TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Telephone Dialing in Old Movies

Re: Telephone Dialing in Old Movies

Neal McLain (nmclain@annsgarden.com)
Sat, 19 May 2007 22:22:54 -0500

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

> I watched a number of movies on TCM lately and noticed various
> telephone dialing patterns.... In some scenes seven digits were
> dialed, but in others only five ...

I wrote:

> Or only four. I don't remember the name of the movie, but phone
> number 6258 is important. The wife tries to call her husband at his
> workplace (a school) by dialing the school PBX; he's not there, but
> the school operator says he's at 6258. Wife then dials 6258, and a
> strange female voice answers. Wife hangs up without saying anything.
> Plot thickens.

PAT wrote:

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: But, please remember that in smaller
> towns with only one phone exchange (example 620-331) oftn times we
> only orally give the last four digits when speaking with someone,
> although we are required to dial all seven to make a call. PAT]

True -- same thing happens with 979-798 here in Texas. But that
wasn't what happened in the unnamed movie: in that case, the wife
clearly (and nervously) dialed four digits on a rotary dial phone.

I wish I could remember the name of that movie. Anybody recognize it?

Neal McLain

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