PROBLEMS WITH THE ORIGINAL VOICE

Due to the fact that he is now over 50 years old, most surviving Robots have stopped talking due to broken hand crank knobs or punctured speaker cones. And those few Robots that do still talk often have a very weak voice. Heck, even when the Robots were brand new in 1963, the voices was never that loud. Then there’s the problem of cranking the internal record at just the right speed to try and understand what he is saying!

Lastly, most owners have never heard him speak all 10 phrases because of the random nature of how Marx designed their voice playback mechanism. The instructions say to rotate the crank backwards, 1/10th to 1 turn to select another track. But in reality, all that does is lift the needle up, which is on a spring and when it drops back down, it might land on a different track and it might not. You might have to try that 100 times or more to play all 10 phrases. Whew!

HOW WE MADE IT

We took a circuit board with a voice ROM chip on it and made a crystal clear recording. To achieve that goal, we disassembled a Robot head and removed the record platter. We then cleaned all the tracks and reconditioned the playback needle. After reassembling the playback mechanism but with the head still apart, we setup a high quality microphone directly in front of the speaker cone and rotated the crank while recording. And just like the kids in 1963, we had to crank over and over again to get just the right speed and a good spoken phrase. We know it takes hundreds of attempts to change tracks and get all 10 phrases because that’s what we had to do. The end result was a high quality digitally mastered recording. The audio difference between listening to the intact Robot “before” and the digitally mastered recording “after” was significant. In terms of volume, the increase was amazing!

USING THE TALKS AGAIN MODULE

To use our “Big Loo Talks Again” module, you simply place the small 2″ X 2.5″ plastic box under the Big Loo’s rolling base platform. Use double sided tape (not provided) in case you ever want to remove it. It stays completely out of view. A small ten inch long tethered wire allows you to place the 1.5″ wide Start/Stop button anywhere you want. This is what you will press to activate the voice when you want to hear it. As an option and If you so choose to get really really creative with hiding the button, you can actually pop off the small plastic button cover with a small screwdriver and reveal the super tiny micro switch. Because it is only 1/2″ wide, there are a multitude of places you could hide it.

We like the switch at the rear of the rolling platform as it’s easy to get to and very unobtrusive. However, a easy great hidden location is under the yellow Rocket Launcher. Just thread the tethered button through the Rocket Launchers side mounting holes (you would have to cut and splice the wire back together with some tape).

Or you can just place the button underneath and directly next to the “Big Loo Talks Again” module for everything to be completely out of view. If you prefer not to simulate the sound coming from the Robot itself and want to just place it on the wall next to your Robot display, that would certainly be an option. The choice is yours.

QUALITY OF THE PLAYBACK

This playback module is small but boy, is it loud! When mounted under the rolling platform, the sound will bounce off the surface your Robot is standing on. Carpet helps to reduce the volume and it will still be loud enough to fill a room. Tile or wood surfaces make the voice extremely loud and can be heard from 20 feet or more. Instead of straining to hear Big Loo talk, you will be using various techniques to make him less loud. There is no volume control on the module itself.

We have placed a short pause between each phrase before he speaks the next one. Those will play through twice just in case your guests are so amused by your newly talking Robot, that they want to hear them again. At the end of the phrases, we have recorded the 1963 TV commercial. Which is a lot of fun because the announcer rings the Robot’s bell, toots his whistle and goes through all of Big Loo’s features. This is the same commercial you can play on YouTube. It you choose not to play the commercial, just tap the button to shut it off and then tap again to start the spoken phrases anew. It’s all just plain good old fun!

The total length of digitally mastered recording is 2 minutes playing 10 original phrases, then one repeat of the 10 phrases and finally, the hilarious audio from the 1963 commercial.

At the end of the recording, the module will automatically stop playing. Although the “Big Loo Talks Again” module does an excellent job of playing Big Loos phrases, they still originated from the crudely made 1963 Marx Toy Company playback record. They are indeed much better sounding than any Big Loo you will ever come across. When the commercial plays, it sounds just about as perfect as it did when watching it on TV.

