyone else of Dr Smith? Always causing trouble but always escaping at the the end.
+Joshua Hi Josh :) I loved the LIS robot as a kid and wanted him as my best friend so bad as did all the other kids. The Robot on LIS didn't have a Human name, unfortunately. He was just called Robot but his model number which he identified himself by is Robot B-9 and there is a great battery operated action figure of him the B-9 Robot from lost in space by Diamond Select Toys Robbie the Robot was the classic 1950's Robot from the movie Forbidden Planet and had guest stared in two different episodes of LIS Robby the Robot and the LIS robot were both designed and created by the same person. Have you ever heard actor Jonathan Harris as the voice of Lucifer the bad robot on the old sci fi TV show Battlestar Galactica from back in the late 70's the orig series. THAT was great fun too He, the robot talked just lke Dr. Smith exactly.
Joshua The Diamond Select Toy co put out two versions last year of the B-9 Robot one is his classic grey metal color and one in Gold each one says a lot of great dialog. There are videos of him functioning being reviewed on youtube. The grey one says all the great classic lines. I believe they go for $50.00 each plus the $10 to $13 for s/h I think the website Entertainment Earth still sells the greyish classic one that says all the familiar phrases we grew up hearing and the lights inside him are very impressive, flashing lights :)
Had you done your homework, you'd also know that June Lockhart, Guy and Mark were always at odds with Johnathan and there was always tension on the set. They were led to believe they would be the stars and Johnathan's popularity took over and he got more script time and even wrote and directed after awhile. Of course June is going to be a bit negative about him. He was married for 64 years to his HS sweetheart. Not much research done about the person you are slamming here.
MerlinsDragon1970: Which is what gets me is why people try to defend this show as being just as good as _Star Trek-The Original Series_-it _wasn't_, and the fact that Allen let Harris take over the show as he did with Smith demonstrates why _Star Trek-The Original Series_ is loved (and went on to have a greater success) and _Lost In Space_ did not. As it is, all that I like about this show is the comic book by Bill Mumy and the 1998 movie (which I would have like to see a sequel to.) _Lost In Space_ would have worked well as a comedy similar to _Red Dwarf_ (and with a similar episode to _Red Dwarf's_ "Dimension Jump'' in which Smith, West, & the Robinsons meet a counterpart from another universe _that's better than him_.)
Neville6000 It was Irwin Allen's arrogance that killed LIS. Otherwise, the show would have had another season. I was never a Dr. Smith fan. Nothing against Jonathan Harris...just Smith. I believe the quality of the show would have been much higher, had Smith been written out after the first few episodes and the writers not had to write down to the Smith character. I believe Smith would have killed the show before the end of season 4. All that being said, I still prefer LIS over Star Trek TOS. I grew up with both shows, but just never warmed up to the original Star Trek. In that respect, LIS is superior, at least, for me.. There's nothing to defend. I like what I like. I enjoyed Next Generation and the shows that followed, much more than the original series.
+Neville6000 Yeah.keep watching those dull, boring, lifeless THIRD Season Treks.. You trekkies always forget the BAD episodes which were 90% of season three or worse you actually can;t tell how bad they are. LIS fans know a BAD episode from a good one. Mark Goodard did NOT think he would be the star of the show at all and has fond memories of Jonathan. on and off screen. Listen to commentary on current BLURAYS. All the cast lovesd Jonathan. I didnt hear much at all about "GUY" except he loved to comb his "hair".
They all eventually reconciled with Harris because they were adults -- unlike those who'll carry a grudge forever rather than 'compromise [their] integrity.'
He was very entertaining. One minute, he'll be saying, "Never fear - Smith is here," and in the next minute a monster will pop out from behind a rock, and he'll be crying, "Oh Will Robinson, save me!"
June Lockhart should have known better than to stoke the fires of the depraved into thinking that Jonathan was gay. He was NOT gay. I know a family member of his quite well and his whole family is sickened by this sort of innuendo. Jonathan was an intensely private man who loved his wife and son dearly. When he died his wife followed soon after because they were inseparable. The character of Doctor Smith was an ACT, a concoction worked out by Jonathan primarily to stop him being booted out of the series. He knew that if he kept playing the villain audiences would tire of him and Irwin Allen would have booted him off the show so he used his thespian ingenuity to cook up the camp and cowardly Smith we all got to love. He even played Smith at conventions but it was ALL an act. In real life Jonathan did not speak with the affected accent and was pretty much straight as an arrow. Please...please... I beg of all of you, leave the memory of this decent and good man alone. The show, the characters and his performance are now icons of the 60s and have earned a place in the hearts of those old enough to remember when the show first aired. Let the dead lie peacefully and do not cast mud upon those who cannot answer the barbs.
Luxitos...I used the word "depraved" to describe those who cast aspersions about Jonathan Harris and his sexuality... not homosexuals. Being called gay IS mudslinging if the word is then conflated by the accuser with paedophilia and effete behaviour...disgusting and wrong stereotypes!
tripsadelica It really upsets me also. We are not defined by our sexual preferences. Nor is our body of work. Jonathan’s view of Smith was that he was like an undisciplined child. I’m hard pressed to tell if June was commenting on Jonathan or the Character. Either way why are we reading sex into a children’s family adventure series??? He was a fine man, and a brilliant actor. As for his diction he was and wished to be distinct! I love and indeed miss the linguistic skills of the older actors!! Now kids don’t speak let alone speak English. So there! Lol have a good day all abs Rest In Peace Jonathan we all still love your work!!
tripsadelica I understand what your saying completely it’s maddening that people read sex into lost in space. It was a family show. I don’t see this shite bespoke about Little House or The bloody Walton’s..
I agree with you 1000% Jonathan was an amazing human being. All these people throwing accusations around about a man no longer here to defend himself are as bad as June for putting that ridiculous statement out in the first place. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that she was jealous of Jonathan as lost in space only lasted as long as it did because of him. She resented that. He became the star of the show and got all the recognition. Shame on her!
I was in my early tenth’s when we watched this great series and I remember we use to comment that Dr. Smith’s character had homosexual-like behaviors, but not as a criticism because he was hilarious and great part of Lost in Space success!
+King Pty YES and there are several interviews with Mr. Harris when he was down in Australia promoting his One Man Shows that he did along with the shows' Robot He and the Robot exchanged insults and dialog in the beginning of his shows. So much fun. There are two separate versions/video postings of his show on youtube. He, Mr. Harris mentioned more than once in interviews of how much he was appreciative of and loved his fans in Australia
@@thejupiter2574 This Australian loved Will, The Robot and Dr Smith; the others got on my nerves. It wasn't their fault; no doubt, it was the script lines they just had no choice but to read. Years later I would describe them as being 'too straight' & that was what annoyed me. Knowing now the sensibilities of June Lockhardt, she could have been given some killer lines back then! OOOooh, the waste!!!
I have communicated with Bill Mumy via e-mail and I asked him whether or not the character of Dr. Smith was gay. He replied, No, but he has become a gay icon." Of course this does not address the question of whether or not Harris was gay but it is a question that has little interest for me and besides the man is dead and cannot defend himself. I say we should just enjoy his over the top performance and not bother to speculate on his sexuality. This video, however, was obviously edited to give the false impression that June Lockhart was saying Harris was gay. Shame on the producer of this video.
+Gregory Ritchie actually the interview came about based on Ms. Lockhart's brassy outspoken little remarks about Mr. Harris' sexuality at about three old conventions both at her table and during the panel Q & A but her remarks were very non- gallant and matter of fact as if it was common knowledge that Mr. Harris was either gay or bi even Mark Goddard smiled and nodded his head in agreement which is in one of several video interviews posted on youtube. She was very outspoken and in two interviews made reference to the Smith character suggesting that Smith acted like a pedophile. I blame her outspoken opinions.
Dr Smith was hardly homosexual. A sissy and a coward, but that does not make one homosexual. I wonder where being a big baby means you are into men. I never knew Mr Harris, but one hardly stays married 60+ years living a lie.
People talk about the dead all the time, it doesn't matter that they can't defend themselves. They do it to Michael Jackson all the time, why should this be any different?
Got the Lost In Space DVDs here (along with Star Trek, Space 1999, Blakes 7, and various others old SciFi shows). Every 4 or 5 years, I watch them all again. Much better than most of the stuff on TV now. Jonathan Harris really made Lost In Space so different and also enjoyable.
He played Smith as British. Bah! Indeed! How dare you, Sir? These are British expressions. He was cowardly and panicky, behind the bravado. None of which makes Smith gay. He made Smith funny, sympathetic and naive, which was a brilliant move.
Cary, this is wonderful, thanks for posting--great interview of June and I loved your hilarious/perceptive comments of beloved Dr. Smith. And, you know something? Its about time that some one mentioned that Dr. Smith was indeed the first 'queen in space' LOL!! My partner and I LOVE the show!
Why can't we simply enjoy old shows for what they were without bringing modern smut into them? Nobody ever thought about this sort of thing when we watched the original programs and that's how it should stay, in my opinion.
