Western Electric Telephone

4"x6" oil on masonite panel ••• I should not have procured this old telephone and The Spousal Unit knows it and that is not good. • Anyway, moving on from my domestic ruptures... I really like this old telephone and I am so happy I procured it. It is that really cool and ugly handset with its freaky spit cup that sold me on it. This is the telephone you see people like Humphrey Bogart speaking into (while he stares at Lauren Becall's knees in "The Big Sleep"). • Factoid: When they were making "The Big Sleep" they came to a part of the story (actually, many parts) that confused them, so they called up Raymond Chandler and asked him what he meant when he wrote that particular passage. He told them he didn't know and if they ever figured it out to call him and let him know. • Oh yeah, I am full of useless information like that.

Posted April 28, 2016

sold • private collection los angeles, ca