Sorkin (“The West Wing” and “The Social Network”) could not be reached for comment for this story but has made no bones about altering the facts because his “objective is to entertain.” The theater is going out of its way to put the drama into historical context with program notes and post-show discussions. “The story of who first thinks of an idea and who later comes to control that idea is incredibly relevant to life in the valley,” he said. Wiley was initially attracted to the play because of its deep local roots and its connection to the region’s high tech culture. This is an amazing story of scientific discovery.” “My uncle was a remarkable individual with a tremendous intellectual curiosity. “I hope people come to see the play and learn a little about the history,” says Player, a retired attorney who lives in Palo Alto. The drama chronicles many of the scientist’s struggles with corporate greed and espionage. While Player bristles at the play’s take on the patent fight, he believes overall it captures the thrust of his uncle’s saga well. Most people have never heard of him, even in Silicon Valley, which is the cradle of innovation.”įarnsworth’s family supports the production. “There’s definitely a contingent of people who are up in arms about the inaccuracies in the play,” says Managing Director Diana Wiley, “but we think this is a great opportunity to teach people about the history.
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The controversy over Sorkin’s use of dramatic license took the leaders of the Palo Alto Players by surprise, but they are pleased that the piece has ignited public debate. Corporate skulduggery also played a key role.Īs Farnsworth’s nephew Steve Player wryly puts it: “Philo won that patent battle, but in the end he lost the war.” In fact, Farnsworth won his long and contentious legal fight with the media giant in 1939 and received a $1 million payment, but he still did not have enough muscle to dominate the industry. McCleve and Helvey object to the play’s depiction of a legally outmanned Farnsworth losing a key patent battle to the RCA corporation. It distorts the facts so that the audience walks away with the impression that RCA invented television, which is the opposite of the truth.” “The play goes far beyond poetic license. “Sorkin desecrates a gripping true story,” agrees Don McCleve, a retired physician from Monte Sereno. “One of the most important inventions in the history of mankind shouldn’t be casually and willfully misrepresented,” says William Helvey, a retired Los Altos physician. A passionate bunch of critics will be on hand at the play’s opening night Saturday to distribute information about their beefs with the show to passers-by. Never mind that there is a long and rich literary tradition of bending facts for entertainment value, with Sorkin’s own “The Social Network” about the founding of Facebook only one prominent example. And perhaps because the Bay Area is a science-savvy community, as well as the place where Farnsworth’s family still lives, this local theater production is sparking surprising controversy because the play is inaccurate. Now the Palo Alto Players are presenting Sorkin’s drama for a two-week run beginning Saturday. The reason why is at the heart of a play by Aaron Sorkin titled “The Farnsworth Invention.” A fast-paced tale of genius, treachery, money and science, the play debuted on Broadway in 2007. That faint blue line glowing from within a tiny tube changed the course of the 20th century.ĭespite all that, Farnsworth, who died in 1971, is now largely a forgotten figure.
Farnsworth chipped away at the concept until, at the age of 21, he generated the first electronic television broadcast from his San Francisco laboratory in 1927. Only the whole would be visible when viewed from far away. Surveying the parallel rows of crop and earth, he realized that a larger image could be composed from similar irregular lines.
Farnsworth first glimpsed the idea behind television as a 14-year-old farm boy plowing a potato field in Idaho.
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Philo Farnsworth’s invention of TV breeds new controversy in Palo Alto – The Mercury News