Candyman: The David Klein Story, is a film that tells the story of the inventor of Jelly Belly jellybeans. Despite Jelly Belly’s popularity and success, Klein’s life didn’t turn out the way one might expect.
Candyman tells the amazing true story of David Klein, an eccentric candy inventor from LA, who in 1976 had a once in a lifetime epiphany and came up with the concept of Jelly Belly jellybeans. These colorful beans came in numerous shockingly realistic flavors and were a radical new product. They became a pop culture phenomenon and revolutionized the candy industry. It didn’t hurt that no less a personage than Ronald Reagan, president of the USA, proclaimed Jelly Bellies as his favorite sweets.
David’s eccentric personality and peculiar sense of business led him to give up the business just as it was about to explode. He has struggled with bitter regrets ever since. Jelly Belly has grown into a billion dollar enterprise, and the company has deliberately erased him from its history. There is no room for an eccentric genius like this in the modern corporate world. The movie is all about both sides of the American dream. It tells how Klein lost his beans, but kept his soul.
I haven’t seen the film yet, but a review copy is on it’s way. I’ll post more about the movie, and hopefully do a giveaway, then.
Update: Four copies of the DVD are the on the way to me. We’ll have a giveaway just as soon as I receive them.