Second Season Episodes - The Cave Of The Wizards (episode 51)

A chance to return to Alpha Centauri is scrubbed when Dr. Smith is seduced by a computer. 

According to Don's calculations, the Jupiter 2 can hit an escape corridor and lock on a flight path to Alpha Centauri only if they blast off at exactly 0800 the next morning. At an outcropping, a boulder hits Smith on the head, causing temporary amnesia. He hears a noise which summons him to a cave where a mummy beckons him inside. 

Will and the Robot manage to sneak inside and find the relics of a lost civilization whose secrets are hidden within a giant computer. The Robot takes a rock and hits Dr .Smith on the head, which restores his memory. Leaving the cave, Smith voices a wish -to have his own ship to take him where he wants to go. Dr. Smith heads the others down a trail which leads them to their spaceship, but it is dark with no sign of life. Inside, Dr. Smith goes down the glide tube, but there is no lower deck.

The Robot assures the two that this ship is not the Jupiter 2. After the final briefing, John orders everyone to be ready at 0800 for the countdown. Dr. Smith returns to the cave, hoping to find some way to use the computer for his own selfish ends. He finds a metal skull cap which he puts on, but cannot take off. The machine lights up and the computer tells him he wears the crown of the ancient Dranconians and can restore the civilization to its former grandeur. Smith is skeptical until an enormous diamond pops into his hand. Will finds the doctor reclining in sumptuous surroundings. His features are alien, and he considers himself omnipotent.

When Smith refuses to leave, Will returns to the ship for help. John decides to hold the countdown and later speed it up when he and Don return with Dr. Smith and the Robot. Smith, in the role of imperious alien, drives John and Don away. Will returns to say goodbye. The Robot is touched when Will writes a farewell note on his golden torso. When the boy leaves, Dr. Smith breaks into tears. He tears the skull cap from his head. The computer blows its fuses in anger, and as the Robot and Smith rush away, the cave disintegrates. As his watch nears 0800, Smith falls in frustration. A hand touches him. It is John, who gave up the take-off when he saw them on the radar screen.

Ray says:

Another fantastic Jonathan Harris performance. The scene with the abandoned Jupiter 2 is a real suspenseful scene. Lots of cobwebs make for an eerie feel. Beautiful scene near the end of the episode when Will says goodbye to Dr Smith and Smith the alien breaks down. One of the best Will Smith scene from the whole LIS run. Hats off to Bill and Jonathan for their beautiful work.

Jonathan Harris Comment

This is one of my favorite episodes from Lost in Space. It gave me a chance to stretch as an actor. I wore silver make-up, silver wardrobe, and I felt that I should find a different voice for the creature- different from Dr. Smith's. 

I walked on it and found a sepulchral sound that suited the character. Director Don Richardson was pleased, and so was I. I had played many costumed parts on stage and screen, so this was not unusual for me, And, I added this eerie creature to my galaxy of characters. 

Filming