Saturday, December 14, 2013

Almost Human (DIMX)

"Have you ever heard of the new science called cybernetics?" This is how the Dimension X narrator introduces Almost Human, by Robert Bloch. The story revolves around a woman who is serving in the home of a scientist. The scientist has just created an artifical human - a robot. An "undesirable" character from the woman's past, called Duke, shows up and disrupts her new life. He forces himself into the home and takes over the education of the robot, which is called Junior. Of course, Duke's idea of education is very different from the scientist's! When Duke arrives, Junior is tonelessly singing Mary had a Little Lamb. Not long after, Junior innocently informs Lola, "I know how to kill people, Lola. Would you like me to kill you?"

One of the most simultaneously funny and creepy moments in the drama is when the robot is left alone with Lola. Simply reading the lines to yourself won't do them justice, but I will reproduce them here anyway. Prior to leaving on a quick errand, Duke tells Lola not to show any fear around the robot. Soon after he takes off, the sound of the robots clunking footsteps are heard:

Thump - thump - thump. "Lola, oil me." [in a robotic monotone]
"Can't you wait until Duke gets back? He always oils you."
"I want YOU to oil me, Lola."
"Alright." tink-tonk tink-tonk [sound of an old-style oil can being plied].
"I LIKE you to oil me, Lola."

Yikes.

Modern listeners may be especially sensitive to how this show portrays Lola. She is utterly powerless and must beg to get anything she needs or wants. Some of this is the typical one-dimensional, weak women characters one often gets in 1950's drama. Some of it is the truth about how powerless society made women in 1950's America. In many ways, their wishes just didn't count. Either way, Lola is dominated by two men, one benign and one malicious, and a robot, which one might call "benignly malicious."

A scan of the original story can be found here.

Dimension X #6
Almost Human
13 May 1950
19500513(006)_DIMX_AlmostHuman.mp3
Robert Bloch writing as Tarleton Fisk (author), George Lefferts (adaptation), Santos Ortega, Joan Allison, Jack Grimes, Guy Repp, Nat Pollen, Joseph Julian, Lin Cook




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