555-0123

Jon Starr

Jon Starr

Veteran
I know that the 555 numbers are always used for media, like TV or film. I suppose because there are no real numbers like that (or if anyone else can explain why I'd love to know). But every time I see a 555 number, it always pulls me out of the film. Does anyone else feel this way as well? It bugs the crap out of me to see "555-0123" on someone's phone or beeper.
 
I think someone used a real number once in a movie and the poor lady got zillions of calls. So, practically, the 555 prefix is the way to go.
 
There was some movie that I saw not too long ago and a person was taking a number and repeating it back to the person... and it was all 5's... and they paused on the last number as if they were organizing their thoughts before saying the last number... "5".

I laughed my ass off at that... because yeah, I HATE that in movies... but as they say... what are ya' gonna' do?

Somebody should do a flick with a cover of the song "Jeni 867-5309" in it... but have the guys singing 555-5555.

:)

I think I'm going to try and make that happen.
 
Yeah if you use someone's actual number in the movie I think you're setting yourself up for a huge lawsuit when that person gets a million phone calls.

Because, as mentally retarded as you''d have to be to do it, there ARE people who will watch a movie, hear a phone number in it and think to themselves, "Wow! I should call that number! I wonder if Dr. Moriarty will pick up, just like in the movie! Hurrr!"
 
MattinSTL said:
Somebody should do a flick with a cover of the song "Jeni 867-5309" in it... but have the guys singing 555-5555.
Click to expand...

I think I read somewhere that the person/people who had the 867-5309 number was getting a bunch of calls because of the song...and that helped start the 555 prefix trend.

I love when you hear someone pick up the phone as say "Yeah, gimme Klondike 67567."

Way back when, you used the numbers cprresponding to the first two letters of the word, and then four or five numbers after it...I believe phone numbers used to be six digits at one point.

I wonder what it was like when there were only a few phones in each town...the phone book must have been a single sheet.

John Brown 128 Main St ph# 4

B Jones 18 Willow Rd ph# 7
 
You could get a softline phone number through Vonage or Skype for a couple dollars a month and setup a voice mail for your character or something, an interactive feature for a movie.
 
The "555" prefix convention was around long before the Tommy TuTone song.

My wife's grandfather's office phone # in Meriden, IA was . . . 24.

More than that, I dated someone in Seattle who had moved there from Wyoming. Her (non-vanity) Wyoming license plate number at the time she moved was 3.
 
here is an excellent trick:

Just use 6 or 8 numbers, if they actor says it naturally enough most people wont notice.
 
SurrealSolutions said:
You could get a softline phone number through Vonage or Skype for a couple dollars a month and setup a voice mail for your character or something, an interactive feature for a movie.
Click to expand...

Well, you'd better plan to keep that phone number forever. If you ever ditch it, and somebody else gets it, then you're right back to the same potential problem.

As for the Tommy Tutone song, there was a school here in the town where I live that had that number -- and yes, they got bombarded with calls. Silly people with nothing better to do, I guess.
 
It is absolutely a liability issue. If you do it, even as a joke, you could face a nightmare of litigation.

I can remember working for my Dad in his store and telling people the number was StApleton 7-0430
 
Back in season 2, I think, of 24, they used a crew member's production cell number on the show as a number that showed up on Jack's Caller ID. They did it to see what would happen and viewers started calling it. They set the phone aside for the sole purpose of taking those calls, and everytime the phone range, they would hand it to a random crew/cast member to answer. You could call and talk to Bobby the PA, or sometimes Keifer or Rodney Charters would answer. They stopped doing that after that season.

There have been plenty of films/shows that have set up recordings for numbers in the show. I cant even remember the last time I heard "555".
 
My house had a party line into the 90's. Yes, the 1990's... ;)

And my favorite comment on 555 numbers is from "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane," where Andrew Dice Clay is giving somebody his number, and she says "555's not a real number, they only use that in the movies," and he replies "No poo poo, honey, what do you think this is--real life?" :D
 
maybe you should call that self help line for your problems
i thinks its......555-5...55.5 !
tell em 5 sent yah!!
m.d.
 
Everytime I see or hear "555" in a movie or on TV I think, "FAKE!!!!"

Actually, the show "24" occasionally uses a real number. If you call it, it actually has something to do with the show.
 
Try calling 555-1212

And, related to being pulled out of the story: seeing the same license plate film after film after film. NY plate RFK-575, for instance.
 
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