If you have ever heard spoken phrases from your Robot, you will agree that this is an excellent improvement in clarity and a gigantic difference in volume. However, if this is your very first time hearing Big Loo speak, you may be somewhat disappointed at how primitive the voice sounds. But this was the Marx Toy Company’s playback solution in 1963. We include simple operating instructions and the complete list of the spoken phrases and in the order that they are played.

POWER LIFE AND DURABILITY

The Big Loo Talks Again” module is powered by 3 AAA batteries (not included). There is an On/Off switch on the module that can conserve power in the situation where your Robot will be sitting for months without use. You should get 300 to 500 plays on a set of batteries but obviously if left switched on for extended periods of time, it will eventually drain the batteries. The recording itself cannot be erased even if the batteries are removed. You really can’t hurt this thing and other than occasional batteries, it should last you a very, very long time.

The poster features a museum quality Big Loo photo example as he proudly stands on the surface of the Moon.  After all, this is where Big Loo is from.  And don’t forget he is your friend, from the Moon, obviously.

At the lower left is his full complement of battle accessories. Not only do we see the two yellow space rockets with rubber tips that he was supplied with but also the red Water Ray, better known as the squirter.  This was the number one must confiscated item from Big Loo’s battle accessories because all it took was one or two squirts at Mom and she hid this important item, never to be seen again.

Above the Water Ray is the much-debated yellow scanner scope eye piece. Some collectors insist that it never existed, others say “hey, I got one with my Big Loo when I was 10” so we include it here, just in case you got one too!  It adds a lot of visual interest to Big Loo rear head and we love displaying our Robots with it in place.  We have a few if you are interested.

Next in the battle accessory line up is the mysterious green Moon Grenade, read more about its purpose at our web site. Then the Sonic Signal appears, better known as the whistle. Four red Space Spears are stacked vertically, ready to load in Big Loo’s shooting arm.  Lastly is a pair of red Chest Darts that Mom didn’t like either but tended not to irritate her as much as the Water Ray.

At the bottom center of the poster is an outtake from the 1963 original instructions showing the profile of a young boy firing a dart and using the Water Ray.  It also looks like he is ringing the Bell and tapping on the Morse Code clicker.  After all, this was part of the black and white instructions!  So why is it in color?  Well, we colorized the original instructions and think it looks much better this way. We also have that special colorized instruction set available as well.

On the far left is the most beloved graphic from the original shipping box which describes all of Big Loo’s features. We have positioned it so that it is the same size of the high-resolution photo on the right. That way you can look left and right to compare all of the features with the real thing! You will note that the box graphic floats up from behind the moon as Big Loo himself prefers to occupy the surface by himself.  For those who know him, this makes perfect sense as he tends to be possessive.  Read more about how Big Loo actually thinks at our web site feature called “Big Loo’s Mind”.

At the very top of this outstanding poster are the words BIG LOO in the original large-bold red font face which we have inserted from a high-resolution photograph taken from our mint condition original box. Directly under this is the Marx logo and by line, again from the original instructions, but colorized here for maximum visual impact. We know Louis Marx would approve of his colored logo.

Your Big Loo poster will be shipped to you in a large triangular shaped carton to insure its safe arrival. You won’t be disappointed with this custom themed Big Loo poster!

THE ROLLING BASE AREA

His rolling base still has the original 4 wheels and they are all in great shape. This is the one area that many times is damaged or has been repaired. The wheels roll freely and the underside has no cracks whatsoever, a rarity in Big Loo Robots. It’s obvious that he was never ridden as many children attempted to do. On the topside, the gold detailing and pedestal trim are exceptional with no paint loss. Big Loo’s gold sections were the only areas painted at the factory. The maroon legs and green torso/head get their color from the paint being mixed directly into the injected plastic. The non-gold areas of the rolling base shine in their awesome maroon color and look almost brand new.

On top of the rolling platform you can see the original compass which is in absolute mint condition. Not only is the glass without chips or cracks but the needle has no rust whatsoever. In his equipment bay, the green Space Rocket Launcher is a reproduction. However, the spring and yellow Rocket itself are original to the Robot. The Rocket’s fins exhibit no major nicks or cracks. The Rocket’s black soft nose is still supple and without cracks. Together, they present beautifully.

