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Western Electric "Once Upon a Honeymoon" Video; Beautiful Rare Phones!

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, November 07, 2013, 10:35:01 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

I came across this extremely weird video when I first started collecting vintage phones, when I didn't know very much about the rare hard-to-find ones. Well, I watched this video again, noticed several rare color WE 500s! At 3:38, there is what looks to be a Med. Blue (or Oxford Grey) key set, at 5:17, A soft plastic yellow 500, another med. blue at 8:25, a red 500 P/U at 9:17, a soft yellow mushroom at 9:51, a close-up of the key set at 12:07, plus other phones that any one of us would be happy to own today, like the old-school cell phone (modified linemans' handset) and the red soft 554 in the dream kitchen.\

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVW_8AVC_HQ
Christian Petterson

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

WesternElectricBen

I never understood it either. For some odd reason I thought the people were on Drugs?

Ben

LarryInMichigan

That film is awfully bizarre.  I like the B1 with a #4 dial.  The wireless butt set is cute.

Larry

WEBellSystemChristian

@Ben Yes, the actors seem way too odd, almost tipsy :D

@Larry I LOVE the 202, and to think this was considered an ancient pile of junk at the time this film was made... :o
Christian Petterson

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

WesternElectricBen

I was thinking that too, it is a really cool phone, but why would they still have that old one?

My understanding is, when you sell a house they uninstall the phone, so I'm unsure why they would have that one.

Ben

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: WesternElectricBen on November 07, 2013, 11:31:59 PM
I was thinking that too, it is a really cool phone, but why would they still have that old one?

My understanding is, when you sell a house they uninstall the phone, so I'm unsure why they would have that one.

Ben

I don't know, the screenwriters didn't exactly think this one through. :P
Christian Petterson

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

TelePlay

Is that a Med Blue 561 at 3:47 and a Med Blue 500 at 8:32?

WEBellSystemChristian

#7
Quote from: TelePlay on November 08, 2013, 12:01:25 AM
Is that a Med Blue 561 at 3:47 and a Med Blue 500 at 8:32?

Check out 12:07 on the video timeline, it shows a close-up of the key set. It sure looks like Med. Blue to me...
Christian Petterson

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

jsowers

This film was directed by Gower Champion and that explains all the dancing around. Gower and his wife Marge were a dancing team at MGM in several splashy musicals during the 1940s and 50s and that dancing around you see is definitely their style.

The red 500U and yellow 500U are particularly interesting in that those two colors you rarely see in a 500U. There are plenty of red 500s from this era, but only a few red 500Us.

Mystery Science Theatre 3000, many years ago on the Comedy Channel, did a great spoof of this movie. You can find it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfYd9scVU20

I agree that the characters in the movie are quite animated in their acting style. Virginia Gibson, who plays the wife who wants the new phones, was host of Discovery 67, Sunday mornings on CBS TV when I was a kid.
Jonathan