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The CRPF "Old Phones in Movies & TV" Compilation

Started by HobieSport, November 23, 2008, 01:45:19 AM

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WEBellSystemChristian

Ah, that makes sense. Somewhere I saw a field trial touch tone set with a faceplate that looked like that (maybe a TT single slot payphone conversion?), and that's what I was reminded of.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

TelePlay

Quote from: 19and41 on June 03, 2016, 04:12:53 PM
Gaffer's tape= Duct tape of the lively arts.

Several times more expensive than duct tape but stronger than duct tape (and tears better). Sticks to almost everything including a dusty surface and the adhesive does not leave any residue when removed, even after a considerable amount of time. Great stuff if you can afford it.

tallguy58

Looks like the faceplate was cracked in the lower left corner and they had to patch it up. Once they did they noticed it looked lopsided so they added a piece to the right side to balance it off.
Cheers........Bill

19and41

MeTV has been showing the 1957 season of Perry Mason on late night.  They had a few scenes of his answering service calling him with an operator over one of these consoles, but with the Bell System medallion on top.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

unbeldi

Quote from: 19and41 on July 29, 2016, 02:51:22 PM
MeTV has been showing the 1957 season of Perry Mason on late night.  They had a few scenes of his answering service calling him with an operator over one of these consoles, but with the Bell System medallion on top.

It is a WECo No. 507B Cordless PBX.

19and41

That must've been quite a piece of set dressing at that time.  Wonder if product placement had anything to do with it?
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

poplar1

Not likely that an answering service would have a 507B, at least not for answering calls for their customers. Rather, a 557B would be more likely.

The 507B has 5 trunks (central office lines) and 12 p.b.x. lines (extensions on the same premises).
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

jsowers

19and41, you read my mind. I was thinking about making a post on that same episode. That's a great Perry Mason episode and it's thought to be the pilot show of the series--the very first episode filmed. The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink, filmed in October, 1956. I think you're correct about there being product placement because no other episode I can recall has so many new Western Electric phones.

Besides the Cordless PBX, they have lots of soft plastic phones in that show too. We see color 500s in Perry's and Paul's bedrooms and on Paul's desk there are three different color 500 sets. The one they use is either brown or dark gray. It looks black, but it has a clear fingerwheel. Also on Della's desk is a dark beige 500 with gray cords. In one scene, the secretary in Paul's office uses the PBX to patch through a call on an outside line to Perry Mason at home. That may have been the reason for the PBX.

I finally found my Season 1 DVDs and here are some screen shots...

1. Paul Drake's office. Here is the 507B PBX. Paul's secretary is using it, along with what looks like a red 500 set.
2. A different view of the same setup.
3. Paul Drake at his desk with three soft plastic 500s. Brown (possibly), dark beige and red.
4. Della Street at her desk, on a dark beige 500 with gray cords.
5. Perry at home in bed next to a red 500 set.
6. Paul Drake at home in bed next to a red 500 set. This is a really nice shot of the side of the phone. Also, he and Perry have similar headboards, but Perry's looks to be velvet and Paul's is a plainer fabric.
Jonathan

19and41

Excellent shots!  I remember seeing those consoles in offices when I was little.  That program had so many things involved in its' production that are of interest of numerous forums that I frequent.  Phones, stereos automobiles and even clocks.  Almost like a time capsule.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

jsowers

The Wiki I read about that episode mentioned that Perry was taking a taxicab everywhere. He hadn't yet gotten his black 1957 Ford Skyliner that he drove in the first several episodes. He also wore a hat and had a pinkie ring and they both disappeared soon afterward. Here is a link to that if anyone wants to know every single detail about Perry Mason...

http://www.perrymasontvseries.com/wiki/index.php/Main/HomePage

Below is another screen shot I made of the Rauland Amplicall on his desk. It was still shiny in this first episode. Later episodes have it dull, like they painted or refinished it to reduce glare. I agree that this show is a great slice of the 1950s and 60s and it had high production values. I love looking at the cars since I'm just as much of an old car nut as I am an old telephone nut. Those are the cars I grew up seeing and they will always be my favorites.

In one of the morning Perry Mason episodes recently, someone got into a 1959 Buick sedan and started it and drove off, and I started thinking about the accelerator pedal start on those cars. My uncle had one. You got to hear the actual starter noise too. Those sounds really take me back.
Jonathan

19and41

Mason seemed to wear a hat pretty often in that first season.  I always thought it funny that a wealthy attorney had both a Ford retractable and a Cadillac convertible.  I guess the retractable was nudging Cadillac's price range.  There were plenty of older payphones shown in the early episodes.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

19and41

I've been watching the old series Danger UXB on YouTube.  The program is peppered with old phones, and some close ups of a payphone at the officers' mess.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

andy1702

Apologies if this has been done somewhere before, but if it has then I haven't found it!

I was watching the BBC's comedy drama 'Love Nina' the other day and noticed that a nice ivory 700 series wall phone is prominent in a lot of the scenes. So this got me to thinking are there any othe famous phones out there? I can immediately think of two more UK ones... The Banker's phone from 'Deal Or No Deal' with Noel Edmonds and the gold plated trimphone used by Bob Monkhouse, but in this photo Charlie Williams, on 'The Golden Shot'.
Call me on C*net 0246 81 290 from the UK
or (+44) 246 81 290 from the rest of the world.

For telephone videos search Andys Shed on Youtube.

twocvbloke


Greg G.

#704
My wife and I have been watching Murdoch Mysteries on DVD.  It is set in late 19th-early 20th century Toronto.  In season 9, for the first time I saw a phone with a handset instead of the usual sticks.  It was in the episode "Barenaked Ladies" where the coroner picks up the phone in her office.  Is this phone "period correct"?  At this point in the series, they are in the year 1905.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
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