"What,no Telephone Book…?" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

comet97 · 06-26-2004, 08:23 PM

Have ya'll noticed that any of the Cleaver's hardly ever use a telephone book to look up the people they want to call?
I sure have boy. (lol)
Last night I was watching a tape,
"Mistaken Identity" ,and saw Ward dial Richard's father from memory.
Give me a break!

What! ,he just happens to know the phone number of Beaver's friend's father? Like he calls him all the time huh? Not!

No matter what ep you watch,they 'all' dial those numbers from the top of their heads. Drug Stores,Barbar Shops,Hardware Store,Pharmacy,you name it.
Yeah,sometime I hear June asking the Operator for Information to a new neighbor or something,but not much.

We should have a memory like that!

desilu #1 · 06-26-2004, 10:57 PM

Great observation comet! I was also wondering why it is that they had letters in phone numbers back then. Can you explain that?

Kimberly003 · 06-27-2004, 12:40 AM

It was pretty easy for them to know what number to call, since back then most calls were through party lines

But I often wondered if the cue card had the number or did they really call someone by that name Hmmm?

Oh yea

comet nice to see you here.

Kimberly003

David VP · 06-27-2004, 06:54 AM

Quote:

I was also wondering why it is that they had letters in phone numbers back then. Can you explain that?

http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/TENproject.html

Beaver's phone number, BTW, was KL5-4763. (The "KL" was for "KLondike".)

We find out the Cleaver's number in the episode where the boys call up Don Drysdale.

In case you're curious: Rob & Laura Petrie's phone number was NE6-9970. ("NE" = "NEw Rochelle".)

We find out the Petrie's number in "The Ballad Of The Betty Lou", when Laura gives it to the Coast Guard operator.

Interestingly, there's a "goof" concerning this telephone number on The Dick Van Dyke Show ---- That very same number (NE6-9970) is supposedly also the number of the lady from "Home & House Magazine" in the episode "Ray Murdock's X-Ray". Odd they'd use the very same number.

Many TV/Movie fictional phone numbers end, for some reason, in -9970. Wonder why? A lot of them also end with "99". And, of course, begin with the fictional prefix of "555".

comet97 · 06-27-2004, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kimberly003
It was pretty easy for them to know what number to call, since back then most calls were through party lines

But I often wondered if the cue card had the number or did they really call someone by that name Hmmm?

Oh yea comet nice to see you here.

Kimberly003

Hi Kim

Nice to see you here too darlin' ;-)

BTW,when I was a 'widdle' kid about 5 years old,our grandmother's home phone number in Norristown,Pa was 1616-J and our's in Philadelphia was BR-52480 (Broadway)
I have no idea what that J was for.

It's funny,but I can still remember those numbers til this very day.hmm
They were easy to remember then,but not today boy! Oh no! Now they give us lots and lots of numbers to remember. &^%$#

And those 'prompts' you gotta' push...forget it! ;-)

Mijada · 06-27-2004, 11:23 AM

In the ep where Lumpy has a party and spills grapejuice or something on the rug and asks Wally to stay the night to help clean up, Wally uses a phonebook to call his parents who are away.

JudgeGarth · 06-28-2004, 06:24 PM

~~~Many TV/Movie fictional phone numbers end, for some reason, in -9970. Wonder why? A lot of them also end with "99". And, of course, begin with the fictional prefix of "555".

You'll notice that KL5 translates to '555'.

I understand that they do that because there are actually some nuts out there who will call up phone numbers they see on tv.

comet97 · 06-29-2004, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JudgeGarth
~~~Many TV/Movie fictional phone numbers end, for some reason, in -9970. Wonder why? A lot of them also end with "99". And, of course, begin with the fictional prefix of "555".

You'll notice that KL5 translates to '555'.

I understand that they do that because there are actually some nuts out there who will call up phone numbers they see on tv.

Yeah! Judge ,I think you're on to something there.

JudgeGarth · 06-29-2004, 06:20 PM

I remember that the tv series 'Hazel' used 'KLondike-5' as a telephone prefix, also.

frani · 07-04-2004, 12:58 PM

First of all, it's just a dramatic convention to have them know the phone numbers. It would just waste time to have them look them up or call information.

Also, when i was growing up, all phone number started with letters. Numbers didn't really start until the 70's or so.

And we didn't have that many party lines. You're thinking of the 40's.

As far as 555. Yes, all tv and movie phone numbers start with that or Klondike (which is also 555) because no real phone numbers start with that. As far as the 9970, that is a number that will always ring busy no matter what first numbers you put in front. In fact, when i was a teenager, i had friends who used to give that number out to guys they didn't like. We called it the always busy number.

06-26-2004, 08:23 PM	#1
comet97 LITB Fan Forever Frequent Poster Join Date: May 26, 2004 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 353	"What,no Telephone Book…?" Have ya'll noticed that any of the Cleaver's hardly ever use a telephone book to look up the people they want to call? I sure have boy. (lol) Last night I was watching a tape, "Mistaken Identity" ,and saw Ward dial Richard's father from memory. Give me a break! What! ,he just happens to know the phone number of Beaver's friend's father? Like he calls him all the time huh? Not! No matter what ep you watch,they 'all' dial those numbers from the top of their heads. Drug Stores,Barbar Shops,Hardware Store,Pharmacy,you name it. Yeah,sometime I hear June asking the Operator for Information to a new neighbor or something,but not much. We should have a memory like that!
	__________________ Beavermania rules! Comet97

06-26-2004, 10:57 PM	#2
desilu #1 Lucy/Desi 4-EVER Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 23, 2000 Location: Battle Creek, Michigan USA Posts: 724	Great observation comet! I was also wondering why it is that they had letters in phone numbers back then. Can you explain that?
	__________________ Amy M. Weaver

06-27-2004, 12:40 AM	#3
Kimberly003 Member First Time Poster Join Date: Jun 26, 2004 Location: Ca Posts: 1	It was pretty easy for them to know what number to call, since back then most calls were through party lines But I often wondered if the cue card had the number or did they really call someone by that name Hmmm? Oh yea comet nice to see you here. Kimberly003

06-27-2004, 11:23 AM	#6
Mijada Spencers mom Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 02, 2001 Location: eastern US Posts: 4,093	In the ep where Lumpy has a party and spills grapejuice or something on the rug and asks Wally to stay the night to help clean up, Wally uses a phonebook to call his parents who are away.

06-28-2004, 06:24 PM	#7
JudgeGarth Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 07, 2004 Location: Wheaton, IL Posts: 443	~~~Many TV/Movie fictional phone numbers end, for some reason, in -9970. Wonder why? A lot of them also end with "99". And, of course, begin with the fictional prefix of "555". You'll notice that KL5 translates to '555'. I understand that they do that because there are actually some nuts out there who will call up phone numbers they see on tv.

06-29-2004, 06:20 PM	#9
JudgeGarth Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 07, 2004 Location: Wheaton, IL Posts: 443	I remember that the tv series 'Hazel' used 'KLondike-5' as a telephone prefix, also.

07-04-2004, 12:58 PM	#10
frani Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 09, 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 445	First of all, it's just a dramatic convention to have them know the phone numbers. It would just waste time to have them look them up or call information. Also, when i was growing up, all phone number started with letters. Numbers didn't really start until the 70's or so. And we didn't have that many party lines. You're thinking of the 40's. As far as 555. Yes, all tv and movie phone numbers start with that or Klondike (which is also 555) because no real phone numbers start with that. As far as the 9970, that is a number that will always ring busy no matter what first numbers you put in front. In fact, when i was a teenager, i had friends who used to give that number out to guys they didn't like. We called it the always busy number.