+Renee Bloggs Stay in the closet you mean? There is a lot of affection in June Lockhart's comments, nothing "smutty" whatsoever. As she says, Jonathan Harris would have been the first to admit he was gay, if he'd been asked. But in the fifties and sixties? Nope, such openness would have been a career destroy, especially on a family show. Give me honesty over your prudishness any day.
+Rex Mundi Well, I think June Lockhart was talking about the Zachary Smith character, not Jonathan Harris himself, who was married and had a son. I don't understand this "openness". Why do I want - or need - to know about your sexuality? When will people like you understand that most people don't care?
+Renee Bloggs as explained at the very top of this thread or page, the whole thing here started because this interviewer saw four old old videos of Ms. Lockhart at four old conventions and one at her autograph table making comments and remarks about both Mr. Harris' sexuality and about his Smith character. She, at these cons implied that 'she' thought of his Smith character as a pedophile, always behind the rocks with Will. She also had made little digs and remarks about Mr. Harris' "Bi" sexuality and even Mark Goddard smiled and threw his headback remembering and said e'd forgotten. I loved Ms. Lockhart as a kid and wanted her to be by Mom or wanted Mrs. Robinson to have been my mom, she was the perfect TV image representation but in reality she has a very very opinionated mind and speaks it. She should have just kept her comments to herself. Yes @Rex Mundi it's true gay and Bi actors back in the day could not have a successful career without their front of a marriage. like Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr and so many others like Robert Reed ( Mr. Brady ) and Joel Grey. That's not to say they didn't love their wives and kids, they certainly did but yeah, one could not come out in the previous decades when being gay was still considered illegal and equated with also being a Pedophile as Ms. Lockhart's generation was taught.
+Rex Mundi Yes @Rex Mundi it's true gay and Bi actors back in the day could not have a successful career without their front of a marriage. like Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr and so many others like Robert Reed ( Mr. Brady ) and Joel Grey. That's not to say they didn't love their wives and kids, they certainly did but yeah, one could not come out in the previous decades when being gay was still considered illegal and equated with also being a Pedophile as Ms. Lockhart's generation was taught.
Jonathan was very seasoned theatrical actor that throughout his career lived and worked with all kinds of hysterical types, from whom he most likely appropriated those kind of behaviors that would make Dr. Smith so important for the series. Remember, theater develops a kind of exaggerated acting that's all together different from cinema, and that's what he cleverly brought to Lost in Space.
Well one may have thought his character was gay but in real life he had a wife and a son named Ricky and yes, I know that doesn't mean anything. I just think he was very flamboyant and a great actor.
+Rick Terscale The Fonz was a popular TV show character from the show Happy Days Like Dr. Smith of LIS, The Fonz character was only suppose to be temporary but fans liked him so much and brought up the ratings that he, actor Henry Winkler became like the central fan favorite character of the show just as Jonathan Harris saved LIS in the ratings too.
Funny thing is, no matter how over the top he got, I still remember him from that first season, and just saw him as "turned for the better." He showed he had a heart, and always protected Will.
@@PURDY_POISON If he had not been in that show, it just wouldn't have worked. Aside from Billy Mumy, the other two male leads played boring, one note characters. Watching them was like watching paint dry!
@@PURDY_POISON I met Mark Goddard at a nostalgia show a few years back and women of all ages flocked to him! He was a nice guy and he should have had a much bigger career.
I used to watch this show in reruns in the early 70’s when I was a young kid (6 or 7 yrs.) and I have to admit that Dr. Smith would irritate the hell out of me with those cowardly screams. All those alliterative phrases would go over my young head. I used to watch the show for the monster of the week. Later, as an adult, I rediscovered the show and then I could appreciate J. Harris’ great acting and great portrayal of the Dr. Smith character. I discovered he was the main character of the show, without him this show would be nothing. Now I can appreciate the alliteration and the screams. I really get a kick out of both.
Regardless of what his sexual persuasions were, he was a very good Thespian. I saw him in an episode of Bonanza and he portrayed the role of Charles Dickens. Brilliant.
I wasn’t quite in my teens when Lost in Space first aired on the BBC back on the U.K. I fell in love with the show immediately and I don’t think I ever missed an episode.
Well, he certainly adored his wife, and his wife adored him. The deep connection is obvious in all the photos of the couple. I am sure they had "that" conversation. And an accepted space was made and respected; which made Harris love his wife even more. Love is as varied as the planets of the universe--an as splendid, wonderful and unique. Why should anyone care to talk about something so obvious?
What difference does it make if Jonathan Harris was gay? Truly.... what difference does it make? He was a beloved character on and off the set.... That's all that is important
Honestly, anything June Lockhart says about Jonathan Harris OR Dr. Smith should be taken with a grain of salt. Both she and Guy Williams blamed him for 'stealing their show'.
The dear lady should have concentrated more on giving the crew of the Jupiter 2 decent meals. Often, her cooking left a certain after bite. Oh the pain!
The scriptwriters although are in charge. But the bottom line if they want a succesful end product as in any business allow the actors do what is comfortable. Sometimes forcing out dialogues from one whos not comfortable or not their type will come out ackward or unnatural. in the behind the scenes, Irwin Allen suggest to Mr Harris to take the ball and run so to speak, in other words allowed him to fill in his own script ideas filling in gaps since Mr Allen caught on to the fact realizing of Mr Harris's command of communication and elegant speech was all self-made.
It was Irwin Allen that neglected the shows' characters and screen time once he saw how the Smith character had increased the ratings while they were in 'campinness' competition with the Batman TV show at night. Marta Kristen was very disappointed that her relationship with Don was not developed and that their characters were not married as Irwin had promised her that would happen. Mark Goddard spoke about how he and Williams used to get disappointed over scene cuts or dialog cuts and one day Goddard completely walked off the set angry over his dialog being cut and Williams would spend a good deal of his off camera time just sitting in his dressing room listening to classic music to chill out. Williams was promised that he would be the lead 'action hero' as he was on his previous TV show Zoro. June Lockhart said she was not pleased with the limited roles of just being Domestic and serving sandwiches when her character was also a Dr. a biologist I believe or some such field.?? Lockhart was also not pleased that the characters of John and Maureen so much in love were not allowed to even exchange a smooch on the cheek because it was a 'kids' show, according to Allen.
I"m watching the old series again on Roku Channel. Jonathan was just perfect for his part, nobody else could have pulled it off like he did. We hated him, but then into the 8th show or so we began to love him quirky ways. Without him the show wouldn't have made it. I never missed that show when it first came on. Star Trek came later....
"Gay sir ? me sir ? How very dare you " !! I mean there is nothing about Dr Smith that even alludes to him being gay . Not the way he walked , not the way he talked , not the way he complained " oh the pain the pain ! " and certainly not the way he got into a big girly flap when frightened , waving his arms about . Gay ? oh please !!
Personally, I'm not for the gay lifestyle, but Jonathan Harris, no matter what his preferences may or may NOT have been, is a TRUE legend. In a day when the studios told the actors what to do, Harris stood up and told them what HE was going to do, and by God he did it, and did it DAMN WELL. His propensity for villainy was unmatched by anyone else in Hollywood at that time. Today's so called TV "villains" could learn a thing or two off of this man! RIP Mr. Harris and thanks for all the fun times!
How do you define a "gay lifestyle?" There is no playbook that tells you how to live. You don't get to choose to straight, nor do you choose to be gay. It's a natural facet of human nature, like if you're tall or short, boy or girl, red, black, blonde or brown hair. Your lifestyle is a choice. Sexually is not a preference!
Zenbone65 "Your lifestyle is a choice. Sexually is not a preference! " Didn't really mean it that way, what I basically meant was that even if Jonathan Harris WAS gay, he played a great villain and no one could ever take his place. The guy was a one time deal.
Kain Nosgoth So you're saying that "even if he was gay," he was still a good actor? Meaning that being gay and being a good actor are mutually exclusive? Really, you need to get a brain. And whether "you are for" a gay lifestyle, whatever that means, is absurd. Are you "for" the earth being round?
Hamming a character up and making them camp back then was not gay nor was it intended to be. People are taking today's politics and trying to impose it upon past times.
Hamming a character up and making them camp back then was not gay nor was it intended to be. People are taking today's politics and trying to impose it upon past times.
Lockhart and Harris both had big personalities and they butted heads several times as both actors were very outspoken. Lockhart was also very opinionated. At the old conventions Harris wound up getting his own autograph table separate from the rest of the cast . He would 'jokingly' refer to June as 'The Dragon Lady' and 'That old ........' and Lockhart at her autograph table would refer to Harris as 'That Old Queen' , had the fans hysterical, but they really did mellow out over the years. She made all kinds of sarcastic remarks about Harris' sexuality and how she perceived the Dr. Smith character as an old pedophile going after Will behind the rocks all the time. Guy Williams on the show suffered the most in terms of disappointment and upset as he was promised his character would be the action hero like his previous Zoro TV character and then got upstaged by the comedy duo of Smith and the B-9 Robot :) Mark Goddard walked off set one day as well in disgust over scene and line cuts for both he and Williams . Marta was pissed because Irwin Allen promised he'd develop the relationship between Judy and Don but he never did. Marta was hoping their characters would marry but it never happened.
