For those of you who have not heard already, Greg Kinnear will be starring in a “Tuckerish” movie all about the infamous Ford “intermittent wiper switch”. “Flash of Genius” will be in theaters October 25. Watch the trailer and you’ll be hit with a world of period accurate sets and most notably… many great Ford classics from your favorite vintages. Personally, I haven’t been this excited about a film in decades.
Flash of Genius
Based on the true story of college professor and part-time inventor Robert Kearns’ (Greg Kinnear) long battle with the U.S. automobile industry, “Flash of Genius” tells the tale of one man whose fight to receive recognition for his ingenuity would come at a heavy price. But this determined engineer refused to be silenced, and he took on the corporate titans in a battle that nobody thought he could win.
The Kearns were a typical 1960s Detroit family, trying to live their version of the American Dream. Local university professor Bob married teacher Phyllis (Lauren Graham) and, by their mid-thirties, had six kids who brought them a hectic but satisfying Midwestern existence. When Bob invents a device that would eventually be used by every car in the world, the Kearns think they have struck gold. But their aspirations are dashed after the auto giants who embraced Bob’s creation unceremoniously shunned the man who invented it.
Ignored, threatened and then buried in years of litigation, Bob is haunted by what was done to his family and their future. He becomes a man obsessed with justice and the conviction that his life’s work — or for that matter, anyone’s work — be acknowledged by those who stood to benefit. And while paying the toll for refusing to compromise his dignity, this everyday David will try the unthinkable: to bring Goliath to his knees.
Pictured here is a 70’s era Ford Intermittent Wiper Switch
Can’t wait til it comes out! There are so many out there that had this happen to them and they didn’t have what it took to fight the big guys or were unable to for one reason or another. It’s great to see someone did!
By Shotrod. August 11th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Didn’t this just happen on the new 2005+ Mustangs for the MyColor design. They finally paid the guy on that too.
By my289. August 1st, 2008 at 6:42 am
This is nothing new if you are in industry ,ANY industry.
You can make money IF you are reasonable, but when you start asking for royalties for your family and generations too come the big outfits get pretty quiet. Detroit and others always had the “not invented here policy” and lived by it. If you were not part of the established group of suppliers you were not going to get a premium for an idea at least not intermitent wipers. Maybe for a pulse combustion warp drive.
By ranchero67. July 31st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Before you berate Ford for the Pinto deal, you should read what was the basis for the real memo and not run with the “media” version of events. One real fact is that the Pinto was neither worse nor much better on safety than any of the other compact cars sold in the 70s.
By Falcon67. July 31st, 2008 at 6:26 am
Definitely looks like this one is going to be worth a watch!
By Richard. July 31st, 2008 at 12:49 am
This story is legendary! I had heard this when I was a little kid and I heard his wife had left him because he wouldn’t take the money Ford finally offered him. I think I remember hearing it just about destroyed his family. I will be very anxious to see this movie to see what really happened. Kind of reminds me of the guy who invented the release button on the Craftsman socket wrench.
I cant believe this. Ford had some real shisters running the company back then. Sometimes im ashamed to be a Ford guy. I back a company that hid the gas tank issue of the Pinto. They put a price on human lives instead of just popping a $10 piece of plastic to keep the gas tank from splitting and spilling fuel all over in the event of a severe rear ender.
Now i see that they tried to bury some “nobody” for a design that was never thiers. IF they had been smart they wouldve hired the guy at 50,000 a year and then it wouldve been thier design.
I never have heard of this before… This is stupid.
Yno i have always backed ford and defended them for their dumb mistakes. But maybe its time they paid for them…
Can’t wait til it comes out! There are so many out there that had this happen to them and they didn’t have what it took to fight the big guys or were unable to for one reason or another. It’s great to see someone did!
By Shotrod. August 11th, 2008 at 12:57 pmDidn’t this just happen on the new 2005+ Mustangs for the MyColor design. They finally paid the guy on that too.
By my289. August 1st, 2008 at 6:42 amThis is nothing new if you are in industry ,ANY industry.
By ranchero67. July 31st, 2008 at 1:23 pmYou can make money IF you are reasonable, but when you start asking for royalties for your family and generations too come the big outfits get pretty quiet. Detroit and others always had the “not invented here policy” and lived by it. If you were not part of the established group of suppliers you were not going to get a premium for an idea at least not intermitent wipers. Maybe for a pulse combustion warp drive.
Before you berate Ford for the Pinto deal, you should read what was the basis for the real memo and not run with the “media” version of events. One real fact is that the Pinto was neither worse nor much better on safety than any of the other compact cars sold in the 70s.
By Falcon67. July 31st, 2008 at 6:26 amDefinitely looks like this one is going to be worth a watch!
By Richard. July 31st, 2008 at 12:49 amThis story is legendary! I had heard this when I was a little kid and I heard his wife had left him because he wouldn’t take the money Ford finally offered him. I think I remember hearing it just about destroyed his family. I will be very anxious to see this movie to see what really happened. Kind of reminds me of the guy who invented the release button on the Craftsman socket wrench.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2DE1538F930A15751C1A965948260
By blown68. July 30th, 2008 at 7:40 pmI cant believe this. Ford had some real shisters running the company back then. Sometimes im ashamed to be a Ford guy. I back a company that hid the gas tank issue of the Pinto. They put a price on human lives instead of just popping a $10 piece of plastic to keep the gas tank from splitting and spilling fuel all over in the event of a severe rear ender.
Now i see that they tried to bury some “nobody” for a design that was never thiers. IF they had been smart they wouldve hired the guy at 50,000 a year and then it wouldve been thier design.
I never have heard of this before… This is stupid.
Yno i have always backed ford and defended them for their dumb mistakes. But maybe its time they paid for them…
By 71hotrodpinto. July 30th, 2008 at 6:23 pm