|
Telephones in the Movies and on TV Here are some favorites. ©2002-7 paulf. All rights reserved.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The President's Analyst (1967)
|
(It doesn't seem as far-fetched now as it did then!) Great spoof on the power of "TPC" (The Phone Company). The spies seemed to think TPC was more powerful than the superpower countries. This is really a "MUST SEE!" (Last 10 minutes of movie -- be patient!) If you want some highlights and photos, click here . Wonder if the US Government antitrust staff watched this while deciding what to do with AT&T in the 70s and 80s. |
|
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970)
|
More 10-button TouchTone sets than I've seen
in one place.
Desk sets (1500 and 5-line 1565), Call Directors and a rare Card Dialer (1661?). Fantasy videophone, consisting of a large flush-mounted wall monitor with a camera above and 10-button keypad below. Look fast and freeze the frame! At one point a poor 1500 was thrown through a video monitor. Bet it was refurbed and put back out in service. |
|
TV Series (1957-66) |
Switchboards in offices and rooming houses (as Paul Drake interrogates the operators), Kellogg, Dictaphone and Rauland Office Intercoms. The Rauland Amplicall was on Perry's desk during the first season. ( See photos.) Overheard: Della's work number -- HOllywood 2-1799 |
| It Takes
A Thief TV Series (1968-70) |
Similar
to Perry Mason, phones appear as supporting actors. A green 1565 (10-button dial keyset) appeared in one episocde. |
|
Star Trek TV Pilot
"The Cage" (repeated in "The Menagerie") |
The
controls in the situation room on the
Enterprise are made from a Rauland Amplicall 24-line control unit --
painted to match the console. |
|
|
|
|
After the Thin Man (1936) Another Thin Man (1939) |
But the phones were new then! |
| Wrong is
Right (1982) |
Teleconcepts "Chromephone" sets (dial set in
a chrome
sphere) at each situation room station. Good cast,
including Sean
Connery, Robert Conrad, Katharine Ross, Leslie Nielsen and Dean
Stockwell, but a tacky cold war plot.
|
|
Grand Hotel
(1932) |
AE Type 2 sets in cubicles used as "lobby
phones" (rarely seen!)
Federal cradle phones (grab-a-phone style) used in guest rooms Great shots of the multi-position hotel switchboard (over 8 positions) |
|
|
It's interesting to see how they held and manipulated them. One reporter applies antiseptic to his glass mouthpiece! |
| His Girl
Friday (1940) |
The
remake of The Front Page also has lots of good old phones. |
| I've Got
Your Number (1934) |
Misadventures
of two telephone repair men. One romances a switchboard operator. |
|
Our Man Flint (1966)
In Like Flint (1967) |
|
| The
Slender Thread (1965) |
Dramatic
scenes while tracing a phone call through an electromechanical switch. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The 4D Man (1959) |
Western
Electric 320 or 520 hazardous environment set on the wall in the
furnace room, 211s mounted on laboratory benches, guards with a
portable Motorola "Handie Talkie" FM Radiophone. |
| Three
Days of the Condor (1975) |
Suspense.
Includes shots of a Crossbar trunk. |
| An Eye
for An Eye (1981) |
Chuck
Norris and a Western Electric Celebrity (French-style Design Line set). |
| Cherry
2000 (1987) |
Lester's
phone is a Telequest Flexx -- modified with an dummy antenna for
"wireless" use. |
|
Here's a link to a web site featuring Celebrities on the Phone!
|
|
"Female" -- 1933, MGM/UAThe phone is a tall art deco interpretation of a "French phone." The black rectangular base has 5 or 6 narrow horizontal light bands. There are similar bands on the transmitter and receiver covers. In one scene, a similar handset appears on a taller, angular base.Was this a movie prop or production model? The cradle doesn't appear to move
when
going off hook, so I suspect it's a prop. |