I believe it was 2001 when Jonathan Harris made a special appearance at the opening of A Bug's Land at Disney's California Adventure and although I did not outwardly show it, I was truly shocked when I saw him. Not because of anything he did, but I could have sworn I had read about his death a few years before. I soon realized it was the same actor I had seen so many times on TV and was glad to realize he was still around. Sadly, however, he passed away the next year.
This would have to have been news to his wife. "What? The actor who played the astoundingly queeny Dr. Smith on TV's Lost in Space was heterosexual? It's hard to believe, especially when you learn that Harris also enjoyed needlepoint, gourmet cooking, and opera. But he married his high school sweetheart in 1938 and stayed with her until his death in 2002. They had one son." Perhaps you might want to watch "Jonathan Harris on Autobiography".
Please. Gay men didn't come out in those days. And plenty of them married and had children because that was the only way back then if someone wanted children. Furthermore, gay men of that era sometimes married women to "prove" they were straight. Rock Hudson did that. Robert Reed (Brady bunch) did that and had children. Elton John once married a woman to shake the gay stigma as did Michael Jackson. It didn't make them heterosexual.
as well as actors Joel Grey and Raymond Burr and so many others had Hollywood marriages for the sake of their careers but that did not mean they did not love their wives and children.
Dinosaur David B yes but nevef stayed married that long half the great actors of yester year were gay but yet none stayed married long or to same partner
You are absolutely right. I have been with a police officer for 25 years who still claims he is straight in public. Everyone has to live life the way they want...Dinosaur David you understand.
If he was straight he probably would have been divorced...he didn't skirt chase so his women stuck with him. I can't say for sure...but probably I am right.
Jonathan was married to his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, from 1938 until his death in 2002. She died of natural causes, at the age of 93, on August 28, 2007. They had one child, Richard, born 1942.[6]
100% correct. So it looks like he wasn't gay after all. A 64 year marriage and one child. I don't see anything gay about that. Jonathan was a great character actor, one of the best. But Penny was my favorite character. She was the same age as me when I started watching LIS reruns in the '70s. Just like Bill Mumy, I had a serious crush on her.
I get what this video is doing in its juvenile and disrespectful way, but I would like to add a quote from Harris told by his friend William Winkler that references this subject: There was a big West Hollywood Gay Parade on TV, and it was heavily publicized and promoted all over the place. During the promo, the announcer said, “and here come the Queens!” LOL! I mentioned seeing this commercial/promo for the parade and what the announcer said . . .”here come the Queens!” Jonathan told me, “Oh Willy, gays hate the Queens . . . that's not how most gay men look or act! The Queens give them a bad image! Gay men look like normal everyday men!”
Jonathan Harris stated that his camp comedy was not on the page of the initial scripts. He snuck it in, & when Irwin Allen saw it, he said, "Do more." (On DVD bonus feature intervew.)
The fact that there is some doubt means that Mr. Harris did it right-made the focus on his character and humor. And used his persona to improve his craft! He actually motivated me to care a little more about vocabulary in school so I could have more ammo to mouth off to people lol
i still... cant stand that show. if i knew star trek was on another channel as lost in space, or even ultraman, fuck.. lost in space would get lost.... but i remember the green space lady... she was hot, and i think dr. smith knew it, and actually wanted to hit that, in a rare hetero moment 4 him. but he wanted to hit that ...no doubt.
Well, a lot of gay men, marry and have kids.. Really I don't care if was gay or not.. I used to HATE Dr. Smith.. I HATED him for the whole time it was on the air.. It took several years for me to realize what an actor he was.. I didn't hate him, I hated the character he played.. An important lesson for me. He was an 'over the top actor'. He actually contributed quite a bit to 'Lost in Space'. It wouldn't have been the same without him.
Um .... Okay. I'm gay. I'm close to 60 (dangerously close to 60), and I watched Lost in Space RELIGIOUSLY. Dr Smith was DEFINITELY supposed to be a "weak man" (he said so himself on many occasions). "Weak men" were considered to be effeminate. And effeminate was considered to be gay. Ergo.... Now. Jonathan Harris is an ACTOR. Just because an ACTOR plays an effeminate/gay man does not mean that the ACTOR is gay/effeminate. Because he's ACTING. Many many many many gay men of my generation have been called "Dr Smith". "You're just like DR SMITH" is something even FRIENDS told us. That's not common anymore, but it was. We didn't necessarily identify with the character, but there are indeed certain resonances with being gay from a certain time period. Also, most of us found Mark Goddard HOT!
He over did it using that effeminate stereotype that Hollywood always used. I liked him much better as the strong villain. I found the image to be negative and all the adults laughed 'at' him and not with him.
@@mickfizz1 Apparently according to Mark Goodard, her and Guy Williams held a grudge against Jonathan Harris because they both were originally cast as the stars of the show. Although she is probably referring to the character Dr Smith, it's still a disgrace that she made reference to sexual impropriety between him and Will Robinson which was obviously not scripted into the show.
Straight or gay, Dr.Smiths' quips stole the show most of the time.Im a fan of the show since day 1 and to this day laugh at his antics the same as I did when I was in kindergarten watching these new episodes.A true legend .R.I.P.Jonathan Harris.
Harris was married to his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, from 1938 until his death in 2002. She died of natural causes, at age 93, on August 28, 2007. They had one child, Richard, born 1942
Great show I still watch it I didn't know he was gay bit it doesn't matter met him at a convention a few years before he passed he had such a great speaking voice really appreciated on Battlestar Galactica. I liked Lost in Space when it started as a serious space drama too when Dr. Smith was the bad guy it would have been successful anyway but I think Mr. Harris probably saved the show lasting much longer than it would have doing the comedy especially battling whits with the robot
One of the greats... he could take any character and give it life. Dr. Smith was a prime example. Talent exuded from this man and he should have be recognized for his genius.
one thing to note here , she said Dr. Smith was gay. as portrayed by Jonathan Harris... However, where is it said that Jonathan Harris was? Jonathan Harris did play other parts in other shows, like Twilight zone, that were very unlike Dr Smith.
OT n another note re: his voice. I saw a youtube clip of him as a literary character, i keep forgetting the name of, in his appearance on the TV episode of 'Bonanza" posted o youtube, wherein he had a long dialog and recited something historical I was mesmerized by his theatrical voice. He, Mr. Harris had explained in interviews that are on youtube of how he overcame his NY Brooklyn accent and taught himself to speak with perfect diction. I loved to hear him talk on and on. He could read the phone book and make it sound awesome :)
He didn't rival Connery,Brando or Robert Conrad as laidies men actors of the 60s,but I doubt he was gay.Effeminate maybe,but LIS and UNDERDOG were my first TV favorites and forever hold a special place in my heart.
The esteemed Mr Harris was equally effective (if quite less Affected) in a truly horrifying episode of Rod Sterling's Night Gallery where he saves the day from beyong the grave... "Burn the carnation!"
Loved the show, weirdness and all. Always had a laugh at Dr. Smiths character. Regardless, wish they’d done a season 4 and gave the show some closure. Would have been nice for them to have made it home for good.
As a kid in the 1960s, Dr. Smith provided riveting entertainment. If you’d then told me his was a gay character, I wouldn’t have known what that meant.
Yes! Dr. Smith played a great villain! I recall hating him in the 1960s when I was in the second grade. And, I used to get frightened by the perils the Robertson’s encountered.
"As a kid in the 1960s, Dr. Smith provided riveting entertainment."
I didn't realize Dr. Smith was a kid in the 1960s. He looked so old.
Harris wrote hundreds of his insults to the robot ! The man and his character are legends
Straight or gay, life is too brief and
precarious to be concerned with
anyones sexual proclivities. Jonathan Harris was an actor and if you enjoyed his performances
and they gave you some escape from your troubles what else really
matters. May he Rest in Peace.
@Bend Me Shape Me lol
@Bend Me Shape Me I hope you don't have red or blond hair, because that would be flaunting your deviance, you would need to dye it or you too would be flaunting your deviance, excuse me deviancy
its only when the media and hollywood try to push the agenda on us is when we start having problems
@@richiejohnson What???????
@@juanawashington9940 You sound so dumb. Like you all push your straight agenda down our throats and trust me I have handled some big things in my throat but having to watch straight sex all the damn time is DISGUSTING. NOW GO SIT DOWN CLOWN.
I knew Bill Mumy years ago, and I was shocked when he told me he was still in contact with Jonathan Harris, and that Jonathan was married, and had been for many years. I know that doesn’t mean anything, but he and his wife had one son. Bill always spoke affectionately of Jonathan, and you could tell it was genuine.
Harris has a child also.
They sure played that GAY angle. Smith used to always say, ' My dear BOYY.....''
