Video Parts (3)
This clip is Part 1 of a 3-part film.
The Benefactor [Life of Edison Part I] Part 1
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “The Benefactor.” “Is one who adds to the sum total of human knowledge, comfort and happiness. As an example of what can be accomplished by one for the common good of all, let us consider the achievement wrought by the genius, will, and determination of our great inventor, Thomas A. Edison.” “The one-time newsboy.” Boy on railroad car. “Experimenter.” Boy mixing chemicals. “Telegraph operator.” Boy working telegraph key. “Today, the world’s greatest inventor.” Edison listening to phonograph. “In this story we will particularly consider the greatest of Mr. Edison’s career, the incandescent lamp.” Hand holding lamp bulb. “Mr. Edison’s birthplace -- Milan, Ohio.” View of house. “Mr. Edison at the age of six was curious to know why things happened.” Boy playing with top on porch - looking at and fondling gosling. “A goose sits on eggs to hatch them, so Master Edison had been told.” Man showing boy goose egg. “If the statement was correct, why could he not do the same thing?” Boy sitting on pile of eggs. “One thing he discovered he was ‘no goose.’” Boy looking at broken eggs. “At the age of ten, it occurred to the young investigator that if he could generate gas in the body a person could fly.” Boys looking at pigeon. “‘Mike, if you do what I ask, I’ll make you fly like a bird.’” Boy running into house, bringing out cups and box of Seidlitz powders - mixing powders, other boy drinking them. “‘Mike, make your hands go like wings.’” Other boy becoming sick. “‘Thomas Alva, what have you been doing to Mike?’” Woman coming out of house, switching boy. “The Seidlitz powder marked the beginning of Mr. Edison’s many experiments in chemistry in his cellar laboratory.” Boy mixing chemicals at table in basement. “To all the world, the work of this youth was meaningless, except to Thomas A. Edison.” Boy in basement. “Needing money to buy chemicals, he fixed his laboratory so that he could leave it with safety.” Boy labeling bottles, leaving basement. “Wishing to earn his own spending money, he pleads with his mother for permission to become a ‘newsie’ on the train --” Boy talking with woman - boy looking at empty bottle in basement, pulling out pants pocket - boy pleading on knees with woman, kissing. “-- and here starts his career in the commercial world.” Conductor helping passengers and boy on train - boy selling papers inside train. “The object of this venture was not pennies alone but to take advantage of the library at the other end of the route.” Boy waving goodbye to engineer - walking into library - librarian giving boy a book, ‘Parker’s Natural and Experimental Philosophy’ - close-up of page, ‘Electrical Telegraphic Communication’ - boy reading book. “In order to use all spare time experimenting from knowledge gained at the library, he transferred his laboratory from the cellar to the train.” Boy working at lab on train. “In this railroad laboratory was also printed the ‘Weekly Herald,’ of which Thomas A. Edison, 14 years of age, was compositor, pressman, editor, publisher and news dealer.” Boy printing paper - close-up of paper - boy selling paper on train. “‘Boy, what have you got?’” Man looking at paper - close-up of paper - man opening window, throwing papers out. “‘Nicodemus, pay the boy.’” Negro servant paying boy - boy outside train picking up papers - climbing aboard train. “‘Weekly Herald. Twenty-five cents a copy.’” Boy giving batch of papers to same man - man opens window, throws papers out. “‘Nicodemus, pay the boy.’” Negro paying boy. “‘I’ve sold all my papers twice. Now what can I sell?’” Boy in lab, opening trunk, setting bottles on table, carrying trunk into train car. “‘Boy, what have you got now?’” Same man talking to boy. “‘Everything, sir that I can spare. The price is twenty-seven dollars.’” Boy taking off coat and hat and putting them on trunk. ‘“Nicodemus throw it out and pay the boy.’” Negro paying boy - boy picking up trunk and coat and walking out of car. “While Mr. Edison was thus reaping a harvest, a disastrous accident takes place in his laboratory.” Boy entering lab, bottle of poison falling off shelf, causing fire. “Here young Edison received a blow on the ear which deafened him for life --” Fire in train car, conductor cuffing boy. “-- and he with his whole outfit was put off the train at the next station.” Train traveling down tracks - boy and goods thrown off train. [1923]
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