Telephone Operator (1937)

A telephone operator covering for a friend's "fling" finds herself in the middle of a major disaster when the city is hit by a big flood and her switchboard is the center of communications.

Director:

Scott Pembroke

Writers:

John W. Krafft (story) (as John Krafft), Scott Darling (screenplay) (as W. Scott Darling)

Stars:

Judith Allen, Grant Withers, Warren Hymer

Cast

Cast overview:
Judith Allen	...	Helen Molloy
Grant Withers	...	Red
Warren Hymer	...	Shorty
Alice White	...	Dottie Stengal
Ronnie Cosby	...	Ted Molloy (as Ronnie Cosbey)
Pat Flaherty	...	Tom Sommers
Greta Granstedt	...	Sylvia Sommers
William Haade	...	Heaver
Cornelius Keefe	...	Pat Campbell
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Mrs. Molloy

Storyline

Helen Malloy (Judith Allen), a telephone operator covering for an absent friend, Dottie Stengal (Alice White) finds herself in the middle of a major disaster when the city is hit by a big flood and her switchboard is the center of communications.

---

Plot Keywords:

telephone | telephone operator | flood | disaster | mother son relationship | 

---

Taglines:

A BOLT FROM HELL! (original print ad-all caps)

---

Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 December 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pelo Telefone

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The earliest documented telecast of this film took place in New York City Friday 5 May 1950 on the Night Owl Theatre on WPIX (Channel 11).

User Reviews

Surprisingly Well-Done

Lively, well-made programmer from lowly Monogram, with a great look at how telephoning used to work. Get a load of the old-time technology, back when calls had to go through switchboards with operators to plug you in to your party, maybe requiring row after row of nimble fingered women. It's quite a sight and contrast to today's magical cell-phones.

Seems Red and humorous sidekick Shorty are linemen who keep the phone lines operating across long distances. It's a heckuva job, climbing high poles in all kinds of weather. Plot-wise Red's got a crush on cutie operator Helen who's plenty distant at first. But of course things warm up when they battle to keep lines working during a monster rain and flood.

Happily, there's plenty of snappy dialog as the characters bounce off one another before settling down, while director Pembroke keeps things moving. Then too, the raging flood footage blends in skillfully with the dramatics to create a bigger budget effect. And catch the artful rising water in the phone office; that had to be studio sets, but you'd never know it. The humorous asides are also well modulated and smoothly inserted. It helps too, that the actors appear geared into their roles, especially Allen who centers the film.

All in all, for a programmer, it's extremely well-crafted, showing that budget need not determine quality when, thanks to a common effort, the elements come skillfully together.