8mm Forum: Call 555

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Topic: Call 555

Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted June 14, 2010 09:20 AM

It's interesting to see, and hear, in American films and TV programmes, the mention of code 555 in telephone numbers.
What happens if you actually dial the numbers which are quoted?
Does the code 555 automatically trigger some negative response?

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Maurice

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 14, 2010 09:25 AM

"we are sorry your call cannot be completed as dialled, please check the number ....."

It seems that no any telcom providers in North America use the 555 prefix.

cheers,

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Winbert

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted June 14, 2010 10:44 AM

In the movie "The Last Action Hero" the boy who is accidentally shoved through the screen into the world inside an action movie tries to convince Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character that he and his entire world are fictional.

He says "Haven't you noticed that all of your telephone numbers have '555' in them, how can there be enough phone numbers like that?"

Ahhhnold answers:

"That's why we have area codes!"

There is a Honeymooners episode where Alice says what a phone number is, and originally the phone number turned out to be a real one. After the episode was broadcast the owner of that phone number had a couple of days of unwanted calls and complained. If you see that episode today the phone number is a pretty obvious re-dub.

Incidents like this lead to the "555" phone number convention in TV, radio and motion pictures.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler