One phones were generally reliable and easily repaired for the most part. When they changed to all numbers instead of letter/number dialing, timing was better. But the new feature I appreciate is the CALL BLOCK. Unfortunately, the phone company allocated two features incorrectly. There is space for hundreds of numbers to be saved, when the largest families might need between 25 and 50, but only 200 spaces for blocking. Those could be filled in about 6 months or so from robo-calls alone, much less the political blabs this last year. Don’t know how many we have left but I hope I can negotiate a larger space with TPC.
The Phone Company [TPC], by the way, was depicted as a major bad guy in The President’s Analyst, [Panpiper Productions, 1967, starring Jame Coburn] Very funny but dark satire on American life.
I watched a B&W movie yesterday where they held the phone with microphone up to the mouth, and held a separate speaker to the ear. (It’s A Wonderful Life). Even those were before my time.
If the movie was a black & white, then the phones would all show up black, because they were black. And, they’d be on a table, desk, or special stand, unless we’re talking a reellee old setting, then, they were enormous things bolted to the wall.
So many “ordinary” things in those movies that are long gone now. Phone booths, newspaper stands (newspapers…), milkmen, elevator operators, going to restaurants…
Frazz16 hrs · All technology evolves and dates itself, of course. But phones may be the champions of that sort of thing, to the point where I wonder if anyone making a movie just avoids scenes with phones, or shoots those scenes last, to avoid turning the movie into an instant period piece.
In a more practical sense, that’s partly why Frazz has messy, spiky hair. Sure, it shows off a carefree aspect to his personality, but messy hair is never in, and therefore never out, of style. Whew. Got that solved. That just leaves every other prop in the strip.
I watched video yesterday of a Dad that gave his teenage sons 15 minutes to call a phone number he wrote down. And then he uncovered a rotary phone. The video was hilarious. It took the kids several minutes just to figure out how to dial. But the funniest part was them picking up the receiver and then setting back in the cradle. They were using it as the reset button.
RAGs over 3 years ago
Even in “black and white” you still had shades of gray.
RAGs over 3 years ago
Not only were some attached to the wall, some you had to crank up first…
ChristineFoxdale over 3 years ago
If you were on a party line you had different ring-tones.
whahoppened over 3 years ago
Or different pattern/count. Strange how voice would get weaker after a minute or so.
nannym2013 over 3 years ago
Love the greyhound!!
sandpiper over 3 years ago
One phones were generally reliable and easily repaired for the most part. When they changed to all numbers instead of letter/number dialing, timing was better. But the new feature I appreciate is the CALL BLOCK. Unfortunately, the phone company allocated two features incorrectly. There is space for hundreds of numbers to be saved, when the largest families might need between 25 and 50, but only 200 spaces for blocking. Those could be filled in about 6 months or so from robo-calls alone, much less the political blabs this last year. Don’t know how many we have left but I hope I can negotiate a larger space with TPC.
The Phone Company [TPC], by the way, was depicted as a major bad guy in The President’s Analyst, [Panpiper Productions, 1967, starring Jame Coburn] Very funny but dark satire on American life.
Kroykali over 3 years ago
I watched a B&W movie yesterday where they held the phone with microphone up to the mouth, and held a separate speaker to the ear. (It’s A Wonderful Life). Even those were before my time.
LadyPeterW over 3 years ago
If the movie was a black & white, then the phones would all show up black, because they were black. And, they’d be on a table, desk, or special stand, unless we’re talking a reellee old setting, then, they were enormous things bolted to the wall.
T_Lexi over 3 years ago
Not to mention that they all had dial tones. (My Mom was a telephone operator and she never did get over cell phones having no dial tone.)
Jon Premium Member over 3 years ago
She must be Calvin’s daughter and he’s been passing on the lore handed down from his father.
Stephen Gilberg over 3 years ago
Yesterday my family watched a Christmas special from the ’80s. I wondered whether my two-year-old nephew would understand what the phones even were.
Fido (aka Felix Rex) Premium Member over 3 years ago
So many “ordinary” things in those movies that are long gone now. Phone booths, newspaper stands (newspapers…), milkmen, elevator operators, going to restaurants…
GiantShetlandPony over 3 years ago
Some had coin slots too!
Moonkey Premium Member over 3 years ago
We still use the word “dial” for making a call. Most people these days don’t know what a dial really is.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 3 years ago
Jef Mallett’s Blog Posts
Frazz16 hrs · All technology evolves and dates itself, of course. But phones may be the champions of that sort of thing, to the point where I wonder if anyone making a movie just avoids scenes with phones, or shoots those scenes last, to avoid turning the movie into an instant period piece.
In a more practical sense, that’s partly why Frazz has messy, spiky hair. Sure, it shows off a carefree aspect to his personality, but messy hair is never in, and therefore never out, of style. Whew. Got that solved. That just leaves every other prop in the strip.
Smokie over 3 years ago
I watched video yesterday of a Dad that gave his teenage sons 15 minutes to call a phone number he wrote down. And then he uncovered a rotary phone. The video was hilarious. It took the kids several minutes just to figure out how to dial. But the funniest part was them picking up the receiver and then setting back in the cradle. They were using it as the reset button.