THE MID-SECTION

Moving up from the rolling platform, we find Big Loo’s maroon legs without dings or scratches. They exhibit the same shinny luster that gives them that minty look. The gold detailing at his accordion joints are perfect and without paint fade. At his mid-section, the control panels looks great and without paint loss. The water squirter port contains a perfect reproduction of the red Water Ray. Although the Water Ray looks exact, it is non-functional because it was recasted ib solid resin. It does however, have a second part to simulate the green tip and looks very realistic. The gun barrel arm shoots the red Space Sphere balls with plenty of power and all 4 red balls are original and in mint condition. These are the 1963, slightly punky feeling, proper grain, real Space Balls. Big Loo’s swinging arm works great and the grasping claw is fully functional. The control rod that operates the claw is without rust. He can easily hold the supplied reproduction Moon Grenade which together, makes a great display.

THE CHEST

At Big Loo’s chest plate, the two dart holders are fully functional but the darts themselves are perfect reproductions. They have light blue tips which are solid resin. As a side note, the reproduction darts actually look better that the surviving versions as the 1963 rubber tips are now so old and brittle, that they almost always appear as deformed because the rubber shrinks and hardens over time. The gold detailing at the chest is superb.

Turning to the rear of the robot, the original code sticker is in excellent condition, his bell still loudly rings and the hidden clicker is still present and functional. The Robot easily bends at the waist and the internal spring will easily pop him back to the erect position. The dual dart release levers are intact and in perfect condition. They are fully functional.

As a side note, those owners who elect to demonstrate the launching of the yellow Space Rocket and/or his twin Darts are taking a dangerous risk. Because Big Loo’s plastic is now well over 50 years old, it can be extremely brittle. Those two action areas can be easy to crack or even snap a part. When I load the two Darts for display, I always slowly compress the internal springs until the click into place, but I never release the Darts using the rear levers without holding counter pressure on the front of the dart and gently lifting the rear release lever up. This prevents the release lever from snapping off. And with the yellow Space Rocket, I do the same thing with slowly compressing the spring for display but I never launch it on it’s own and risk breaking the green shaft. But if he is your Robot – it’s totally up to you!

THE HEAD

Big Loo’s head is in magnificent condition and the light green area around the mouth and eyes look fantastic. There is one very small blemish between his eyebrows. His famous smile/grin is still white and without missing plastic. His red eye light bulbs have been freshly installed and light brightly. They use the exact same vintage bulb from the 1960s era and they blink without issue. The twin battery compartments are rust free and show no sign of past battery leaks. His head still turns both directions and the side ear areas contain no broken vents. A reproduction Whistle fits correctly into the head’s top slot. The Whistle is non-operational is it is solid resin. Big Loo’s top gold crown is beautiful and without paint loss. As mentioned in the auction title, this is a talking Robot which is rare these days and is one of the most sought after features. All 10 phrase can be clearly heard when cranking at the correct speed. The voice hand crank is a reproduction and we have provided several close-ups of this feature. We commonly find the voice crank broken off in the vast majority of Robots. We believe that youngsters would get to fast cranking their Robots and impact the knob against the battery door knob directly above, breaking the handle.

 

 

 

In this video, we take an in-depth look at a near mint Robot with ultra rare all dark green accessories.

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We all have tubes of one sort or another inside our chests.  And Big Loo is no exception.  To that end, we take a rare look inside Big Loo’s upper chest to see his complex system of tubes.  In the center is his three tiered step down tube used for the Water Ray.  Then on the left and right are the Dart Launcher tubes which start with a giant housing used to release the actual darts.  Looking downward in the picture below, we see the front of Loo’s chest at the top.  The top of his leg pedestal is directly below.  We like how Loo’s Abs and the Dimple Patterns glow from the exterior lighting.

Now we rotate the camera around to see the top of the Morse Code Clicker at the bottom left.  We can also see part of the Bell and Ringer mechanism.  Did you ever think that Big Loo was so complex inside?

Next up is a shot of the Bell at the top of the screen and an excellent view of the step down tubes used to house the Water Ray squirter.

