Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Wheeldex

[Click for a larger view.]

Executive Suite (dir. Robert Wise, 1954) is a must-see film for would-be residents of the dowdy world. The film is a wonderland of mid-century technology: calendars, card files, clipboards, desk blotters, desk sets, dictation machines, file cabinets, in-boxes, intercoms, notepads, rocker blotters, switchboards, telegraph machinery, telephones, time clocks, typwriters, and one Wheeldex, which was, it’s clear, more than ready for its close-up.

The Wheeldex preceded the better-known Rolodex. Back at the office, this Wheeldex was the envy of its co-workers.

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October 2, 2014: This post is suddenly useful. Hello, comics fans!

A related cameo
Card-file steals scene in TV debut

comments: 2

Jennifer Langdon said...

I'm writing a novel set in 1951 Hollywood, a noir thriller, and this is exactly what I needed to know for a key scene: my protagonist, rifling the desk of her psychoanalyist, searches for an address in his Rolodex -- no, wait! Were there Rolodexes in 1951? No, but there WERE Wheeldexes. THANK YOU!

Michael Leddy said...

You’re welcome, and thanks in return for taking the time to let me know. This is the message-in-bottle element of the open Internet that I love.