Long Distance

One of AT&T's many advertising films promoting long-distance service and the national telephone network. "Long Distance" is a paean to the operator, mythologizing the "alert young woman" heard in the customer's receiver. Equating the development of long-distance service with American territorial expansion, this polished film includes animated maps illustrating the growth of the telephone network and footage showing how calls are routed.

Sponsored by the American Telephone & Telegraph Company.

Five years later, direct-dial long-distance service would begin to displace live operators.

Distributed in both 35mm and 16mm.