Moving the camera up slightly, the Bell is better illuminated and we see the massive Dual Dart Launcher housing on either side.

A better view of the giant Dart Launcher housing. Oh Loo, we hardly knew ya.  And now even your insides are exposed to the world.

Take a look inside his Head and see a tour of the talking mechanism.

We are proud to showcase this mint condition Robot example and his mint box. We just don’t see surviving Robots in this condition so it’s a rare treat to find one like this one.  He eventually was re-homed to a very nice man in Virginia.

HIS  CHRISTMAS  STORY

Come back with me now to a very special morning in 1963 at Madison Maine with a nine-year-old little boy named Lee.  He awoke to a gigantic present near the Christmas Tree.  Excited thoughts immediately raced through his head, could this be what he had been nagging his family about for over 4 weeks?  He had been watching a commercial on TV about a Moon Robot that he absolutely had to have.  Could this, be it?

Although the wrapping paper was quickly torn off, once the yellow box started to appear he somehow knew he had to be more careful.  Yes, it was the Big Loo that he had been praying for and he wanted the box to be treated as importantly as the Robot itself.  Unlike most boys his age, his first instinct WAS NOT to rip off the flaps from the top of the giant box.  Instead, he very carefully pried the large copper staples that held the top together.  So carefully in fact, the only marks left on the top of the box today are the tiny holes that the staples once held the top shut.

Unbeknownst to Lee, his box had already survived a long journey.  This Big Loo had left the Marx factory located in Erie Pennsylvania on October 21, 1963.  We know that because the date is stamped on the bottom of the box.  The destination was the Sears, Roebuck and Co. Warehouse located at 201 Brookline Ave. in Boston, Mass.  Again, the bottom of the box is complete with this historic information.

Lee’s generous grandparents had seen the Big Loo advertisement in the Sears Catalog and once the order was received, the first leg of the journey started.  The giant box was placed inside a transport truck with the St. Johnsbury Trucking Co (still in business today) and finally arrived at the family home on Houghtson St. in Madison, Maine.  All this information is contained on the bottom of the box which significantly adds to its provenance.  Below is the original Sears Ad, the shipping truck used and the city destination.

As Lee carefully lifted his new Robot from the safety of the box, the package was carefully set aside as his family believed in storing important items in their original box.  This was vastly different from the majority of American households where the colorful Big Loo box was set on the curb by the thousands to be picked up by the local garbage truck.  Not only was this special box saved, it was treated like a fine piece of furniture.  Lee played with his Big Loo, but just as his family had taught him, he did so in the most loving and careful manner.  In fact, the Robot shows such minimal play wear that it appears that Lee spent most of the time just admiring the Robot instead abusing it as so many nine-years-olds did.  When it came time to put away his Robot away, it was tenderly returned to its giant box where it remained for the next 53 years.

Time marched on and Lee grew into an adult with only occasionally thinking about that extra special Christmas and his 3-foot-tall Big Loo.  When Lee’s parents passed, he had the unpleasant task of liquidating their estate.  He returned to the Madison family home and one by one, the liquidation tasks were completed.  The last item on his list was to clear out the attic.  As he slowly opened the attic door and switched on the light, he was surprised to see a familiar sight in the far corner.  It was a bright yellow box and his mind was immediately transported back to that wonderful Christmas in 1963. Lee assumed that although his parents had saved the box, it couldn’t possibly have the Robot inside.  Or could it?  He lifted the top flaps just as he had first done in 1963 and sure enough, Big Loo had been patiently waiting all those years to see the light of day once again.

THIS  IS  THE  ROBOT  TODAY

This Robot may be early in the Marx’s production run due to all the accessories, knobs and switches are in the seldom seen dark green color.  This is the only Big Loo that I have seen to date, that ALL the accessories are molded in this color!  They include the Space Rocket Launcher, Whistle, Dart Buttons, Eye Light Switch, Battery Door Knob, Moon Grenade as well as and the four Bottom Wheels!  We often see the Moon Grenade molded in dark green but everything else is ALWAYS in the light green color.  If he is not from an early production run, he certainly is in the extremely rare category with the copious dark green accessories.  Another interesting color element is his pair of Space Rockets which are the Ivory/White color with back tips.

