Fortune Seekers

Did you ever want to make a fortune? You could go mining for gold, dive for sunken treasure, find a stock that will go from pennies to thousands. Or you could invent something like a device to get the lid that's stuck on a jar off, patent it, and wait until the offers roll in.

Me, I run hot water, stick the lid under it for a few seconds, then bang it flat on the counter for good measure. Not the geniuses of this RKO short, who dream up devices after reading a few pages of POPULAR MECHANIX and pay the Patent Office thirty bucks.

Yes, it's the exciting world of patent application. There's some good if overstated humor, and references to successful and unsuccessful inventions of the past, including bobby pins and Lincoln's method of getting a wagon over a stream.

"Fortune Seekers" is a delightful short film that pays tribute to the American inventor. As directed by Larry O'Reilly and based on the material written by Frances Dinsmoor, we are given a tour of how a person faced with a challenge raises to meet it and find a viable solution for the problem.

The film concentrates on what appears to be an average man who has a problem opening a jar. He finally comes up with a device that opens it without effort. His wife seems to be delighted by the new discovery, until she puts the gizmo up to the actual test. What worked for him, doesn't work for her! This is an enjoyable short subject film.

Fortune Seekers (1956)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Entertaining short from RKO takes a look at several inventions that have made people rich. We start off taking a look at stuff like paper clips, bobby pins and other small items before moving onto how one goes about getting an invention off the ground. We see the paperwork that must be filled out, the $30 it takes and the monthly magazine that shows off your creation. We also take a look at some inventions that simply didn't take off as well as a few that might happen in the future (one "possible" future item did eventually happen). Overall this is a pretty entertaining short and a good way to kill eight-minutes. I think the highlight of the film happens during the "what else is there to invent" section where we learn about a hair growth program and it's actually pretty funny. Another highlight happens when we get to see some of the items that were considered for production including a hunting bike as well as a bike that would travel on telegram wires.