We Learn About The Telephone I

Creator: Fairbanks (Jerry) Productions

Format: 16mm

Sound: sound

Description: Tells the history of communications, from smoke signals to telephones.; Part live-action and animation.; CU color Western Electric 500 handset ringing, little girl answers it. Her older brother corrects her and shows how to answer the phone.; A young man sketches a generic human (“Mr. Man”) who takes us back through history to show us how humans developed a need to communicate and the devices to do so.; Caveman animation.; Little girl tries to listen to telephone wire to hear voice.; Her brother: “You can’t hear voices in the wire.” “How does the telephone work, Uncle Bill?”; Lots of the usual instructional stuff about telephone etiquette and proper use of the equipment.; CU boy dialing 555-2368 (standard dummy phone number in the old Bell days); Kids taken on tour of police station by Captain Adams, he shows them how the telephone is important to police work.; CU poster explaining to children “How We Get Help” by dialing 0 for Operator.; Explanation of how to dial 0.; Desk sergeant takes call for missing child; African American policeman walks through background of frame.; CU street signs at corner of Elm St. and 6th St.; VS inside telephone building – views of switchmen, relays switching, frame guys; Series of vignetted inserts showing people talking on the phone, connected by switches and relays between them (a multicultural group including Asian and Latina people); VS operators at switchboards (one is an African American woman) (good); LS jet plane contrail in sky; Animation of communication satellites rotating aroung earth, rocket animation, animation of Mr. Man as astronaut (all good)