The Petrie's Phone Number - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

SawgrassSteve · 02-03-2003, 11:01 AM

I was watching this morning's episode, #72, "The Ballad of the Betty Lou". Laura left her phone number with the US Coast Guard. She was worried, since she hadn't heard from Rob and Jerry since leaving early to sail their boat. She said 636-9970.
For purely trivia purposes, does anybody happen to know what New Rochell's area code would've been in 1963? Don't worry, I won't call! That is, not unless you promise me Laura will answer!

Steve

Leigh Ann · 02-03-2003, 03:56 PM

I love this episode! I'm always glad when it comes on! I taped it, this morning. I like the part when, Jerry, I think, says the name of the boat is the "Betty Lou" and Rob says, "I'm gonna be sick!"

Hmm...That's a good question about what New Rochelle's area code would have been. I'm not sure!

jehobden · 02-04-2003, 09:50 PM

I'm pretty sure that New Rochelle would've had the same area code that it has today, 914. Today, however, that area code only covers Westchester Co., NY, whereas back then it covered a larger part of the state bordered on the north by the current area code 518, used in the Capital district and north to the Canadian border, bordered on the west by 607, which is used in the south central part of the state around Binghamton and Elmira, and bordered on the south by 212 (now 718), which was used throughout NYC then, but is now only used in Manhattan. I guess today if Laura had to call Rob from home to the office, she'd still be calling from the 914 area code to the 212 area code, though back then there may have been fewer exchanges, so, if it wasn't a toll call, she could've called the office w/o using the area code.
BTW, if you're a trivia buff of area codes and the mess they've become, I highly recommend the web site www.lincmad.com , which will tell you just about everything you've ever wanted to know about area codes.

LATTML · 04-07-2003, 04:41 AM

I'm looking at a 1963 Hazleton, PA phone book as I post this. Its Area Codes page confirms what the above poster said, New Rochelle's area code was indeed 914 in 1963. Can't help but wonder whether 636-9970 was a real phone number in NR in 1963 and whether or not the person who had it got bombarded with phone calls back then. Of no interest to anyone, I suppose, is there is a town near here which has the phone exchange 636, however I do not know whether anyone has 9970 as his/her actual phone number.

jehobden · 04-08-2003, 02:51 AM

I think people sometimes do call numbers given out on a tv show, which is why the phony exchange 555 is used now almost exclusively. I even remember on Happy Days once Fonzie read a number on a wall that started KLondike5, which is equivalent to 555 back in the 50s.
Related to this thread, twice on The Brady Bunch, the Bradys' home number was given out, and the second time the number was switched to start w/ 555. Even now, watching the earlier ep, Jan gives the Brady number out to the operator in order to force a call to come in, which she pretends is for her from her secret boyfriend, but the sound has been stepped on to block out a couple of the digits, and even the closed captioning on TV Land shows the number as something like _6_-0_9_, to prevent people from calling the number today.
Following the theme of the Petries and phone numbers, if you look closely, you can see Rob hold up a Westchester County phone book in the 1964 ep "The Brave and the Backache". Rob is standing up so straight because of his bad back. A still pic of that appears in The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.

02-03-2003, 11:01 AM	#1
SawgrassSteve Loyal Worshipper Senior Member Join Date: Mar 04, 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,423	The Petrie's Phone Number I was watching this morning's episode, #72, "The Ballad of the Betty Lou". Laura left her phone number with the US Coast Guard. She was worried, since she hadn't heard from Rob and Jerry since leaving early to sail their boat. She said 636-9970. For purely trivia purposes, does anybody happen to know what New Rochell's area code would've been in 1963? Don't worry, I won't call! That is, not unless you promise me Laura will answer! Steve
	__________________ The Cult Of Laura

02-04-2003, 09:50 PM	#3
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	I'm pretty sure that New Rochelle would've had the same area code that it has today, 914. Today, however, that area code only covers Westchester Co., NY, whereas back then it covered a larger part of the state bordered on the north by the current area code 518, used in the Capital district and north to the Canadian border, bordered on the west by 607, which is used in the south central part of the state around Binghamton and Elmira, and bordered on the south by 212 (now 718), which was used throughout NYC then, but is now only used in Manhattan. I guess today if Laura had to call Rob from home to the office, she'd still be calling from the 914 area code to the 212 area code, though back then there may have been fewer exchanges, so, if it wasn't a toll call, she could've called the office w/o using the area code. BTW, if you're a trivia buff of area codes and the mess they've become, I highly recommend the web site www.lincmad.com , which will tell you just about everything you've ever wanted to know about area codes.
	Last edited by jehobden; 02-05-2003 at 01:04 AM.

02-03-2003, 03:56 PM	#2
Leigh Ann Member Senior Member Join Date: Oct 15, 2002 Posts: 2,189	I love this episode! I'm always glad when it comes on! I taped it, this morning. I like the part when, Jerry, I think, says the name of the boat is the "Betty Lou" and Rob says, "I'm gonna be sick!" Hmm...That's a good question about what New Rochelle's area code would have been. I'm not sure!

04-07-2003, 04:41 AM	#4
LATTML Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 07, 2003 Posts: 19	I'm looking at a 1963 Hazleton, PA phone book as I post this. Its Area Codes page confirms what the above poster said, New Rochelle's area code was indeed 914 in 1963. Can't help but wonder whether 636-9970 was a real phone number in NR in 1963 and whether or not the person who had it got bombarded with phone calls back then. Of no interest to anyone, I suppose, is there is a town near here which has the phone exchange 636, however I do not know whether anyone has 9970 as his/her actual phone number.

04-08-2003, 02:51 AM	#5
jehobden Member Senior Member Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: DFW Area, TX Posts: 2,004	I think people sometimes do call numbers given out on a tv show, which is why the phony exchange 555 is used now almost exclusively. I even remember on Happy Days once Fonzie read a number on a wall that started KLondike5, which is equivalent to 555 back in the 50s. Related to this thread, twice on The Brady Bunch, the Bradys' home number was given out, and the second time the number was switched to start w/ 555. Even now, watching the earlier ep, Jan gives the Brady number out to the operator in order to force a call to come in, which she pretends is for her from her secret boyfriend, but the sound has been stepped on to block out a couple of the digits, and even the closed captioning on TV Land shows the number as something like _6_-0_9_, to prevent people from calling the number today. Following the theme of the Petries and phone numbers, if you look closely, you can see Rob hold up a Westchester County phone book in the 1964 ep "The Brave and the Backache". Rob is standing up so straight because of his bad back. A still pic of that appears in The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book.