Robert Plath (Harry Dean Stanton) is not a fictional character, and the story he tells to Cheyenne (Sean Penn) is true… except that he was not really the first one to put wheels on a suitcase.
In 1970 Bernard Shadow patented the “Rolling Luggage”, but in a different way Mr. Plath did 18 years after, patenting the “Wheeled suitcase and luggage support”.
Although both Shadow and Plath were “reinventing the suitcase by adding the wheel“, the later design was more developed and functional, and the one most of actual designs are based upon.
Robert Plath (Harry Dean Stanton) – Are you… uh… traveling?
Cheyenne (Sean Penn) – Sight-seeing.
RP – Oh, what exactly is the difference?
Ch – I don’t know exactly the difference. But I always thought that travelers were pain in the ass.
RP – I feel the same way. Death to the backpack… That’s a good model you have got there. It’s a nice balance between the mechanics and the storage capacity.
Ch – Are you in the luggage business?
RP – We’ll get to that.
[...]
Now, do you remember back when suitcases with wheels didn’t exist? You had to carry your bags or lug them over your shoulder. They’re always so heavy. Everybody were sweating and swearing all the time. And then someone comes along… it was really just a few years ago if you think about it, with the bright idea of putting wheels on that thing.
And puff… all at once your suitcase isn’t heavy anymore. And everyday I ask myself the same question: why didn’t anyone think of it sooner?
Ch – Why do you ask yourself the same fucking question everyday?
RP – Because I’m that someone who had that bright idea.
Ch – Are you pulling my leg?
RP – No. I’ll never do such a thing. I’m Robert Plath. I was a pilot with Northwest Airlines and in 1988 I had an idea, and so I tested it out in my garage, and then I patented it. And I won’t call it a success… because it was a revolution!
