Allen B. Gellman (April 19, 1906 – September 13, 1967) was an American jewelry manufacturer and first sponsor of ''

You Bet Your Life ''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...

'', the radio (and later TV) program hosted by

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

. Gellman was elected to the

Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphas ...

in 1956.

Early years and career

Allen Gellman was born as Adalbert Béla Gellman. He emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1930, aged 24 and became a naturalized citizen on January 11, 1939. He worked as a machinist, attended night school, and began manufacturing costume jewelry. Gellman and a partner, Joseph Weiss, owned and operated the Illinois Watch Case Company in Elgin, manufacturing compacts and cigarette lighters, and the U.S. Wind Engine and Pump Company in

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

, making farm equipment. In 1941, with the government restricting commercial production in order to allocate material and manpower to war production, Gellman and Weiss needed a government contract. Gellman met Henry Garsson in Washington outside a congressman's office. When Garsson described his requirements for the manufacture of shells, Gellman agreed to provide the means to fill them."When War Profiteering Hit Batavia. The Garsson–May Connection". ''The Batavia Historian''. Batavia Historical Society. Batavia, Illinois. Vol. 38 No. 1. January 1997 Garsson and his older brother, Murray Garsson, had started a munitions contracting business in 1941. A Kentucky congressman,

Andrew J. May Andrew Jackson May (June 24, 1875 – September 6, 1959) was a Kentucky attorney, an influential New Deal-era politician, and chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee during World War II, infamous for his rash disclosure of classified nav ...

, chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee during World War II, facilitated the Garssons' enterprise. After the war, a Senate investigating committee reviewing the Garsson's munitions business discovered evidence that May had received substantial cash payments and other inducements from the Garssons.

Inventor

Gellman held patents for lighters, compacts, filler valves, and a container for personal items. Gellman's inventiveness extended to his office desk, which he designed with hidden elevators and pivoting drawers, giving him fingertip control over everything inside.

Groucho Marx

Gellman, president of the Elgin American Company, maker of watch cases, cigarette lighters, and compacts, was the first sponsor of ''

'',

's radio program, on ABC Radio and

CBS Radio CBS Radio was a radio broadcasting company and radio network operator owned by CBS Corporation and founded in 1928, with consolidated radio station groups owned by CBS and Westinghouse Broadcasting/Group W since the 1920s, and Infinity Broadc ...

from October 1947 to January 1950. This company is unrelated to the

Elgin National Watch Company The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin. For nearly 100 years, the company's manufacturing ...

Later life and death

Gellman was elected to the

, 1956.1956 Horatio Alger Award Winner
/ref> He died from cardiovascular disease, aged 61.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gellman, Allen 1906 births 1967 deaths American jewellers Hungarian emigrants to the United States Place of birth missing 20th-century American inventors