I don't ever recall seeing a phone number other than the 555 numbers (e.g. 415-555-1245) in movies or TV shows in the U.S. until I saw "Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith today. Does anyone know the history or rules regarding phone numbers in the entertainment industry and why it is so rare and how this movie was able to list a non-555 number? Is it similar in other countries?
2007-11-07 14:48:44 · 6 answers · asked by ADubya 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Movies
It was done just to keep regular people from getting annoyed, but you do see some real numbers
2007-11-07 15:00:30 · answer #1 · answered by Experto Credo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The introduction of the 555 phone numbers in movie and television was an agreement worked out between the major telephone companies and the entertainment industry in the United States.
It was agreed that telephone companies would not assign any number beginning with the prefix 555, so that any combination of phone numbers could be used in movies and TV shows without the worry of thousands of people calling those numbers to see who they belong to, and to prevent the people who owned those numbers from suing the movie companies for disclosing what could be considered as private information without consent.
As for your question about the specific movie, I can only guess that the number they used in the film was part of an advertisement built into the movie... the same kind of concept when you see a character drinking Coca-Cola or using a famous product - it's advertising placed into the movie to generate revenue from the advertisers.
2007-11-07 14:58:12 · answer #2 · answered by Tim G 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
strict 555 rule tv movies
2016-02-03 04:30:23 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yea sex sells but it doesn't make it right..I agree..Everything is pretty much based on sex and it's quite disgusting. Some women have lost all respect and frankly, i'm sick of turning on the tv and seeing talkshows about "Who's my baby dad" and a woman getting her 5th paternity test. Feel bad for those kids and am a little afraid for the next generation. This fires me up but what's even worse, are movies like SAW, Hostel, etc..Movies that just show gore to the max..As long as my kid is around me, he is not going to experience that crap that people call entertainment..
2016-03-14 02:08:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is pretty solid in that only a few 555 numbers are released to real phone customers to keep this rule in place....
2007-11-11 14:48:07 · answer #5 · answered by LORD Z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
could have been the production company's telephone number
2007-11-07 14:56:38 · answer #6 · answered by tom4bucs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