Electricians in Popular Culture, Part 6: Spider-man's Uncle Ben

It's not one of his bigger screen roles, but veteran Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson turns in a fine performance as an aging plant electrician in the movie “Spider-Man.” Robertson plays Peter Parker's (Spider-Man's) Uncle Ben, who is fired from his chief-electrician job after 35 years. (The movie never explains why the 68-year-old electrician is not given early or regular retirement — though these days it could be a pension/401K thing.) Uncle Ben scans classifieds every day, lamenting that companies want new computer tricks from an “old-dog” electrician. “They're downsizing the workers and upsizing profits,” he says.

We won't give away the entire plot, but we will say that after a genetically altered spider's bite turns mild-mannered Parker into Spider-Man, the super-hero first uses his powers to make money. But after a family tragedy, he vows to dedicate his life to fighting crime, taking to heart advice from his beloved Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”