https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/360204ac-f4b4-42c0-95f2-d94b9b52f517 Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films! Join us on Patreon. Visit https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Visit our website www.PeriscopeFilm.com This film "The Old Man" (1972) was directed by Robert L. Garthwaite and written by Joseph Caldwell and was produced by the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority. It chronicles the life and legacy of Thomas Edison, beginning at Menlo Park, New Jersey, where he began his early experiments and earned acclaim as the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor. Known affectionately by colleagues as “the old man,” Edison combined tireless enthusiasm with profound ingenuity, establishing America’s first industrial research laboratory and perfecting the phonograph and incandescent light, transforming modern life. Relocating to West Orange, New Jersey, he and his team pursued decades of experimentation, pioneering sound recording, motion pictures, and countless practical inventions. Despite setbacks, Edison remained dedicated to learning, innovation, and education, encouraging others to value effort over innate talent. In his final years at Glenmont, Edison enjoyed family life until his death in 1931, leaving a legacy defined by invention, perseverance, and a lasting impact on human progress. 0:00 – Menlo Park, New Jersey, is introduced as the birthplace of Thomas Edison’s early work, later commemorated by a monument honoring his service to progress and humanity. 0:40 – Edison is praised nationally as the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor, while the film shifts focus to the private man behind the fame. 1:12 – Colleagues affectionately called Edison “the old man,” reflecting both his deafness, tireless enthusiasm, and the deep respect he inspired among his workers. 2:51 – The Edison Tower stands as a symbol of his enduring influence, marking Menlo Park as the site where he perfected the phonograph and practical incandescent light. 3:54 – Edison establishes America’s first industrial research laboratory, fostering teamwork and innovation rather than individual craftsmanship. 4:42 – The successful development of the incandescent lighting system in 1879 marks a turning point in modern electrical history. 5:48 – Edison relocates his work to West Orange, New Jersey, where he and his associates invent and refine technologies for everyday life over the next four decades. 6:46 – The West Orange laboratories, machine shops, and chemical labs exemplify Edison’s philosophy of relentless experimentation and hard work. 7:58 – Edison revisits and perfects the phonograph, enabling recorded sound and transforming music and entertainment for mass audiences. 10:42 – He envisions broader uses for sound recording, including education, dictation, preservation of speech, and accessibility for the blind. 11:48 – Edison pioneers motion pictures, developing early sound films and founding the first motion picture studio, the Black Maria. 14:15 – Motion pictures spread beyond the laboratory into popular culture. 16:31 – Despite fame, Edison remains devoted to learning, reading extensively, and accepting failure as part of invention. 17:30 – A devastating laboratory fire destroys years of work, but Edison immediately begins rebuilding with support from friends like Henry Ford. 18:44 – His personal life is explored, including friendships, outdoor adventures, and his marriage to Mina Miller, who supported his later work. 19:41 – Edison conducts an ambitious but ultimately overtaken search for a domestic rubber source. 22:35 – Speaking to scholarship students, Edison emphasizes hard work over talent as the true foundation of success. 23:40 – In his final years, Edison retires to Glenmont. 24:15 – Edison dies in 1931, his passing symbolized by lights glowing in his home, marking the end of an extraordinary life of invention. 25:13 – The film closes with Edison’s own words, expressing contentment if his work encouraged effort, expanded understanding, and brought happiness to the world. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. 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