The Robot’s plastic body areas maintain their original shinny luster with no scratches.  His top crown, gold breast plate and accordion joints simply pop against his green body and maroon legs.  The battery compartment is pristine as there is no rust whatsoever. The dark green Battery Compartment knob and Eye Light Switch adds some extra bling to the rear of the head. These knobs and switches are extremely rare in this color. The voice crank is original and of course, mint in appearance with no hairline cracks from over cranking.

The back of the Robot retains the Morse Code sticker in perfect condition with no curled edges.  The original red Water Ray inserts into his back portal and is ready to fill with water and fire away.  The Dart Release levers and Dart knobs work as intended and again, they are both molded in the very uncommon dark green color.  There is one small mark on the right Dart Knob.  While we’re here, feel free to sound his Bell and tap his Clicker to send a Morse Code!  The Magnetic Compass really stands out as it looks absolutely perfect.  It’s interesting how the Compass can add as much as it does but because the glass is so clear and with the total absence of corrosion – it simply cries out to be looked at!   The compass is surrounded by wonderful gold dimpling on Big Loo’s base and not a crack in sight.  The head of Big Loo is immaculate with fully functioning blinking eyes.  The main face elements including his famous smile are free of marks, wear and discoloration.  Flipping the Big Loo over to examine the underside reveals no repairs and all four dark green wheels appear to have never touched anything but carpet as there are no abrasions from skidding on a hard floor.  Unlike other Big Loos, this guy never had to bear the weight of child in a shortsighted attempt to be ridden, his perfect wheels can attest to that.  As many of you know, this is one area on these Robots that often times have cracks and past repairs.

The photo below is a favorite of mine as the rare fully functioning Whistle really adds another level of unique distinction.  This Whistle is almost unattainable in this dark green color and when inserted into the Robot’s head, you just known that you are looking at one rare Big Loo!  Turning to the bottom dual equipment bays, one contains a beautiful condition dark green Rocket Launcher whose color is seldom seen.  The Robot displays his gold breast plate with pride and with a glowing shine that completely hides the fact he is 53 years old.  The dimpling pattern is so dazzling that it is almost hypnotic to look at.  Both twin Darts retain their flexible light blue rubber tips which are uncommonly supple.  The Marx rubber products from this era almost always age very badly and become hard and/or malformed.  The bright red shafts of each Dart are pristine with no cracks or fractures.

Turning now to Big Loo’s mighty arms, the Pick-up Claw works as it should, ready to grab your Moon Grenade or anything else that is handy.  The long wire rod that travels the distance inside the arm looks like it was made yesterday with no corrosion resulting in a very strong gripping action.  The two Acorn nuts to Big Loo’s side are shinny and look brand new.  The Gun Barrel Arm is still powerful and is complete with the originally issued 4 red Space Spheres.  The Barrel target sight on the end of the arm is free of chips. The seams along each arm are extra tight with no parting.  Now that’s how a Big Loo should look!

THE  MINT  BOX  HE  CAME  IN

To see this box is like stepping into a time machine and then popping out on Christmas morning in 1963.  The box does not appear to have aged a single day.  All the colors are still robustly vivid and bright.  The Marx Toy Co. sure got it right when they designed this fun looking box!  Comparing Big Loo box images found on internet searches, this one appears to be one of the best survivors to date.  Some others have tape marks and others have ripped or missing panels.  This one has neither of those issues.  Many have large marker pen notes used by the shipping company, this box has virgin panels.  We also note that most boxes have dents, punchers and creases in the middle or along the sides.  This box in pristine.  I don’t know how the trucking company did it in 1963, but they must have been wearing white gloves and padded it with pillows during the ride.  How else does a box like this survive in this condition?

The shipping label as mentioned above, adds tremendous provenance to this Big Loo.  Normally, the box would ship from the Marx Toy Co. factory with only their label and be delivered to the many toy stores for resale.  In this case, Sears bought this product in bulk and advertised it in their famous 1963 Toy Catalog (some say the best toy catalog ever published).  Sears then placed their label over the existing Marx factory label and distributed it through their mail order catalog.  You can still see the edges of the original Marx label under the Sears Roebuck & Co label.