It's called "bearding".
This is what gay people of his generation, they got married and hid it, I knew a lot of people that married to get by.
“Oh the pain William, the pain”
“Never fear Smith is here” 😆
And then it's Will Robinson's turn to say "Oh the pain, the pain!"
So cool DR was
Dr. Smith was always hilarious! Truly made the show spicy with laughter!
Dr. Smith was the reason the show stayed funny. The other actors also played their roles. Love the show and wished it had a fourth season.
Married to his high school sweetheart for nearly 70 years. It's called ACTING, and Harris knew if he remained the villain he'd eventually be killed off so he created the character. He and that robot stole the show.
his wifes name was Ralph.
@@vulcan2882 His wife's name was Gertrude.
@@deansliger1075 ... O'l Gert was his beard and he was hers.
You are correct, and actually he was a well respected actor. There are interviews with him here on YT where he explains how he did it and that he was total creator of that character. people here are just spewing their crap. Anyone with any knowledge of the show knows in the first season he was a really bad guy. It was his fault they got stranded. HE didn't like that about the character and changed it himself without consent. Ratings went up and Dr. Zachary Smith is now a beloved television iconic character.
I attended a Sci-Fi and comic book convention in Los Angeles during the 1990s, and Mr. Harris was one of the guests. During the panel Q & A, some kid stood up and had the nerve to ask him, "Are you gay?" I was shocked. Without missing a beat, Mr. Harris said, "No, are you???" It got a big laugh from the crowd. Shut the kid up.
Ron Green , gooood!
at his autograph table he stated that he still had an image to uphold and said: '......just how many autographs do you think I would sell if my fans knew that I was a closeted Homosexual. No my dear fellow, that would break their hearts. No one came out of the closet back then and I am certainly too old and disinterested to do so now." Also those two videos where June Lockhart made wisecracks and sarcastic digs about his sexuality and his character were posted for over a year seen by hundreds of fans and hated on, flagged and sent so many hate messages and comments that the videos were removed and both accounts/posters left youtube.
The Dark Angel , for as long as I've known Johnathan Harris, about 54 years, I've never seriously thought of him as being "gay". I always thought that he was playing the role. He had to come up with a act so that he could stay with the series as one commentator put it. Dr. Smith gay-? HUMP!
@@thejupiter2574 Thanks for adding to the discussion. Makes sense. The haters dynamic is interesting. These are weird times, where if you comment on a topic, you better do it ferociously PC ... or else as a hate-spitting neo-con. Anyone in the middle, simply making conversation, is not allowed to comment / is not welcome at the party. I'm not sure that's the kind of society that any historically marginalized demographic has been fighting for. I know it's not the one I (as a social progressive) have been fighting for, for decades.
@@thejupiter2574 Coming out doesn't seem to have hurt George Takei. But I suppose it's easy to come out of the closet when it's already wide open.
Dr Smith was the reason I watched and loved this show!
I don't care whether Dr. Smith was gay or straight...he was hilarious! The rest of the cast was good, but the show wouldn't have been nearly as amusing without Dr. Smith and all of his schemes.
Dr. Smith: ""Ahhh yes indeed my dear boy. They could not have done that show without me, the great Dr. Zachery Smith and my sidekick the B-9 Robot, or as i like to refer to him as 'The Bubble Headed Booby'.
his alliterations were funny.
It could of went in the same direction as Star Trek, a real scientific type show and be more popular with adults, but Harris made it more into a kids type of farce. And as a kid i thoroughly enjoyed it. I identified myself more with Will, and wanted to see Smith get ejected.
Simply, you are RIGHT!
He irked the sh*t out me, but yes he was a great character actor.
Holy shit, it's hilarious to see June Lockhart in her 70s telling that story about how Dr Smith had a little sugar in his shoes. Still really liked the show when I was a kid. It wouldnt have been the same show without the evil/flaming Dr Smith.
To the kid's watching him, it wasn't important that Dr Smith was gay or not (and we didn't really understand what "gay" meant anyways at that age) What WAS important was that Dr Smith was FLAMBOYANT. His mannerisms were exaggerated and over the top. He freaked out in a way that a "manly man" (like Guy Williams or Mark Goddard) would never do. And that's what make him great for the show! When a monster suddenly appeared, Dr Smith would absolutely HOWL in fear! That made the monster even SCARIER and we kids watching the show shared the same reaction. You will notice that most of the monsters are seen FIRST by Dr Smith or the boy Will for maximum reaction. Then later, the 2 braver men come to the rescue and save the day...it's a perfect set up and Jonathan Harris performed it perfectly.
Touche' (smile)
The innocence of the 60s - I never would of thought or guessed at it until the 80s. Anyway, I don't look at him that way. I just thought of him as a greedy power hungry coward. I'll keep looking at Dr. Smith that way.
Steve Mascella Would of?
I don't see the need to rewrite the fictional biographies of iconic characters. If you thought a character was gay, so be it. But don't try to convince the rest of us. You can choose any lifestyle you wish but stop projecting your lifestyle choice on fictional characters. You don't get to make that choice.
@@markforster6457 But the man was obviously gay on the show and Jonathan admits that so get over it dude.
@@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753 Even if he was, what do you gain from this discussion? Are you coming out? Are you admitting to having a gay crush on a FICTIONAL CHARACTER? You get over it you pathetic fop!!!
@@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753 Get off yo' momma's side of the bed and get a life. It's bad enough just knowing you exist! To read your stupid rantings just makes it worse!
It doesn't matter if Dr. Smith was gay. He was a brilliant and entertaining actor and performer. His dialogs were unique. He was and will always be my favorite actor.
He wasn't. He was married for many years and had a son.
@@scottreed8985 I'd give up. I tried, but you see they've already made up their minds.
Harris created that character. And, most of that dialogue you refer to was written or improvised by him. He has interviews here on YT.
OMG Dr. Smith was Gay? - You don't say - I was 9 years old when LIS aired - I was glued to the TV each and every week - I had a velour shirt just like the Robinson's wore - Great show and cast.
No, Dr Smith was not "gay", but that velour shirt, thats a chick magnet be careful.
@fueledbylove Johnathon Harris was gay and what an icon...
Watching this series back in the very early 70s Zachary Smith was definitely our favourite . The screaming and one-liners and hiding behind little Will Robinsons back when there was danger in front of him was hilarious Great upload 👍🏻🇬🇧
Well, as far as we know, he was married faithfully, to his "wife", up till the day he died.
That's good enough for me. May he R.I.P.
June Lockhart is still such a lovely lady!
jack ward....she was, she passed away a while back!!!
@@hildapompa4236 she still alive at 95
Still alive as of nov 27, 2020
Hey!.....She is a real bitch for spreading rumours about Jonathan.....
@@hildapompa4236 She's soon to be 98 and very much alive. Her and daughter Anne live in Northern California.
I am sure this is a surprise to his wife of 64 years.
and a surprise to his child to I would imagine
LifeIs AnAdventure The character was gay, not the actor.
Yes that is correct. He was married to bregman for 64 years. The man was not gay
@@tapasyatyaga4041 You think gay men don't get married to women and have children, especially back in those days when being gay could get you arrested and locked up for simply existing?
@@martymahem236 Yes. Gay men do get married. I'm a criminal defense attorney. I deal with allegations constantly. We look at proof and evidence. Can you provide credible proof that he was gay. The burden is on you if you are asserting that he is gay.
Who cares if he was gay. He was a GREAT character actor and a cut up!
The character of Zachary Smith was gay. Jonathan Harris was married and had at least one son.
@@Scyllax You never once saw Dr. Smith flirting with a man, but he was interested in at least two different female characters on the show? Bold of you to assume that since he was flamboyant, he must be gay.
Keep in mind folks that the allegation is that Dr. Smith might’ve been gay, NOT that Jonathan Harris was in real life.
Dude was born in the Bronx, but hated the accent and patterned the way he talked after British performers of the day. He described himself as a character performer, meaning he enjoyed delivering over the top camp, something he did to advance and develop the character and provide a bit of comedy to the program producers thought might be lacking.
'Dr. Smith' was basically an extension of his earlier character on 'The Bill Dana Show.' Probably why he was hired for LIS. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Jonathan Harris (Dr. Smith) wrote his own dialogue. He quickly realized that he would be written out of the show unless he made his character more than a stereotypical villain. So he made his character a caricature of the standard villain/bully. He would be scheming and conniving at one moment, but as soon as anyone threatened or even opposed him, he'd transform into a caricature of a stereotypical coward.
Married to the same lady, his childhood sweetheart for about 64 years with one son.
Most homosexual men are married with children. Especially in the "old days," when you HAD to get married right out of high school, or else. Only a tiny percentage stay true to their actual nature.
@@michaelwhite2823 - Just stating facts that have been well known for over half a century, since Kinsey and the others. Do your homework, smart ass.
@@GLC2013
There is no doubt, you are the ultimate authority on homosexuality. It probably has to do with your own homosexuality that led to your career of studying the lives and times of the homosexual. You probably needed to know what that tiny stirring in your pants was and needed sweet relief, leading to your career in "studying" it. I bet you conducted lots of "interviews".
