Barbie's designer made Raytheon missiles first as 'Barbenheimer' rocks box offices
The first Barbie Doll from 1959 is displayed at the interactive exhibition "The World of Barbie" on June 28, 2023, at Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, California.
A weapons engineer turned doll maker is the unexpected link to "Barbenheimer," the affectionately dubbed duo from Warner Bros.′ "Barbie" and Universal's "Oppenheimer."
The unlikely back-to-back summer marquee titles opened Friday following weeks of mania harping on the dissimilarities of the two films — the whimsical and rosy world of "Barbie" alongside "Oppenheimer," the extraordinary story of the American physicist who brought the world into the atomic age.
And yet, the Barbie doll comes from a weapons background.
Before designing the world's most famous doll, Jack Ryan worked for aerospace giant Raytheon and helped create the weapons that formed the backbone of America's missile defense.
Ryan, a Yale-educated engineer, helped create the Sparrow and Hawk missiles, which laid the groundwork for the Patriot missile system, one of the most advanced air defense weapons in America's arsenal.
Following his work in the arms business, Ryan went to Mattel, where he ascended to vice president of research and design for the toy manufacturer.
On July 24, 1959, Ryan filed a U.S. patent detailing his concept for what would later become the world's most recognizable toy doll. Ryan was granted the patent for "doll construction" in November 1961. He is also credited with creating toys like Chatty Cathy and the Hot Wheels collection.
Source: CNBC
