Daily Dialogue — February 16, 2018

David (V.O.): Hello, this is David Basner.
Andrew Woolridge: Hi, Basner. Andrew Woolridge. I want you to meet me tomorrow…
David (V.O.): What? Listen, we must have a bad connection. Could you speak a little louder please?
Andrew Woolridge: (louder) Sure. Andrew Woolridge here. I’d like you to meet me tomorrow…
David (V.O.): Wait. Speak into the phone, I told you, I can’t hear you.
Andrew Woolridge: I am speaking into the damn phone. (yells) THIS IS ANDREW WOOLRIDGE…
David (V.O.): Okay, okay. Stop shouting. It’s not really me. You got my machine and all the shouting in the world isn’t going to bring the beep any sooner, so wait for the beep, relax, and uh… thanks for calling.

— Nothing In Common (1986), written by Rick Podell and Michael Preminger

This week’s Daily Dialogue theme: Voice Mail.

Trivia: Rumor has it that director Garry Marshall wouldn’t go ahead with the making of this film without the inclusion of Jackie Gleason. Gleason had grown tired of filmmaking, and wished to retire from the business. After several attempts to get him on board, Marshall finally called Gleason on the phone and insisted that if he didn’t do this film that the last film he would be remembered for was Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Gleason immediately accepted.

Dialogue On Dialogue: This prank Tom Hanks’ character plays brings back bad memories for those of us who remember the introduction of answering machines into the cultural lexicon.