@@DIESEL0759 As a matter of fact, I am a homosexual and have decades of first hand experience with men. Sorry I burst your infantile bubble and pointed out the obvious fact that Harris was a three dollar bill. Doesn't say much for your brain power that you couldn't figure that out for yourself in the last FIVE decades!
Never heard of a "beard" especially back then, you dummy?
Hold on… she didn't actually say he was gay, she just agreed that he was a queen… "Oh yes, he was the same off scree as he was on" (paraphrased) I seem to recall that in THAT context, "queen" might mean "drama queen", not necessarily meaning gay.
HOW WOULD LOCKHART KNOW? SHE WAS OFF HER FEET IN GUY WILLIAMS' TRAILER HALF THE TIME.
+MerlinsDragon1970 Yeah, I agree that comment is a load of garbage also..
@Owen: Agreed
He laughs just like Queenie Tucker Carlson
Thanks to the UK's Horror Channel, Lost in Space is currently being repeated and is giving those of us who watched it as kids some 50 years ago the chance to take a trip down memory lane. Unusually, it is exactly as I remember it and well worth viewing for anyone who has never seen the show. The interaction between Mr Harris and the robot with attitude is priceless.
Back when I was a kid loving this show, not only did I not know what "gay" meant, but neither did my parents. We all just got a kick outta the situations and the funny aliens, and Dr. Smith was the naughty old man who was always cooking up some scheme that put everyone in danger...and always got his comeuppance, but never learned the error of his ways! Sad that everything is so sexualized nowadays.
+MerlinsDragon1970 ... several episodes had female characters that were attracted to Dr. Smith. The Lady from the Green Mist was a character that was floating in space outside the Robinson's spacecraft. In a green body suit she would writhe, squirm, and sensually pine for Dr.Smith. His reaction was he was terrified by this beautiful seductress. Screaming in fear and repulsion. This seamed to be the reaction to any female character that had any kind of attraction or interest in him.
+MerlinsDragon1970 You know, in the '30's Dr. Frederick Wertham claimed that Batman and Robin had a gay relationship too. Jump to the 1970's and even National Lampoon had an article where they showed the Dynamic Duo in a suggestive position on a motorcycle, AND Dr. Smith and Will Robinson! I wonder, has any one asked GAYS in their 60's if THEY caught any gay nuance in the show???
+Rob Rosen Who cares if a comic book nerd is gay or not? One should not be classified or identified based on their sexuality. We're all humans.
+Rob Rosen YOU are sooooo full of shite Rosen. Someone should stick you into a cryo freezing tube to keep you and your "hate" away from society Then maybe in the future they will take you out of deep freeze and operate on your brain or just toss your hate tainted brain as Hazardous Waste
Rob Rosen Your reply to Dark Angel reveals that the bottle is still kept next to the computer. And your use of capital letters is cute, btw. Kind of like - ACT NOW!!! SUPPLIES ARE RUNNING LOW!!!" "You have problems facing the truth" ~ nonsensical rant. "Try attacking the Washington Times" ~ nonsensical rant. "Is it easier for you to make a personal attack..." ~ don't know if it's easier, but its fun, and its justified. "You think by killing the messenger..." ~ nonsensical rant, but not a bad idea... Signed, STUPID FAGGOT. Bye!!!!
I often got strange looks when I jokingly repeated some of his bizarre word choices. “Stop that, you ninny!” was frequently met with “HUH?!” They didn’t really get it because none of them had been born for another 20 years after “Lost in Space” went off the air. It just took all the fun out of life.
Some of us didn't know that definition of "gay" when we watched LIS during its original run. Too bad GenX,Y,Z etc didn't have that luxury. R.I.P. Jonathan Harris comic genius
I thought he was a wonderful natural comedian. Dr. Smith is still one of my favorite characters.
He was funny, Billy, Smith, and Robbie Robot were the life of the show.
Also, does 343 GuiltSpark remind anyone else of Dr Smith?
Always causing trouble but always escaping at the the end.
+Joshua Hi Josh :) I loved the LIS robot as a kid and wanted him as my best friend so bad as did all the other kids. The Robot on LIS didn't have a Human name, unfortunately. He was just called Robot but his model number which he identified himself by is Robot B-9 and there is a great battery operated action figure of him the B-9 Robot from lost in space by Diamond Select Toys
Robbie the Robot was the classic 1950's Robot from the movie Forbidden Planet and had guest stared in two different episodes of LIS Robby the Robot and the LIS robot were both designed and created by the same person.
Have you ever heard actor Jonathan Harris as the voice of Lucifer the bad robot on the old sci fi TV show Battlestar Galactica from back in the late 70's the orig series. THAT was great fun too He, the robot talked just lke Dr. Smith exactly.
The Dark Angel Oh, okay, my bad. I didn't there was a toy of him, as a nostalgia lover I'll have to see how much it cost.
Joshua The Diamond Select Toy co put out two versions last year of the B-9 Robot one is his classic grey metal color and one in Gold each one says a lot of great dialog. There are videos of him functioning being reviewed on youtube. The grey one says all the great classic lines. I believe they go for $50.00 each plus the $10 to $13 for s/h I think the website Entertainment Earth still sells the greyish classic one that says all the familiar phrases we grew up hearing and the lights inside him are very impressive, flashing lights :)
Alright, I'm gonna have to buy one, it would look so cool nest to Bouncer Big Daddy and Songbird.
Had you done your homework, you'd also know that June Lockhart, Guy and Mark were always at odds with Johnathan and there was always tension on the set. They were led to believe they would be the stars and Johnathan's popularity took over and he got more script time and even wrote and directed after awhile. Of course June is going to be a bit negative about him. He was married for 64 years to his HS sweetheart. Not much research done about the person you are slamming here.
MerlinsDragon1970: Which is what gets me is why people try to defend this show as being just as good as _Star Trek-The Original Series_-it _wasn't_, and the fact that Allen let Harris take over the show as he did with Smith demonstrates why _Star Trek-The Original Series_ is loved (and went on to have a greater success) and _Lost In Space_ did not. As it is, all that I like about this show is the comic book by Bill Mumy and the 1998 movie (which I would have like to see a sequel to.)
_Lost In Space_ would have worked well as a comedy similar to _Red Dwarf_ (and with a similar episode to _Red Dwarf's_ "Dimension Jump'' in which Smith, West, & the Robinsons meet a counterpart from another universe _that's better than him_.)
Neville6000 It was Irwin Allen's arrogance that killed LIS. Otherwise, the show would have had another season. I was never a Dr. Smith fan. Nothing against Jonathan Harris...just Smith. I believe the quality of the show would have been much higher, had Smith been written out after the first few episodes and the writers not had to write down to the Smith character. I believe Smith would have killed the show before the end of season 4. All that being said, I still prefer LIS over Star Trek TOS. I grew up with both shows, but just never warmed up to the original Star Trek. In that respect, LIS is superior, at least, for me.. There's nothing to defend. I like what I like. I enjoyed Next Generation and the shows that followed, much more than the original series.
Jay Dee The TNG better than the STTOS ? You bumped your head. HARD!
+Neville6000 Yeah.keep watching those dull, boring, lifeless THIRD Season Treks.. You trekkies always forget the BAD episodes which were 90% of season three or worse you actually can;t tell how bad they are. LIS fans know a BAD episode from a good one. Mark Goodard did NOT think he would be the star of the show at all and has fond memories of Jonathan. on and off screen. Listen to commentary on current BLURAYS. All the cast lovesd Jonathan. I didnt hear much at all about "GUY" except he loved to comb his "hair".
They all eventually reconciled with Harris because they were adults -- unlike those who'll carry a grudge forever rather than 'compromise [their] integrity.'
Who cares. He wasn't gay, but why does it matter? He is a legend.
Exactly, no one cares, he was great
He was very entertaining. One minute, he'll be saying, "Never fear - Smith is here," and in the next minute a monster will pop out from behind a rock, and he'll be crying, "Oh Will Robinson, save me!"
Then why did you watch this?
Boy are you dumb
If you watch it's clear this interview was cut and edited, she never really said he was gay , this was a BS interview
It was pretty obvious yes.
Amen. It was outright slander editing it like that.
Host/editor was trying to serve his own narrative. Pass.
"Pretty, handsome, pretty…Dr. Zachary Smith."
June Lockhart should have known better than to stoke the fires of the depraved into thinking that Jonathan was gay. He was NOT gay. I know a family member of his quite well and his whole family is sickened by this sort of innuendo. Jonathan was an intensely private man who loved his wife and son dearly. When he died his wife followed soon after because they were inseparable. The character of Doctor Smith was an ACT, a concoction worked out by Jonathan primarily to stop him being booted out of the series. He knew that if he kept playing the villain audiences would tire of him and Irwin Allen would have booted him off the show so he used his thespian ingenuity to cook up the camp and cowardly Smith we all got to love. He even played Smith at conventions but it was ALL an act. In real life Jonathan did not speak with the affected accent and was pretty much straight as an arrow. Please...please... I beg of all of you, leave the memory of this decent and good man alone. The show, the characters and his performance are now icons of the 60s and have earned a place in the hearts of those old enough to remember when the show first aired. Let the dead lie peacefully and do not cast mud upon those who cannot answer the barbs.
