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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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Sargeguy

Has anyone mentioned Boardwalk Empire yet?  It's chock full of all sorts of early phones:

Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

gpo706

Quote from: TelePlay on September 28, 2013, 03:26:43 AM
Quote from: Brinybay on September 28, 2013, 01:15:06 AM
A pretty little line up of three British phones in Foyle's War (episode "Eagle Day").

Interesting! I seem to remember those from a more recent episode of Dr. Who, with David Tenant Matt Smith, where he was working with Churchill to defeat Daleks. There was that line up of phones on one end of the large war room table and several black phones on the other end.

I'll see if I can find it this weekend.

Found it: "Victory of the Daleks" Series 5, Episode 3

A lot more phones that I first remembered. Unfortunately, the camera shot for a scene many times does not catch the front of the phone, in any part of the episode. This episode also included old operator headsets. Here are a few screen captures.

Maybe they shot this in the Cabinet War rooms museum in London? It's a great place, chock full of telephony.
"now this should take five minutes, where's me screwdriver went now..?"

JimH

Just watching "There's Always Tomorrow" with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck from 1956.  Every phone in the movie is a 302!  With the 500 already out for 5 or 6 years, makes you wonder why the movie companies didn't update their props in some films.  I guess it's like cars.  Would be weird if everyone in a movie had a new car. 

Here's a screenshot of Barbara on her ivory 302:

Jim
Jim H.

xhausted110

Quote from: twocvbloke on February 03, 2013, 02:23:59 AM
1955 stuff from BTTF, the Doc's number in the directory, and I can't help but notice the numbers ending with letters, I'm guessing they're country codes? :D

And the payphone, there is a Bell System sign, but the handset appears to be an AE G-type handset (the transmitter cap gives it away), which I guess wouldn't be right being a Bell payphone... ???

And I just thought I'd add the bit where he tears the page out of the phonebook, probably very frowned upon in the day.... :D

the letters ending in numbers are party line codes.
- Evan

poplar1

Quote from: xhausted110 on December 01, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
Quote from: twocvbloke on February 03, 2013, 02:23:59 AM
1955 stuff from BTTF, the Doc's number in the directory, and I can't help but notice the numbers ending with letters, I'm guessing they're country codes? :D

And the payphone, there is a Bell System sign, but the handset appears to be an AE G-type handset (the transmitter cap gives it away), which I guess wouldn't be right being a Bell payphone... ???

And I just thought I'd add the bit where he tears the page out of the phonebook, probably very frowned upon in the day.... :D

the letters ending in numbers are party line codes.



The pay phone is 100% Automatic Electric, not just the handset: Notice the red name plate on top, the 45-degree angle of the hook, the plastic dial shroud (not daisy), the thin chrome coin return bucket, the style of the keyhole on the vault door.
"C'est pas une restauration, c'est une rénovation."--François Martin.

Sargeguy

There aren't just cool old phones in Boardwalk Empire a recent episode featured the venerable Hawthorne works itself
Greg Sargeant
Providence, RI
TCI /ATCA #4409

TelePlay

Quote from: JimH on December 01, 2013, 01:06:29 PM
Just watching "There's Always Tomorrow" with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck from 1956.  Every phone in the movie is a 302!  With the 500 already out for 5 or 6 years, makes you wonder why the movie companies didn't update their props in some films.

When staging a movie or play, the first question that comes up in the first production meeting is "in what year will this take place." Everything is based on that number. This movie was first done in the 30s and remade in the 50s. The director and/or producer tell the set and props people what they want to see on camera. So even if this movie took place and was made in the 50s, they may have wanted the rooms and props to be outdated, from 40s, for whatever reason they had to make that decision including not having money left in the budget to go out and get new phones.

JimH

Quote from: TelePlay on December 01, 2013, 03:45:54 PM
Quote from: JimH on December 01, 2013, 01:06:29 PM
Just watching "There's Always Tomorrow" with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck from 1956.  Every phone in the movie is a 302!  With the 500 already out for 5 or 6 years, makes you wonder why the movie companies didn't update their props in some films.

When staging a movie or play, the first question that comes up in the first production meeting is "in what year will this take place." Everything is based on that number. This movie was first done in the 30s and remade in the 50s. The director and/or producer tell the set and props people what they want to see on camera. So even if this movie took place and was made in the 50s, they may have wanted the rooms and props to be outdated, from 40s, for whatever reason they had to make that decision including not having money left in the budget to go out and get new phones.

Exactly what I was thinking.  Probably the same  Sheriff Andy Taylor had a candlestick phone in the 1960s Mayberry...to make it a little out of date and behind the times, like it was. (Also the Munsters and Addams Family, too!)

Jim
Jim H.

MDK

Has anyone ever seen the Val Kilmer classic, "Top Secret!"? What kind of phone is this?

twocvbloke

Quote from: MDK on December 02, 2013, 10:12:16 PM
Has anyone ever seen the Val Kilmer classic, "Top Secret!"? What kind of phone is this?

I have that on Betamax somewhere in my mess of a room, haven't watched in a few years... :D

Haf

Another definitely out of date phone with Karl Malden as Mike Stone in "The Streets Of San Francisco"... what a sacrilege to put a styrofoam coffee mug on top ;)
Telephone:
0049-030-55474418
1-415-449-4743
1-604-757-7474

xhausted110

Quote from: poplar1 on December 01, 2013, 02:54:21 PM
Quote from: xhausted110 on December 01, 2013, 02:08:43 PM
Quote from: twocvbloke on February 03, 2013, 02:23:59 AM
1955 stuff from BTTF, the Doc's number in the directory, and I can't help but notice the numbers ending with letters, I'm guessing they're country codes? :D

And the payphone, there is a Bell System sign, but the handset appears to be an AE G-type handset (the transmitter cap gives it away), which I guess wouldn't be right being a Bell payphone... ???

And I just thought I'd add the bit where he tears the page out of the phonebook, probably very frowned upon in the day.... :D

the letters ending in numbers are party line codes.



The pay phone is 100% Automatic Electric, not just the handset: Notice the red name plate on top, the 45-degree angle of the hook, the plastic dial shroud (not daisy), the thin chrome coin return bucket, the style of the keyhole on the vault door.

whoops! I meant the numbers ending in letters, in the phone book
- Evan

Haf

Some more "The Streets Of San Francisco" pay phones. Note that there are sometimes no locks :) And please note the phone directory picture with a variety of not existing phone numbers.

Haf
Telephone:
0049-030-55474418
1-415-449-4743
1-604-757-7474

Greg G.

#508
Quote from: Haf on December 05, 2013, 03:26:57 AM
Some more "The Streets Of San Francisco" pay phones. Note that there are sometimes no locks :) And please note the phone directory picture with a variety of not existing phone numbers.

Haf

The first and fifth phones are like the one I just got.  I'm going to take a guess and say he's looking at last names that start with an "E" because that last one looks like "Everett", which is also the name of a city near me.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

TelePlay

Released in 1985, finally got around to watching "Clue," the movie for the first time. There is something very nice about watching a pre-hi-tech movie for the first time today. This full screen shot of what seems to be a metal 302 appeared 52 minutes into the movie.

The number on the card is "YL-7091." YL? The TENproject database has YL (95) as a mobile service.