Sunday, 10 March 2013

A favourite Scene in The Prisoner

 
 Waitress "We'll be open in a minute."
The prisoner  "What's the name of this place?"
"You're new here aren't you?"
"Where?"
"Do you want breakfast?"
"Where is this?"
"The Village."
"Yes."
"I'll see if coffee's ready."
"Where's the Police Station?"
"There isn't one."
"Can I use your telephone?"
"We haven't got one."
"Where can I make a call?"
"Well there's a phone box round the corner..."
"Thank you."
  
   I suppose the waitress recognised that the man as being new in the Village by the clothes he wore. Bit unusual that the Cafe doesn't have a telephone though!

Be seeing you

5 comments:

  1. Sure they didn't want people to make phone call to the outside world. So, there was no need for telephones. Whoever wanted to call the administration or a taxi would be directed to the phone booth. - BCNU!

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  2. Hello arno,

    Well yes that's perfectly true. But I was thinking more along the lines that everywhere else seems to have a telephone, why not the Cafe?
    And after all, it wouldn't matter from where the Prisoner tried to make his telephone call, he would still have to go through a telephone operator, and the result would still be the same........would't it?

    Kind regards
    David
    BCNU

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  3. That's true, no doubt. However, not having a telephone at all - as opposed to what we are experiencing each and every day - arguably adds to the self-contained environment No. 6 finds himself in. After all, the 1960s were a time where you wouldn't find telephones too easily. Sometimes not even in public premises. If I remember correctly we'd have our first telephone extension not bevor 1970, 71. - BCNU!

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  4. Hello David and nr6de,
    Because the Village appeared to be so futuristic,I would have expected there to be a 'networked' phone in the cafe in addition to the public information phones.
    I also agree that in the late 1960 s phones were not common in all houses.
    Anna
    Greetings from south east Asia by the way!

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  5. Hello Anna and Arno,

    Yes that is true. Where I was born, in the wild and lonely place of the Lincolnshire fens, telephones were few and far between, even telephone boxes. But when I was a boy, if my parents wanted to use the telephone, they could use the phone in the "big house" where we lived for several years.

    And Anna, just to say that I have you on the world blogging map listed amongst my statistics. Good to know you had a safe journey. And if you didn't receive my letter before you left, it will be waiting for your return.

    Very kind regards
    David
    BCNU

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