Telephone first?

[Grant]

In Assignment: Earth, Seven's office features a Westinghouse push button phone of a kind that became very common in the 1970s.
I watch a ton of 1960s tv and I can't remember seeing a push button phone in any show before that May 1968 aired episode.
Anyone ever see a push button phone used prior to that on tv?

I am not talking about like a business man's phone where his secratary buzzes him and says "Bob is on line one" and he pushes one of the buttons on his big multi line phone.

I mean a real touch tone phone. I read where the first consumer touch tone service was started on Nov 18, 1963.
But it took until the early 1980s to become predominant in the USA.

I am also not talking about a fake "modern" prop phone that might have been used in some sci-fi show.

It would be pretty cool if TOS had the first tv appearence of a real push button phone.

 

[scotpens]

I don't know when the first touch-tone phone appeared on TV, but here in Southern California we started getting touch-tone service around 1970.

. . . I am not talking about like a business man's phone where his secratary buzzes him and says "Bob is on line one" and he pushes one of the buttons on his big multi line phone.

 

[Grant]

That's not a touch tone phone!
It's rotary with buttons for switcging lines.

From the early 70s till the mid 80s the square 10 and later 12 button phones were ubiquitous.

The 10 button one was the one seen in the episode.
Then in 1968 they added the # and * buttons on each side of the zero.

 

[Melakon]

Anyone ever see a push button phone used prior to that on tv?

Is this the question? I really don't remember if I saw one on TV before that episode, but I watched a lot of tv shows back then that people don't even remember anymore. It's possible I saw a Touchtone phone before then, one of my sisters worked for the phone company, and I probably saw one at the Bell exhibit at the World's Fair in '64.

 

[Grant]

I dont mean in a news program or report on new tech.

I simply mean in a show prior to Assignment Earth.

I'm sure in news reports they may have done a story on all the gizmos introduced at the Worlds Fair, etc.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Was it a Western Electric Model 1500 phone, the early touch-tone jobbie with only ten keys?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_500_telephone#Model_1500

http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x26hd/assignmentearthhd0324.jpg


Roberta's desk had the serious business phone:

http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/2x26hd/assignmentearthhd0477.jpg

 

[Melakon]

Was it a Western Electric Model 1500 phone, the early touch-tone jobbie with only ten keys?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_500_telephone#Model_1500

I know I saw those, I was uninstalling them for the phone company in 1970, they were still hard-wired into the wall back then, no user-friendly phone jacks. The Princess phone model also had a Touchtone version.

 

[Grant]

Was it a Western Electric Model 1500 phone, the early touch-tone jobbie with only ten keys?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_500_telephone#Model_1500

Yes, I was referring to the 10 key one in the inner office. It was green. It's hard to see in that screenshot of Seven's desk.

I guess we'll never know what show first showed one in general use, but May 1968 must be a contender.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Yes, I was referring to the 10 key one in the outer office. It was green.

I guess we'll never know what show first showed one in general use, but May 1968 must be a contender.

I don't have a screen cap, but I'd be willing to bet the ten-key phone showed up on Bewitched before Star Trek, either atop the Stephens' color TV set, or in the office at McMann & Tate. Likely both.

 

[Grant]

Yes, I was referring to the 10 key one in the outer office. It was green.

I guess we'll never know what show first showed one in general use, but May 1968 must be a contender.

I don't have a screen cap, but I'd be willing to bet the ten-key phone showed up on Bewitched before Star Trek, either atop the Stephens' color TV set, or in the office at McMann & Tate. Likely both.

Wow, that is so weird, I actually thought Bewitched might be a contender!
Why do you think that?
Also the one at the office would have been the big business style one most likely. I'm referring to regualr home versions.

Just googled Bewitched and found a color photo of Sam talking on a green rotary phone from no earlier than the 1966-1967 season. I think TOS may win vs. Bewitched.

 

[scotpens]

That's not a touch tone phone!
It's rotary with buttons for switching lines.

I know that. I was responding to your "businessman's big multi line phone" comment with a picture of same from The Executive Coloring Book (1961). For some unfathomable reason, I thought it would be funny.

 

[draderman]

MY FIRST VIDEO-PHONE WAS A ROTARY.

 

[Melakon]

Wow, that is so weird, I actually thought Bewitched might be a contender!
Why do you think that?

Anyone wriggling their nose near you?

big business style

Those with the rows of lighted buttons were part of a PBX system, standing for Private Branch Exchange, often found in business offices, churches, schools, etc.

 

[Grant]

That's not a touch tone phone!
It's rotary with buttons for switching lines.

I know that. I was responding to your "businessman's big multi line phone" comment with a picture of same from The Executive Coloring Book (1961). For some unfathomable reason, I thought it would be funny.

It kind of was funny!

Wow, that is so weird, I actually thought Bewitched might be a contender!
Why do you think that?

Anyone wriggling their nose near you?

big business style

Those with the rows of lighted buttons were part of a PBX system, standing for Private Branch Exchange, often found in business offices, churches, schools, etc.

Right, I've seen those big "bosses" telephones with a lot of buttons and light going way back to the 50s or earlier.
But a few years ago when I saw the TOS episode I realized they were using on tv a type of phone that would be common in homes several years later and then I reslized that I don't think I'd ever seen one in a tv show that old.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Wow, that is so weird, I actually thought Bewitched might be a contender!
Why do you think that?

The Bewitched house was generally portrayed as realistically upscale, and something for housewives to aspire to. The kitchen in particular got several upgrades over the years. I just think the set decorator would give Samantha the latest phone.

And I think Darrin tended to have the small, personal-type phone on his desk, like Gary Seven, plus a separate, boxey intercom, while a business phone might be in the outer office. But I'm not certain.

 

[Grant]

Well, as I discovered from a photo as of the 66-67 season = to TOS season one, she was still using a rotary. So maybe I'll check out the Bewitched season 67-68 to see if see got an upgrade.
On a similar but not TOS related point.....

The first emergency 911 service went service in 1968,
I wonder what movie or tv show first used the expression "call 911"..?

 

[Melakon]

I wonder what movie or tv show first used the expression "call 911"..?

Perhaps start your research with one of the doctor shows on at the time, or one of several shows produced by Jack Webb.

 

[Grant]

Us old times must think alike. I was thinking of Dragnet or one of the Emergency type shows.

 

[Doug Otte]

Yes, I was referring to the 10 key one in the outer office. It was green.

I guess we'll never know what show first showed one in general use, but May 1968 must be a contender.

I don't have a screen cap, but I'd be willing to bet the ten-key phone showed up on Bewitched before Star Trek, either atop the Stephens' color TV set, or in the office at McMann & Tate. Likely both.

It's funny, but Bewitched came to mind for me, too. I have a vague memory of Samantha using a Princess phone on the wall at home, but it was probably a rotary model.

 

[UssGlenn]

There was no wall version of the Princess, I think you mean the Trimline.