Comments on: 13 Patent-Holding Celebrity Inventors

By: Kevin L.

Kevin L. — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:31:41 +0000

I’ve read conflicting reports, but I’ve heard that Jerry Lewis patented the video-assist technique, called “Closed Circuit Television Applied to Motion Pictures”. He used it to film “The Bellboy” while he was appearing at The Fontainebleu Hotel in Miami, and being able to see immediate playbacks of scenes enabled him to make best use of his time.

By: Kevin L.

Kevin L. — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:22:34 +0000

After Zeppo dropped out of the movies, he went into business. His company didn’t own the patent, but marketed and manufactured a device called a “Marman Clamp”, which had a wide variety of uses in aerospace and is still in use today.

By: scooter

scooter — Sun, 30 May 2010 17:31:03 +0000

Didn’t Zeppo also invent the bomb clamps on the Enola Gay? (The plane that dropped the Fat Man bomb on Hiroshima)

By: PhineuaQButterfat

PhineuaQButterfat — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:22:00 +0000

[Tangent Alert]

Actually, Groucho often said he was secretly happy when Zeppo bowed out of the limelight because he felt Zeppo was actually funnier (shut up, it’s a word now) than he was.

By: Hog Whitman

Hog Whitman — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:23:00 +0000

The old stage trick with the cleat on a shoe hooking onto a nail head sticking up from the stage was used before Jackson was born. Bob Hope even mentioned it in his autobiography.

Jackson may have patened it, but in no way did he invent it.

By: James

James — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:16:00 +0000

OOPS. Totally missed it the first time. Sorry.

By: James

James — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:14:00 +0000

What about Hedy Lamarr’s patent for a frequency-hopping torpedo guidance system?

See Wikipedia for “Hedy Lamarr”, section “Frequency-Hopping Spread-Spectrum Invention”.

By: amaneaux

amaneaux — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:18:00 +0000

How about Paul Winchell? (The voice actor behind Tigger and Gargamel, as well as the puppeteer for Knucklehead Smiff.) His patents include early versions of the artificial heart and the disposable razor.

By: 8rustystaples

8rustystaples — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Scary Uncle, count me in. I’ll play the banjo as soon as my Van Halen Fretboard Stabilizer arrives in the mail.

By: Jo

Jo — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:06:00 +0000

What about Bill Nye? He’s a big favorite of mine and he holds all kinds of patents- one for a ballet slipper, and one for something else having to do with planes.

I love that guy.