MovieChat Forums > Columbo (1971) Discussion > Ransom for a Dead Man

Ransom for a Dead Man

posted 6 years ago by Cuthbert (732)
5 replies | jump to latest

In this 1971 episode Lee Grant has a high tech telephone that she makes pre-recorded messages for and then she sets a timer and the phone calls whomever she wants and plays the message at the preset time. It used little cards that set off the recording.

I'd never seen or heard of these phones before and I haven't found any in my searches.

What are they called?

[–] Martoto (5036) 6 years ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_dialer

[–] Cuthbert (732) 6 years ago

Yup, that’s it! Thanks!!

https://beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/telephones.html

If you scroll down you’ll see the phone with cards sticking up. They call it a card dialer telephone.

[–] Martoto (5036) 6 years ago

The same kind of device was used twice on Columbo. Another time was in Exercise in Fatality.

[–] Cuthbert (732) 6 years ago

So funny, I’m watching Columbo again and it’s Exercise in Fatality.

[–] Cuthbert (732) 6 years ago

Here's the card dialer phone on eBay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Western-Electric-telephone-Card-Dialer-model-660-antique-telephone-switchboard/112390894835?hash=item1a2b04f4f3:g:WKkAAOSww9xZB7tO