MovieChat Forums > Gorky Park (1983) Discussion > Can someone explain

Can someone explain

posted 15 years ago by yoncenator
6 replies | jump to latest

Why did they always put a pencil in the rotary dial telephone when they wanted to speak candidly? I grew up around those but I still don't understand this. Is there something about rotary phones that makes eavesdropping possible while the phone is hung up? The receiver was still on the hook while they were doing this so what would it matter if the dial was turned a few numbers? Or was this so that no incoming calls would interrupt them? Does anyone know without guessing, what is going on here?

Did you tell LUKE..? Is THAT who you could tell??

[–] clark_gillies 15 years ago

I think its suppose to be a KGB/CIA/FBI built in joke that everyone was getting their phones tapped so people could listen in.

Suppose its just to add a little humor as at the time everyone was parinod about who was listening in to them

[–] Waski_the_Squirrel 15 years ago

By turning the wheel part way, there was a disconnection. If you listen to a rotary dial phone while you dial, you'll actually hear it. Phones were bugged with a "third wire tap" which turned the phone into a microphone. The bug was a device in the phone that was activated by a tone and prevented the phone from ringing.

The partial dial took the phone off line.

It was an interesting detail to include in Gorky Park. I don't recall it mentioned in the book or ever seeing it in another movie.

[–] electronod 14 years ago

Those lovely Russians and the Cheka could also place a microphone with an antenna and shoot microwaves into the room from a mile away and pick up any conversation near the microphone. But you forget one thing about the phone: once the handpiece is on the cradle all transmission and reception is stopped.

[–] Waski_the_Squirrel 14 years ago

I'll refer you to the full technical explanation here:

http://ohionanosummit.net/Office%20Telephones.html

Suffice to say that in certain older phones, the only way to fully disconnect the microphone in the handset was to actually turn the dial.

[–] yoncenator 13 years ago

Thank you Waski, that is definitive and precisely what I asked for.

Did you tell LUKE..? Is THAT who you could tell??

[–] ironjade 13 years ago

An infinity transmitter can turn any phone into a microphone even if the receiver is on the rest.

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