Thomas Edison the recordings could be played only a few times, the phonograph made Edison a celebrity. Joseph Henry, president of the National Academy of Sciences and one of the most renowned electrical scientists in the US, described Edison as "the most ingenious inventor in this country... or in any other". In April 1878, Edison traveled to Washington to demonstrate the phonograph before the National Academy of Sciences, Congressmen, Senators and US President Hayes. The "Washington Post" described Edison as a "genius" and his presentation as "a scene... that will live in history". Although Edison obtained a patent for the phonograph in
Edison (film) upon the title of the film and the limited story details with corrupt officers that the film was based upon the New Jersey township of Edison, since the township's recent (as of that time) controversy involving its police force. Writer and film director David J. Burke claimed that the name "Edison" was derived from its common association with the inventor and business leader Thomas Edison, which led to thoughts of "electricity, power and industry." The film was originally supposed to see a US release in the spring of 2005; however, due to its poor reviews from critics after its screening