Luxitos...I used the word "depraved" to describe those who cast aspersions about Jonathan Harris and his sexuality... not homosexuals. Being called gay IS mudslinging if the word is then conflated by the accuser with paedophilia and effete behaviour...disgusting and wrong stereotypes!
tripsadelica It really upsets me also. We are not defined by our sexual preferences. Nor is our body of work. Jonathan’s view of Smith was that he was like an undisciplined child. I’m hard pressed to tell if June was commenting on Jonathan or the Character. Either way why are we reading sex into a children’s family adventure series??? He was a fine man, and a brilliant actor. As for his diction he was and wished to be distinct! I love and indeed miss the linguistic skills of the older actors!! Now kids don’t speak let alone speak English. So there! Lol have a good day all abs Rest In Peace Jonathan we all still love your work!!
tripsadelica I understand what your saying completely it’s maddening that people read sex into lost in space. It was a family show. I don’t see this shite bespoke about Little House or The bloody Walton’s..
I agree with you 1000% Jonathan was an amazing human being. All these people throwing accusations around about a man no longer here to defend himself are as bad as June for putting that ridiculous statement out in the first place. It's obvious to anyone with a brain that she was jealous of Jonathan as lost in space only lasted as long as it did because of him. She resented that. He became the star of the show and got all the recognition. Shame on her!
_"depraved ... family ... sickened ... innuendo"_
Oh look, a christian.
I was in my early tenth’s when we watched this great series and I remember we use to comment that Dr. Smith’s character had homosexual-like behaviors, but not as a criticism because he was hilarious and great part of Lost in Space success!
"You're going to have to stop nibbling on Dr. Smith."
Jonathan Harris was a fine gentleman. Whenever I think of him doing these lines they are certain to bring a smile to my face.
No matter what ..Dr Smith KEPT THE SHOW ROLLING!
100 # correct
he made the show. just like Spock in star trek. good actor.
Harris knew that the best villains are the ones that make you giggle, and you enjoy them more than the heroes.
It was the combination of Dr Smith and Will Robinson and Robot made the show memorable for many Australians!
+King Pty YES and there are several interviews with Mr. Harris when he was down in Australia promoting his One Man Shows that he did along with the shows' Robot He and the Robot exchanged insults and dialog in the beginning of his shows. So much fun. There are two separate versions/video postings of his show on youtube. He, Mr. Harris mentioned more than once in interviews of how much he was appreciative of and loved his fans in Australia
@@thejupiter2574 This Australian loved Will, The Robot and Dr Smith; the others got on my nerves. It wasn't their fault; no doubt, it was the script lines they just had no choice but to read. Years later I would describe them as being 'too straight' & that was what annoyed me. Knowing now the sensibilities of June Lockhardt, she could have been given some killer lines back then! OOOooh, the waste!!!
That's all the show became was the Will/ Robot/Doctor Smith show
After the 1st season it could have been called the Smith, Will and Robot hour.
One exchange between Dr.Smith and June Lockhart, he often referred to her as "Dear Lady".
One time she said "Don't you 'Dear Lady' me!"
I have communicated with Bill Mumy via e-mail and I asked him whether or not the character of Dr. Smith was gay. He replied, No, but he has become a gay icon." Of course this does not address the question of whether or not Harris was gay but it is a question that has little interest for me and besides the man is dead and cannot defend himself. I say we should just enjoy his over the top performance and not bother to speculate on his sexuality.
This video, however, was obviously edited to give the false impression that June Lockhart was saying Harris was gay. Shame on the producer of this video.
+Gregory Ritchie actually the interview came about based on Ms. Lockhart's brassy outspoken little remarks about Mr. Harris' sexuality at about three old conventions both at her table and during the panel Q & A but her remarks were very non- gallant and matter of fact as if it was common knowledge that Mr. Harris was either gay or bi even Mark Goddard smiled and nodded his head in agreement which is in one of several video interviews posted on youtube.
She was very outspoken and in two interviews made reference to the Smith character suggesting that Smith acted like a pedophile. I blame her outspoken opinions.
no interest you emailed mumy
so you must have had some interest
Dr Smith was hardly homosexual. A sissy and a coward, but that does not make one homosexual. I wonder where being a big baby means you are into men.
I never knew Mr Harris, but one hardly stays married 60+ years living a lie.
People talk about the dead all the time, it doesn't matter that they can't defend themselves. They do it to Michael Jackson all the time, why should this be any different?
"No . But he has become a gay icon"
....seems to me he said no he wasn't gay but his character made him a icon for it.
Jonathan Harris was the best.
RIP, my dear boy.
T.A. Rugg ‘
Got the Lost In Space DVDs here (along with Star Trek, Space 1999, Blakes 7, and various others old SciFi shows). Every 4 or 5 years, I watch them all again. Much better than most of the stuff on TV now. Jonathan Harris really made Lost In Space so different and also enjoyable.
He played Smith as British. Bah! Indeed! How dare you, Sir? These are British expressions. He was cowardly and panicky, behind the bravado. None of which makes Smith gay. He made Smith funny, sympathetic and naive, which was a brilliant move.
He was married to a woman. Does that discount that?
He did a great job of playing the character of Dr.Smith...Well done!!!
Cary, this is wonderful, thanks for posting--great interview of June and I loved your hilarious/perceptive comments of beloved Dr. Smith. And, you know something? Its about time that some one mentioned that Dr. Smith was indeed the first 'queen in space' LOL!! My partner and I LOVE the show!
Why can't we simply enjoy old shows for what they were without bringing modern smut into them? Nobody ever thought about this sort of thing when we watched the original programs and that's how it should stay, in my opinion.
+Renee Bloggs TOTALLY AGREE.
+Renee Bloggs Stay in the closet you mean? There is a lot of affection in June Lockhart's comments, nothing "smutty" whatsoever. As she says, Jonathan Harris would have been the first to admit he was gay, if he'd been asked. But in the fifties and sixties? Nope, such openness would have been a career destroy, especially on a family show. Give me honesty over your prudishness any day.
+Rex Mundi Well, I think June Lockhart was talking about the Zachary Smith character, not Jonathan Harris himself, who was married and had a son. I don't understand this "openness". Why do I want - or need - to know about your sexuality? When will people like you understand that most people don't care?
+Renee Bloggs as explained at the very top of this thread or page, the whole thing here started because this interviewer saw four old old videos of Ms. Lockhart at four old conventions and one at her autograph table making comments and remarks about both Mr. Harris' sexuality and about his Smith character. She, at these cons implied that 'she' thought of his Smith character as a pedophile, always behind the rocks with Will. She also had made little digs and remarks about Mr. Harris' "Bi" sexuality and even Mark Goddard smiled and threw his headback remembering and said e'd forgotten.
I loved Ms. Lockhart as a kid and wanted her to be by Mom or wanted Mrs. Robinson to have been my mom, she was the perfect TV image representation but in reality she has a very very opinionated mind and speaks it. She should have just kept her comments to herself.
Yes @Rex Mundi it's true gay and Bi actors back in the day could not have a successful career without their front of a marriage. like Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr and so many others like Robert Reed ( Mr. Brady ) and Joel Grey. That's not to say they didn't love their wives and kids, they certainly did but yeah, one could not come out in the previous decades when being gay was still considered illegal and equated with also being a Pedophile as Ms. Lockhart's generation was taught.
+Rex Mundi Yes @Rex Mundi it's true gay and Bi actors back in the day could not have a successful career without their front of a marriage. like Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr and so many others like Robert Reed ( Mr. Brady ) and Joel Grey. That's not to say they didn't love their wives and kids, they certainly did but yeah, one could not come out in the previous decades when being gay was still considered illegal and equated with also being a Pedophile as Ms. Lockhart's generation was taught.
When I watched the show as a kid I and all my friends always thought of Dr Smith as a sissy. We didn't know what gay was.😀
2:22 I heard this first as "written out of two episodes...at full celery." RIP the good doctor, Jonathan Harris was one of a kind!
Not fair to mr. Harris to do a spot like this after he’s gone.
Agreed. Thumbs down.
Jonathan was very seasoned theatrical actor that throughout his career lived and worked with all kinds of hysterical types, from whom he most likely appropriated those kind of behaviors that would make Dr. Smith so important for the series. Remember, theater develops a kind of exaggerated acting that's all together different from cinema, and that's what he cleverly brought to Lost in Space.
so true, but try telling that to the sensationalist pea brains on here.
yes, that includes the terrible hysterical screaming and screaming and screaming he did for three seasons smh
GREAT ACTOR.....LOVED THE SHOW.....STILL WATCH RERUNS EARLY SUNDAY MORNINGS.