The ship date, Sears Warehouse location, Trucking Company used to deliver to Lee’s parents as well as their street address from 1963 are all still clearly visible and adds a touchstone that is hard to describe.  Like buying a vintage Corvette, you get extra points if it still has the build sheet on the gas tank.  Looking at this Big Loo in that way – the rarity of this Robot speaks for itself.  We know where it came from, on what date and the owners name that would keep it for the next 53 years, until now.

Submitted for your consideration are a set of factory original Space Spheres in the impossible to find Blue Color.  These Space Spheres (AKA: Missile Balls), where in the collection of one of the original designers of the Big Loo Robot who worked at the Erie, Pennsylvania plant during the 1950s and 60’s.  Harry Evanoff logged over 240 hours of design time on the Big Loo Robot.  Soon we will feature a number of articles on Mr. Evanoff’s contributions at our website.

THE DEBATE

There is considerable debate amongst Big Loo collectors as to what color schemes and accessories in general are correct for the Marx Moon Robot.  Most of us are aware that Space Rocket body colors as well as the rubber tip colors are hotly debated.  Then there is the Scanner Scope eyepiece that produces spirited debates as to if it was EVER issued by Marx.  There is also the light green vs. dark green accessories and the light green faced Robot as well.  We believe that this is an interesting part of our hobby rather than a frustrating irritation.  However, others are so passionate about which items came with Big Loo that they are unmoved when challenged.  Just ask one of those collectors how they feel about the Blue Colored Space Spheres and be prepared for their party line:  If it wasn’t printed on the box or shown in ads or pictured in the instructions that came with the robot, it never existed.  To that end, we present some evidentiary information for you to consider and to allow you to make your own informed decision.  Let their party line criteria be our litmus test as to if Blue Colored Space Spheres are correct for the Big Loo Robot.

ANTIDOTAL 

Antidotal is the weakest form of persuasive evidence but important non-the-less.  We have talked with collectors who have made the toy trade show circuit for many years.  They have related that they occasionally spoke with original owners of Big Loo’s that had been in their possession since 1963 and some of them stated that their Robot came with a Space Sphere colors other than red.  Passionate collectors will point out that this it is just hear-say.

THE BOX

Then we have the box from 1963.  In the picture below we see the red and black Space Spheres graphics on the front of the box!  It is my feeling that the black was intended to be printed in blue but the printing plant just got it wrong.  In any case, we see different colored Spheres right on the box. What’s a boy to think?  That Marx didn’t intend to distribute various colored Spheres?  Why would they put it on the box unless that was their marketing plan?  The distractors would say, well – it just never existed. 

THE PRINTED AD

We can find many print ads from the 1963 Christmas season that illustrates Big Loo.  The most famous is the Sears Toy Catalog but we can find many newspaper printed ads as well.  Interestingly, they almost always show the prototype Big Loo with the completely different face.  In the Western Auto Stores catalog we see a correctly updated Robot (non-prototype face) and a Blue Space Sphere shooting from his gun barrel arm.  This ad changes the dynamic completely.  Do you see a Blue Space Sphere?

PROVONANCE

We where excited to make contact with the son of Harry Evanoff via the BigLooRobot website.  His Dad was one of the original Marx Men who worked on Big Loo.  That’s Harry on the far right in the dark shirt.  This photo was taken of the original model makers and artists that worked on the Robot at the Erie, Pennsylvania plant.  Harry had tremendous pride in his work, but unfortunately did not think they did that great of a job with Big Loo.  Too rushed and too little money spent on the design and production.  He especially disliked the brittle plastic that they were forced to use.  Harry believed in keeping everything and so it was not unusual that he brought home the Blue Space Spheres.  Harry has passed away but his work lives on.  Harry was also the main designer of the Marx Big Wheel, one of the most successful toys of the 70s.  Thank you and much respect to you Harry Evanoff, for all your wonderful creations that we still enjoy today!

