"Robby" Starring Warren Raum and Ryp Siani

“Robby” is a low-budget Robinson Crusoe like film from 1968. It stars two relatively unknown actors: Warren Raum and Ryp Siani. Raum plays the 10 year old “Robby”, a boy who has been stranded on an island. As he roams the island in search of food and shelter, and hopefully his parents, he comes across a naked native boy whom he names “Friday.”

Although it is never quite revealed how long Robby remains on the island before he is rescued, it must be assumed that several months pass as Friday is able to learn English during the time he spends with him. While Robby teaches him English, how to play “cowboys and Indians”, and the importance of wearing clothes, Friday teaches his new friend how to gather food, how to fish, and how to swim.

Being that the two boys have grown up in completely different cultures (Robby in America and Friday on an island) we see that they have two completely different attitudes towards clothing. Friday roams the island completely naked; completely uninhibited. Robby, at age nine, is way too big to be “running around without any pants”, and he can’t figure out why Friday’s mother would allow him to walk around bare.

By the time the two boys are rescued by a lonely sailor (it is never clearly explained why the man sailed to this particular island), Friday is speaking pretty good English, and Robby has lost all his inhibitions. The two boys are best friends and have learned many valuable lessons from each other.

Although the acting and the story line are not all that great in this film, it is nonetheless a watchable movie. A good look into how children are able to quickly adapt to new situations and rapidly make new friends.

write by Michael Riemann