Difference between revisions of "Thomas Edison"
From Twisted Hollywood
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Edison steadfastly believed that he was "as good a barometer as any dog in the street" when it came to judging the merits of a moving picture, overlooking the fact that he was both a career criminal and a sociopath. While Hollywood dabbled with sensationalistic works of fiction, Edison's studio produced stark and harrowing glimpses into tedium. | Edison steadfastly believed that he was "as good a barometer as any dog in the street" when it came to judging the merits of a moving picture, overlooking the fact that he was both a career criminal and a sociopath. While Hollywood dabbled with sensationalistic works of fiction, Edison's studio produced stark and harrowing glimpses into tedium. | ||
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| + | The "actualities" (a term Edison falsely claimed to have invented) had neither plot nor dialogue, and were typically unedited footage of real life events that caught Edison's interest. These included ''Knife and Fork Upon Table'', ''Various Rags in a Bucket'', and ''Door That Has Been Shut and Will Remain Shut''. | ||
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| + | The general public uniformly hated the actualities, despite Edison's confidence in them. | ||
== Death == | == Death == | ||
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Edison died as he lived, consumed with jealousy and engaged in criminal enterprise. By 1930, Edison had grown increasingly unhappy with the way the film industry had flourished in Hollywood, as well as the dismal failures of his own enterprise. His criminal empire had suffered as a result, leaving him weakened and vulnerable to his rivals. | Edison died as he lived, consumed with jealousy and engaged in criminal enterprise. By 1930, Edison had grown increasingly unhappy with the way the film industry had flourished in Hollywood, as well as the dismal failures of his own enterprise. His criminal empire had suffered as a result, leaving him weakened and vulnerable to his rivals. | ||
| − | Edison claimed full credit for his plan being "the product of his unique criminal genius" despite it being nearly identical to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He acquired seventy-eight crates of dynamite with the intent to place them in the wine cellar of the Empyrean Hotel in Los Angeles, the location where the Academy Awards ceremony was to be held. The deaths of Hollywood's top talent during its most narcissistic calendar event would be a crushing blow to the film industry. | + | Edison claimed full credit for his plan being "the product of his unique criminal genius" despite it being nearly identical to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. He acquired seventy-eight crates of dynamite with the intent to place them in the wine cellar of the Empyrean Hotel in Los Angeles, the location where the Academy Awards ceremony was to be held later that year. The deaths of Hollywood's top talent during its most narcissistic calendar event would be a crushing blow to the film industry. |
Whether Edison was making a genuine attempt to claw his way back to power or merely satisfying his bruised ego with an act of revenge is unclear. But, perhaps due in part to his advanced age, Edison's plan backfired. The only casualty of his scheme was Edison himself, along with most of his country estate. | Whether Edison was making a genuine attempt to claw his way back to power or merely satisfying his bruised ego with an act of revenge is unclear. But, perhaps due in part to his advanced age, Edison's plan backfired. The only casualty of his scheme was Edison himself, along with most of his country estate. | ||
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[[Category:Historical figures|Edison, Thomas]][[Category:Crime bosses|Edison, Thomas]] | [[Category:Historical figures|Edison, Thomas]][[Category:Crime bosses|Edison, Thomas]] | ||
Revision as of 17:36, 6 September 2024
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an American gangster and businessman, best known for his stranglehold over the emerging film industry in the years before Hollywood. Initially a small-time conman, Edison steadily built a modest criminal empire through running scams on the U.S. Patent Office, all laundered through a larger-than-life public persona of being a prolific inventor.