SPECIFICATIONS

Size in Metric:      30mm in diameter

Size in Inches:     1.2″ in diameter

Mold Line:            Center of ball

Texture:                Smooth finish with striation marks

Firmness:             Slightly punky

Weight:                 2 grams

Color:                   Blue

Manufactor:          Marx

Production Date:  1963

DISPLAY SUGGESTIONS

Below are a few ideas as to how an over-the-top Big Loo display can utilize the blue and red Space Sphere combination.

He spoke 10 different phrases, can you remember them all?  In the audio recording below we can hear most of them.  When you click the triangle icon at the left of the long gray bar directly below, you might need to wait a few seconds for the recording to load.  And just like when you cranked Big Loo in 1963, sometimes you get some repeats!

CONSTRUCTION OF THE TALKING MECHANISM

The actual talking mechanism is very primitive but brilliantly designed from the perspective of keeping production costs low.  It consists of a vertically mounted thick plastic disk, not a record but thicker like a platter.  A very basic metal needle is directly mounted to a speaker cone made out of a very thin clear plastic, almost like cellophane.  This is what allows it to vibrate and produce sound.  Do you remember as a kid, placing cellophane over a comb and playing it like a kazoo?  This was the exact concept that Marx used.  It is so fragile that you can tear it by flicking your finger on it, that is if you could get the head off.  The speaker cone points directly to the back of the Robot’s teeth. That is why the teeth appear to have black outlines, there are actually slots so that you can hear the sound.

The needle and attached speaker cone are mounted to an arm that tracks across the platter when you turn the crank. When it arrives at the end of the recording it climbs a tapered cam at the center of the platter where it then lifts the needle.  Because the arm is mounted with a strong return spring, it immediately swings clear of the platter and it is swiftly pulled back to the outside edge of the platter.

It is purely random as to which of the start of the 10 tracks it arrives on.  Which means you could hear the same phrase over and over again, or not.  Each track starts at farthest edge of the platter and ends at the center where the spindle mount and the tapered cam is located.  You really have to crank quickly to get the platter to rotate fast enough to understand the phrase.  Of course too fast is as bad as too slow!  In the outtake from the original instructions below, Marx attempted to explain the problem to the new 8 year old owners.  Did you read the instructions when you got your Big Loo?

THE TEN PHRASES

• I will stand guard
• Big Loo fights for you
• I am yours to command
• Where should we go
• I am your friend
• My name is Big Loo
• I will defend you
• Take me for a walk
• I can pick up things
• I work for you

HOW AN EIGHT YEAR OLD BROKE THE TALKING MECHANISM

Because many owners were too aggressive with their cranking speed, it is not unusual to find Robots with broken handles.  The prototype had a metal crank handle but by production time, it was changed to plastic most likely because it was cheaper.  It is also common to find Robots with large holes cut into the side of one of Big Loo’s ears. Understandably, it was quite frustrating when the voice mechanism stopped working and owners were desperate to get inside the Robots head to find out what was wrong.

Sometimes owners forced objects (such as crayons) through the Scanner Scope opening which fell down into the area where the delicate talking mechanism is mounted.  In one Robot we took apart, the heavy platter spindle nut had fallen off inside causing the crank to simply free spin.  But perhaps the number one cause of a failed talking mechanism is from objects poked through the teeth slots, remember the holes that let the sound through?  This tore the delicate cellophane-like speaker cone.  Most likely it was Mom’s kitchen knife but a nail or similar pointed object would of inflicted similar damage.

REPAIR DIFFICULTIES TODAY

The bad news is that only broken handles can be replaced.  When you buy a reproduction handle, it includes the spindle nut, the tapered cam and the exterior handle.  The first two items are useless as you will not be able to take apart the head without severely damaging both the body and the head.  This is because Marx permanently glued all the parts together during assembly at the factory.  The repo handle instructions advise you to cut off the old handle instead.  Then use a  dowel and epoxy to mate the crank shaft, which is doable.

To fix a split or punctured speaker cone is impossible as far as we know.  To fix other issues with the mechanism is far more complex than you would want to tackle.  And that is if you could take apart the robot and put it back together again which as we pointed out, is not possible without damage due to the glued surfaces and the extremely brittle plastic.  These are some of the reasons why intact talking Big Loo’s command such a premium.

A PEEK INSIDE THE HEAD