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Pathescope PicturesStory Without End (1950)

Postwar expansion of telephone service made possible by development of microwave radio transmission and the transistor.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Pathescope Pictures
Sponsor: American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (AT&T), Bell System
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Communication: Telephone; Infrastructure: Information

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Ron Raygun - - December 3, 2008
Subject: Excellent Film
I remember watching this film back in grade school in 1959. Bell Labs was on the forefront of technology after WWII. The original TDX microwave system, the first No.5 Crossbar switching system in Media, PA, the transistor (discovered by accident at Bell Labs), CAMA mechanical toll billing system, Low band (35/43 MHz.) Highway Service Mobile Telephones, are some of the topics covered with the striving concept of a high grade of service, and high standards in manufacturing equipment by Western Electric made the Bell System the best telephone network in the world.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - June 24, 2005
Subject: You can say that agtain
Complete with echoey narration, "Story Without End' goes about saying what advances we have going with telephone cable. From the cut down of call-wait time to connect to long distance, to the type of wire we are using, the film covers everything. While the scenes of a phone company's inner workings were interesting, I found the whole thing running way too long for it's own good.

Reviewer: leecherzs - - June 1, 2004
Subject: excellent telephone history
This begins with a nice introduction: frontiers of science documenting the latest developments in
medicine and science in the space age.
First is a group of everyday people at a bell labs telephone exhibit. One man is smoking his pipe.
the use of repeaters (amplifiers) to improve voice quality is shown. Next we see a demo of the smaller transistor version.
the benefits of the transistor are mentioned along with the anticipation of future uses.
A prophesizing alexander graham bell mentions his ideas of the future phone system.
The historical developments in telecommunications are discussed from his time until the present (at time of film).
Dialing, Cross bar switch, Operator assited toll dailaing, direct toll dialing, Expansion of network into rural areas. New cabling and installation equipment, video service, mobile phone, microwave towers, etc.
A boast is made that the engineers came up with problem solutions before the questions were even asked.
the film ending implies that the advancements will continue as this is a story without end.
Note: some footage duplication from speeding speech film.
A few minor sound glitches in film.
I recommend watching this film.

Shotlist

Studies possible trends of telephone service, including the improvement and expansion of service in rural areas and the development and application of microwave radio relay systems. Discusses the role of transistors.
Ken Smith notes: This film gives you a good feel for the vast, monolithic scope of the Bell System (or "the long arm of friendly telephone service," as the narrator of this film describes it) in the days when Ma Bell was still the world's greatest monopoly. A cheerful sales representative shows an appropriately dazzled group of average Americans a number of then-current Bell Telephone marvels -- repeaters, transistors, automated crossbar switching systems, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable -- and reminds them that "this is a business that has always dealt in the future!" "We've come a long way because we wanted to," the narrator adds.

05:10:38:15 - 05:11:07:18
Driving POV - we're looking up at only the tips of telephone poles and wires until there's a dissolve to clouds in the sky. We hear the sound of phone conversations.


Telephony Telephones Electronic communication Microwave radio Communications Construction Electronics Telephones (history) Telephone operators Television (transmission)