Creation of the Humanoids
Entry updated 23 June 2025. Tagged: Film.
US film (1962). Genie Productions. Directed by Wesley Barry, Written by Jay Simms. Cast includes David Cross, Don Doolittle, Erica Elliot, Frances McCann and Don Megowan. 84 minutes. Colour.
After a two-week "atomic war" (see World War Three) 92% of the human race has been wiped out. With a birthrate of "below 1.4 per union", the survivors "turn to robotic automation devices to help them rebuild their cities and maintain a high standard of living" (see Post-Holocaust; Technology). Various Inventions, most notably the "magnetic integrator neuron duplicator, a device ... which duplicated portions of the human nervous system and carried out learning processes", led to the creation of the ungainly R1 Robot; a rapid series of refinements resulted in the R20, which had "all the thought processes and functions of a man". However the combination of their appearance and Intelligence made people uncomfortable, so a Scientist created the R21, which looked human-like (see Androids): there have been subsequent improvements, but it is illegal to go above R70 (an R100 would be fully human) and, despite the robots repeatedly stating they consider the term offensive, they are nicknamed the "clickers" by humanity, after a noise the R21 was supposed to make. The R70 ceiling is a result of lobbying by the Surveillance Committee of the Order of Flesh and Blood, an "ultra-conservative" pressure group (see Politics) who are deeply suspicious of the "humanoid" R21-R70 robots (see Paranoia), despite their being programmed to be incapable of killing humans (something akin to the Laws of Robotics is clearly in place).
Wearing uniform clothing and being pale, hairless with impassive faces, the humanoids are easily identified; however a faction have been upgrading some to R96s "with all the emotions of a human" (though unable to reproduce). This is achieved by acquiring recently deceased humans and downloading their memories into an almond-sized device that is inserted into the thalamus-equivalent of the humanoid brain (see Identity Transfer): sixteen R96s have been created so far. Dr Raven (Doolittle), a human helping the humanoids and who created the thalamic unit, asks what the R96s are for, and is told they are sent out to mingle with humans, to find out why some despise them, so they can adjust and be accepted (Dr Raven: "That's admirable, logical and a lie."). R96s believe they are human, except for brief periods when compelled to report their findings. However the person supplying the undocumented robots has been arrested; his memory will be wiped. Dr Raven wonders "Why don't they just kill him? The effect of personal cessation is the same in either case – they just leave a hollow shell walking around," adding "He's without a past, without hope, the dream gone." To which a humanoid responds: "Almost like being a robot, isn't it?" The Order of Flesh and Blood now break into the laboratory; Dr Raven, unable to kill himself (see Suicide), orders a newly created R96 to do so; as its original was a violent drunkard and it believes itself human, this is done. For the Order of Flesh and Blood, this has been what they have been waiting for: a humanoid has killed a human.
A senior member of the Order, Kenneth Cragis (Megowan), a gerontologist, is shocked to learn his sister, Esme (McCann), is in a relationship ("rapport") with an R49 named Pax (Cross). He tries to dissuade her, initially pointing out how her choice affects him within the Order; Esme's previous relationship was with a man, Miles, who she points out was "a filthy, drunken, insensitive beast", to which Kenneth responds he "had his eccentricities, but he was still a man". "Rapport" means being in harmony with their owner, able to respond to their unspoken whims. Kenneth argues, "Can't you see they're killing us with consideration, spoiling us into atrophy?" He points out that nowadays advances in robotics are made by robots (Dr Raven is presumably an exception). One of Esme's friends arrives, Maxine (Elliot), and the historically unromantic Kenneth immediately begins flirting with her; they leave together. After their departure Pax begins to laugh hysterically ("I'm sorry, it's the sense of Humour, it's a lot more difficult to control than pain."); when Esme asks why he's laughing, he says "Irony."
Pax's laughter is because not only is Maxine a humanoid, but so is Kenneth . Both are now compelled to go to a debriefing by the humanoid "Committee for the Preservation of Mankind", during which a younger Dr Raven appears; he's now a humanoid and he wants to see what happens when the truth is revealed to the couple. Kenneth is told he had suffered a cerebral haemorrhage six months previously and Maxine that she died from a bomb planted by the Order at her place of work (in the belief that only humanoids were there): one of the committee adds they made her thinner ("you had a tendency to be plump") and Maxine thanks him (see Women in SF).
Dr Raven explains how their Master Computer's forecasts show that humanity will likely be extinct in a couple of centuries and, as humanoids have to work in the best interests of the human race, they have began gradually replacing humanity's leaders as they die; the plan being for Kenneth, as a senior gerontologist, to then announce he's discovered Immortality, with the rest of humanity expected to enthusiastically sign up for the procedure. Kenneth's love for Maxine enables him to accept this (there is also a discussion about God and the soul – see Religion); Maxine's only concern is that there would be no more children, but is assured they can be upgraded to R100s and so be able to "propagate themselves". Maxine and Kenneth kiss; Dr Raven turns to the camera/audience and says, "Of course the operation was a success, or you wouldn't be here." This suggests we have been watching an educational documentary (see Education in SF).
Jack Williamson's "With Folded Hands ..." (July 1947 Astounding), whose robots are also called humanoids, seems to have provided some inspiration; however, this film is sympathetic to, rather than opposing, the robots' interference. Made with a small budget, Creation of the Humanoids contains little action, consisting almost entirely of people standing round talking about humans and humanoids – either about their interactions (see Sociology) or how they plan to change the status quo (there are Infodumps): the dialogue is often clunky and the acting usually wooden. Nonetheless, the overall effect is interesting as it is essentially a non-stop sf conversation about robots, Identity and what makes us human (see Metaphysics): its seriousness of intent makes it a notable film.
Though we see members of the Order of Flesh and Blood who are bullies or hysterical, Kenneth and one of their scientists are painted as reasonable people, whilst the humanoids can seem too logic-bound at times; so the argument is not allowed to be one-sided. Apart from criticizing the Order early on, Maxine is largely passive, but Esme stands up to her brother and out-argues him (see Feminism). As is often when a story involves robots as second class citizens, analogies with racism are apparent (see Race in SF). The film makes the humanoids suspicious early on, to create some tension, before revealing their benevolent aims; but unease over some of their tactics does remain (which may or may not be deliberate). After all, the film does not address what happens to the millions of humans who – if the plan succeeds – would sign up for "immortality": copies of their memories will be uploaded into humanoids, but the procedure has previously only been used on the newly dead – and the Committee believes the resulting humanoids are the same person as their source humans. [SP]
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