Jonathan Harris wasn't gay but 1960's Dr Smith was flaming!!
Camp as a row of tents 😂
Well one may have thought his character was gay but in real life he had a wife and a son named Ricky and yes, I know that doesn't mean anything. I just think he was very flamboyant and a great actor.
No Dr. Smith, no Lost In Space. He was the Fonz of that show.
What is a "Fonz"?
+Rick Terscale The Fonz was a popular TV show character from the show Happy Days Like Dr. Smith of LIS, The Fonz character was only suppose to be temporary but fans liked him so much and brought up the ratings that he, actor Henry Winkler became like the central fan favorite character of the show just as Jonathan Harris saved LIS in the ratings too.
And the Barney Fife and the Mr. Spock.
@William Page Is this English you're using?
@William Page My comment was snarky, unkind and unChristian; I'm better than that. I apologize.
Funny thing is, no matter how over the top he got, I still remember him from that first season, and just saw him as "turned for the better." He showed he had a heart, and always protected Will.
He was evil at first and set things up so the whole family would be killed including Will
"...always protected Will."? I distinctly remember Dr. Smith hiding behind Will when confronted with danger.
Yeah, it’s more like Will always protected HIM. :-/
From what I have read, Mr. Harris based his characterization on a 'flaming' gay man he knew.
I LOVE this show. As an adult im catching all kinds of pervy stuff. Dr Smith was a sh#t stirrer😂😂😂
@@PURDY_POISON If he had not been in that show, it just wouldn't have worked. Aside from Billy Mumy, the other two male leads played boring, one note characters. Watching them was like watching paint dry!
@@philiphatfield-ev4kj i agree. But i had a crush on major Don. 🤣🤣
@@PURDY_POISON I met Mark Goddard at a nostalgia show a few years back and women of all ages flocked to him! He was a nice guy and he should have had a much bigger career.
@@philiphatfield-ev4kj Thats neat 🤗
I used to watch this show in reruns in the early 70’s when I was a young kid (6 or 7 yrs.) and I have to admit that Dr. Smith would irritate the hell out of me with those cowardly screams. All those alliterative phrases would go over my young head. I used to watch the show for the monster of the week. Later, as an adult, I rediscovered the show and then I could appreciate J. Harris’ great acting and great portrayal of the Dr. Smith character. I discovered he was the main character of the show, without him this show would be nothing. Now I can appreciate the alliteration and the screams. I really get a kick out of both.
Regardless of what his sexual persuasions were, he was a very good Thespian. I saw him in an episode of Bonanza and he portrayed the role of Charles Dickens. Brilliant.
Dr Smith was a screaming queen...but we were kids and didn't care.
I wasn’t quite in my teens when Lost in Space first aired on the BBC back on the U.K. I fell in love with the show immediately and I don’t think I ever missed an episode.
Well, he certainly adored his wife, and his wife adored him. The deep connection is obvious in all the photos of the couple. I am sure they had "that" conversation. And an accepted space was made and respected; which made Harris love his wife even more. Love is as varied as the planets of the universe--an as splendid, wonderful and unique. Why should anyone care to talk about something so obvious?
What difference does it make if Jonathan Harris was gay? Truly.... what difference does it make? He was a beloved character on and off the set.... That's all that is important
#Truth
Honestly, anything June Lockhart says about Jonathan Harris OR Dr. Smith should be taken with a grain of salt. Both she and Guy Williams blamed him for 'stealing their show'.
You can spread the blame to the scriptwriters, who neglected the rest of the cast for Smith, Will, Penny, and the Robot.
The dear lady should have concentrated more on giving the crew of the Jupiter 2 decent meals. Often, her cooking left a certain after bite. Oh the pain!
Penny, not so much but Smith, Will and the Robot.
The scriptwriters although are in charge. But the bottom line if they want a succesful end product as in any business allow the actors do what is comfortable. Sometimes forcing out dialogues from one whos not comfortable or not their type will come out ackward or unnatural. in the behind the scenes, Irwin Allen suggest to Mr Harris to take the ball and run so to speak, in other words allowed him to fill in his own script ideas filling in gaps since Mr Allen caught on to the fact realizing of Mr Harris's command of communication and elegant speech was all self-made.
It was Irwin Allen that neglected the shows' characters and screen time once he saw how the Smith character had increased the ratings while they were in 'campinness' competition with the Batman TV show at night.
Marta Kristen was very disappointed that her relationship with Don was not developed and that their characters were not married as Irwin had promised her that would happen. Mark Goddard spoke about how he and Williams used to get disappointed over scene cuts or dialog cuts and one day Goddard completely walked off the set angry over his dialog being cut and Williams would spend a good deal of his off camera time just sitting in his dressing room listening to classic music to chill out. Williams was promised that he would be the lead 'action hero' as he was on his previous TV show Zoro. June Lockhart said she was not pleased with the limited roles of just being Domestic and serving sandwiches when her character was also a Dr. a biologist I believe or some such field.?? Lockhart was also not pleased that the characters of John and Maureen so much in love were not allowed to even exchange a smooch on the cheek because it was a 'kids' show, according to Allen.
I"m watching the old series again on Roku Channel. Jonathan was just perfect for his part, nobody else could have pulled it off like he did. We hated him, but then into the 8th show or so we began to love him quirky ways. Without him the show wouldn't have made it. I never missed that show when it first came on. Star Trek came later....
@Studio Terrible I'm not clicking on anything from you.
"Gay sir ? me sir ? How very dare you " !! I mean there is nothing about Dr Smith that even alludes to him being gay .
Not the way he walked , not the way he talked , not the way he complained " oh the pain the pain ! " and certainly not the way
he got into a big girly flap when frightened , waving his arms about . Gay ? oh please !!
I believe you confusing gay with camp!
Its said he wasn't gay which straight or gay did not make a difference but he was effeminate.
Personally, I'm not for the gay lifestyle, but Jonathan Harris, no matter what his preferences may or may NOT have been, is a TRUE legend. In a day when the studios told the actors what to do, Harris stood up and told them what HE was going to do, and by God he did it, and did it DAMN WELL. His propensity for villainy was unmatched by anyone else in Hollywood at that time. Today's so called TV "villains" could learn a thing or two off of this man! RIP Mr. Harris and thanks for all the fun times!
Very well said my good man.
zachary smith To quote the man himself..."Indeed". :-)
How do you define a "gay lifestyle?" There is no playbook that tells you how to live. You don't get to choose to straight, nor do you choose to be gay. It's a natural facet of human nature, like if you're tall or short, boy or girl, red, black, blonde or brown hair. Your lifestyle is a choice. Sexually is not a preference!
Zenbone65 "Your lifestyle is a choice. Sexually is not a preference! "
Didn't really mean it that way, what I basically meant was that even if Jonathan Harris WAS gay, he played a great villain and no one could ever take his place. The guy was a one time deal.
Kain Nosgoth
So you're saying that "even if he was gay," he was still a good actor? Meaning that being gay and being a good actor are mutually exclusive? Really, you need to get a brain. And whether "you are for" a gay lifestyle, whatever that means, is absurd. Are you "for" the earth being round?
Loved it when Smith and the robot traded insults - pure gold.
He wasn't gay. He was married for over 60 years and had a son. Give me a break. Why would she say that?
expostfactum hoary carmichael
expostfactum m
Hamming a character up and making them camp back then was not gay nor was it intended to be.
People are taking today's politics and trying to impose it upon past times.
Hamming a character up and making them camp back then was not gay nor was it intended to be.
People are taking today's politics and trying to impose it upon past times.
And how the fuck do you know that? Fake news.
Oh please. I am so tired of this rewriting history for 1 to 2% of the population.
And the freaks of the population at that.
Filthy Hetero Breeders.
;)
Lockhart and Harris both had big personalities and they butted heads several times as both actors were very outspoken. Lockhart was also very opinionated. At the old conventions Harris wound up getting his own autograph table separate from the rest of the cast . He would 'jokingly' refer to June as 'The Dragon Lady' and 'That old ........'
and Lockhart at her autograph table would refer to Harris as 'That Old Queen' , had the fans hysterical, but they really did mellow out over the years. She made all kinds of sarcastic remarks about Harris' sexuality and how she perceived the Dr. Smith character as an old pedophile going after Will behind the rocks all the time.
Guy Williams on the show suffered the most in terms of disappointment and upset as he was promised his character would be the action hero like his previous Zoro TV character and then got upstaged by the comedy duo of
Smith and the B-9 Robot :) Mark Goddard walked off set one day as well in disgust over scene and line cuts for both he and Williams . Marta was pissed because Irwin Allen promised he'd develop the relationship between Judy and Don but he never did. Marta was hoping their characters would marry but it never happened.
I believe it was 2001 when Jonathan Harris made a special appearance at the opening of A Bug's Land at Disney's California Adventure and although I did not outwardly show it, I was truly shocked when I saw him. Not because of anything he did, but I could have sworn I had read about his death a few years before. I soon realized it was the same actor I had seen so many times on TV and was glad to realize he was still around. Sadly, however, he passed away the next year.
If you didn't know Dr Smith was gay then I hope you don't think that metal man was a robot.
This would have to have been news to his wife. "What? The actor who played the astoundingly queeny Dr. Smith on TV's Lost in Space was heterosexual? It's hard to believe, especially when you learn that Harris also enjoyed needlepoint, gourmet cooking, and opera. But he married his high school sweetheart in 1938 and stayed with her until his death in 2002. They had one son." Perhaps you might want to watch "Jonathan Harris on Autobiography".
Please. Gay men didn't come out in those days. And plenty of them married and had children because that was the only way back then if someone wanted children. Furthermore, gay men of that era sometimes married women to "prove" they were straight. Rock Hudson did that. Robert Reed (Brady bunch) did that and had children. Elton John once married a woman to shake the gay stigma as did Michael Jackson. It didn't make them heterosexual.
as well as actors Joel Grey and Raymond Burr and so many others had Hollywood marriages for the sake of their careers but that did not mean they did not love their wives and children.
Dinosaur David B yes but nevef stayed married that long half the great actors of yester year were gay but yet none stayed married long or to same partner
You are absolutely right. I have been with a police officer for 25 years who still claims he is straight in public. Everyone has to live life the way they want...Dinosaur David you understand.
If he was straight he probably would have been divorced...he didn't skirt chase so his women stuck with him. I can't say for sure...but probably I am right.
June looks wonderful !
Jonathan was married to his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, from 1938 until his death in 2002. She died of natural causes, at the age of 93, on August 28, 2007. They had one child, Richard, born 1942.[6]
100% correct. So it looks like he wasn't gay after all. A 64 year marriage and one child. I don't see anything gay about that. Jonathan was a great character actor, one of the best. But Penny was my favorite character. She was the same age as me when I started watching LIS reruns in the '70s. Just like Bill Mumy, I had a serious crush on her.
Gerald Scott indeed
Lots of gay people are married and have children.
That is simply not true. I don't know that many gay people, but of the group I know for sure, two were married up to and past their retirement.
Lots of gay men have married and had children.
I get what this video is doing in its juvenile and disrespectful way, but I would like to add a quote from Harris told by his friend William Winkler that references this subject: There was a big West Hollywood Gay Parade on TV, and it was heavily publicized and promoted all over the place. During the promo, the announcer said, “and here come the Queens!” LOL! I mentioned seeing this commercial/promo for the parade and what the announcer said . . .”here come the Queens!” Jonathan told me, “Oh Willy, gays hate the Queens . . . that's not how most gay men look or act! The Queens give them a bad image! Gay men look like normal everyday men!”
Now if he had asked The Keeper if he could play with his staff, I would say yes but ...not with what I have seen.
Jonathan Harris stated that his camp comedy was not on the page of the initial scripts. He snuck it in, & when Irwin Allen saw it, he said, "Do more." (On DVD bonus feature intervew.)
The fact that there is some doubt means that Mr. Harris did it right-made the focus on his character and humor. And used his persona to improve his craft!
He actually motivated me to care a little more about vocabulary in school so I could have more ammo to mouth off to people lol
I don't know....he seemed to like that Green Space Lady...
Orionsector And she liked him!!!
Only as a SISTER, ha.
Pretty handsome pretty Dr. smith was the line that I remember her saying from that episode.
Dr. Smiiiithhhh tee hee hee
i still... cant stand that show. if i knew star trek was on another channel as lost in space, or even ultraman, fuck.. lost in space would get lost.... but i remember the green space lady... she was hot, and i think dr. smith knew it, and actually wanted to hit that, in a rare hetero moment 4 him. but he wanted to hit that ...no doubt.
Irwin Allen allowed him and Bill Mumy to take over the show. Money and ratings folks.
Well, a lot of gay men, marry and have kids.. Really I don't care if was gay or not.. I used to HATE Dr. Smith.. I HATED him for the whole time it was on the air.. It took several years for me to realize what an actor he was.. I didn't hate him, I hated the character he played.. An important lesson for me. He was an 'over the top actor'. He actually contributed quite a bit to 'Lost in Space'. It wouldn't have been the same without him.
Yes, yes agreed.
I wished the show remained serious as it did in the first season.
Um ....
Okay. I'm gay. I'm close to 60 (dangerously close to 60), and I watched Lost in Space RELIGIOUSLY. Dr Smith was DEFINITELY supposed to be a "weak man" (he said so himself on many occasions).
"Weak men" were considered to be effeminate. And effeminate was considered to be gay. Ergo....
Now. Jonathan Harris is an ACTOR. Just because an ACTOR plays an effeminate/gay man does not mean that the ACTOR is gay/effeminate. Because he's ACTING.
Many many many many gay men of my generation have been called "Dr Smith". "You're just like DR SMITH" is something even FRIENDS told us. That's not common anymore, but it was.
We didn't necessarily identify with the character, but there are indeed certain resonances with being gay from a certain time period.
Also, most of us found Mark Goddard HOT!
He over did it using that effeminate stereotype that Hollywood always used. I liked him much better as the strong villain. I found the image to be negative and all the adults laughed 'at' him and not with him.
John, same age here and also found Mark hot. I loved his looks and underlying bad boy persona (that Bill Mumy confirmed in one of his interviews.)
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hey, If Smith was Gay - that was okay cause he was funny as hell - I LOVED HIM.
+Bernie Casey WE ALL LOVED HIM...SCREW JUNE LOCKHART
I know The Keeper did :)
June wasnt knocking him... why do you think she was NicB?
@@rick_terscale1111 /she had no right to say vague, ambiguous things about him which could be misconstrued
@@mickfizz1 Apparently according to Mark Goodard, her and Guy Williams held a grudge against Jonathan Harris because they both were originally cast as the stars of the show. Although she is probably referring to the character Dr Smith, it's still a disgrace that she made reference to sexual impropriety between him and Will Robinson which was obviously not scripted into the show.
I am so gratified to see the many fans debunk the myth that he was gay.
Tapasya Tyaga , me also.
Straight or gay, Dr.Smiths' quips stole the show most of the time.Im a fan of the show since day 1 and to this day laugh at his antics the same as I did when I was in kindergarten watching these new episodes.A true legend .R.I.P.Jonathan Harris.
I wonder what Jonathan Harris wife and son thinks about this?
June Lockhart sure looks good in this
"Oh no, dear boy, I'm just affected." lol
Charlotte Tan Affected?
Harris was married to his childhood sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, from 1938 until his death in 2002. She died of natural causes, at age 93, on August 28, 2007. They had one child, Richard, born 1942
"Not that there's anything wrong with that".
tempo529
Plenty of gay men who are/were married and have children.
Affected can mean affecting a fake accent.
Great show I still watch it I didn't know he was gay bit it doesn't matter met him at a convention a few years before he passed he had such a great speaking voice really appreciated on Battlestar Galactica. I liked Lost in Space when it started as a serious space drama too when Dr. Smith was the bad guy it would have been successful anyway but I think Mr. Harris probably saved the show lasting much longer than it would have doing the comedy especially battling whits with the robot
One of the greats... he could take any character and give it life. Dr. Smith was a prime example. Talent exuded from this man and he should have be recognized for his genius.
Tim Williams and he helped to make it the greatest show of all time.
I'm sure he would agree with you.
one thing to note here , she said Dr. Smith was gay. as portrayed by Jonathan Harris... However, where is it said that Jonathan Harris was? Jonathan Harris did play other parts in other shows, like Twilight zone, that were very unlike Dr Smith.
I recently re-watched Twenty-Two, one of the eps featuring Jonathan. His voice was SEXY when he wasn't Smithing it up!
OT n another note re: his voice. I saw a youtube clip of him as a literary character, i keep forgetting the name of, in his appearance on the TV episode of 'Bonanza" posted o youtube, wherein he had a long dialog and recited something historical I was mesmerized by his theatrical voice. He, Mr. Harris had explained in interviews that are on youtube of how he overcame his NY Brooklyn accent and taught himself to speak with perfect diction. I loved to hear him talk on and on.
He could read the phone book and make it sound awesome :)
He didn't rival Connery,Brando or Robert Conrad as laidies men actors of the 60s,but I doubt he was gay.Effeminate maybe,but LIS and UNDERDOG were my first TV favorites and forever hold a special place in my heart.
Exactly. He was doing a part. Like Jack Benny. The guy was married for 60 years & had grand kids.
Fred Gregg- Many gays back then were very closeted---married with kids. Again- who knows---but don't fall for the external trappings.
The esteemed Mr Harris was equally effective (if quite less Affected) in a truly horrifying episode of Rod Sterling's Night Gallery where he saves the day from beyong the grave... "Burn the carnation!"
Loved the show, weirdness and all. Always had a laugh at Dr. Smiths character. Regardless, wish they’d done a season 4 and gave the show some closure. Would have been nice for them to have made it home for good.
She didnt come right out and say Harris was gay.