# Oscar \[Academy Award\] trivia question: 1st cell and mobile phone usage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663 "2015-11-16T01:27:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/1 "2015-11-16T01:27:04Z")
What was the first ‘Best Picture’ winner to feature a cell phone. What was the first (assuming there were any at all) ‘Best Picture’ winner to feature a mobile phone [you know, the old timey ones that went thru a mobile operator]. Possibly there weren’t any in this case. Google-fu failed me. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/2 "2015-11-16T01:53:03Z")
**Rain Man** (1988) features Tom Cruise talking on a car phone, if that counts. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/3 "2015-11-16T01:54:08Z")
I think American Beauty in 1999 is a good guess for the first question. I see a few folks claiming that Lethal Weapon and Wall Street (both 1987) were some of the first films that had a “mobile phone” in it, and don’t see many good candidates between that year and 1999 in the Best Picture winner lists (lots of period pieces and what-not). ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/4 "2015-11-16T02:00:15Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > **Rain Man** (1988) features Tom Cruise talking on a car phone, if that counts. Yeah, I didn’t specifically mean a portable cell phone, althought that would be another interesting trivia point. I think one of the aforementioned ‘Lethal Weapon’ movies featured a bag phone (although it was somewhat short of ‘Best Picture’ 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![Sandra\_Battye](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sandra_battye/32/552_2.png) [@Sandra\_Battye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandra_Battye)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/5 "2015-11-16T02:02:14Z")
It wasn’t a best picture winner or even a nominee but **Sabrina** featured Humphrey Bogart on a mobile phone in 1954. I don’t remember any other films of the era with a car phone but there must have been some. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/6 "2015-11-16T02:10:55Z")
As the question is for a “Best Picture” I searched but was not very good in finding if in Vietnam (circa 1970) the military field phones were considered to be early cell phone tech, they were mobile though. So I wonder if _ **Platoon** _ (1986) is the one. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/7 "2015-11-16T02:55:00Z")
I watched **American Beauty** fairly recently and don’t recall any cell phone usage, though that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any. Parts of **Titanic** (1997) took place in present day, so that’s another possibility. Interesting point about **Platoon** , though I’m fairly confident that was just a two-way radio they were using. (One of the definitions of “phone”, I’m assuming, is the ability to contact multiple parties from the same device.) If none of the above count, then we’re probably looking at **Million Dollar Baby** (2004) or **The Departed** (2006). I’m 90% certain the latter does feature a cell phone at some point; not sure about the former. **The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King** (2003) features a palantir. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/8 "2015-11-16T03:03:54Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > I watched **American Beauty** fairly recently and don’t recall any cell phone usage, though that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any. I based that on a “goofs” page that mentions a cell phone. I didn’t actually recall the scene in question. Cite is here: [American Beauty (1999) mistakes](http://www.moviemistakes.com/film48) > [@](#): > > Parts of **Titanic** (1997) took place in present day, so that’s another possibility. I considered that too. Any chance someone on the boat had a cell phone? Seems a more likely to be a satphone or radio. > [@](#): > > **The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King** (2003) features a palantir. 🙂 That’s more of a party line, right? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/9 "2015-11-16T03:53:11Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > I based that on a “goofs” page that mentions a cell phone. I didn’t actually recall the scene in question. Cite is here: [American Beauty (1999) mistakes](http://www.moviemistakes.com/film48) [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-yap9PXIE) contains the falling-out-of-briefcase scene (@0:58) but I’m not convinced it’s an actual phone, looks more like a PDA. Cell phone usage in **The Departed** confirmed here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xds1NklC-Gs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xds1NklC-Gs) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/10 "2015-11-16T03:59:55Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > **Rain Man** (1988) features Tom Cruise talking on a car phone, if that counts. Related, the main character (played by Jack Lemmon) had a car phone in 1973’s _Save the Tiger_. Lemmon won an Oscar for best actor and the film was nominated for best original screenplay, though not for best film. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/11 "2015-11-16T04:40:33Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Interesting point about **Platoon** , though I’m fairly confident that was just a two-way radio they were using. (One of the definitions of “phone”, I’m assuming, is the ability to contact multiple parties from the same device.) You made me look more, and indeed they called them phones: > **[Have you ever made a "crank" call?](https://www.jackdurish.com/4/post/2012/05/have-you-ever-made-a-crank-call.html)** > > MY MOM WAS a telephone operator in the days before direct dial long distance calling. In those days, you dialed “0” (not “o”) for Operator and told her the city and telephone number you... > [@](#): > > The Army had direct dial long distance calling long before it was available in the civilian world. They called it AUTOVON. It was a worldwide network and had an added feature that never appeared in the civilian counterpart. If the caller’s message was especially urgent, such as notice of an imminent attack, they could press the “Flash” button on their phone and the call would be routed immediately, bypassing all other callers, even terminating their calls if necessary to make the connection. > > AUTOVON connected to major headquarters in Vietnam, but all other phone lines connected to field phones much like those used in World War II and Korea. Even those of us who had desktop telephone instruments like the ones found in homes and offices in the United States had to request help from the operator to make a call anytime, anywhere. We had dials but not telephone numbers. Most often, the instruments at the other end were field phones, with a crank handle attached to a magneto to generate an electrical pulse to signal the operator that they needed help with a call. Sure they used radio, but that is also what cell phones use, and the OP was talking about mobile phones that needed an operator too. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/12 "2015-11-16T14:40:25Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef-yap9PXIE) contains the falling-out-of-briefcase scene (@0:58) but I’m not convinced it’s an actual phone, looks more like a PDA. > > Cell phone usage in **The Departed** confirmed here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xds1NklC-Gs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xds1NklC-Gs) People were constantly texting each other in The Departed. It was a major part of the plot. Texting was just becoming a popular method of communication at the time. They way that they text on dumb phones instantly dates the movie. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/13 "2015-11-16T15:18:07Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Related, the main character (played by Jack Lemmon) had a car phone in 1973’s _Save the Tiger_. Lemmon won an Oscar for best actor and the film was nominated for best original screenplay, though not for best film. Car phones have been around for a long time. I don’t know if there are earlier BP winners that had one, but you could see them in other movies and television from the 50s and 60s. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/14 "2015-11-16T16:27:17Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Car phones have been around for a long time. I don’t know if there are earlier BP winners that had one, but you could see them in other movies and television from the 50s and 60s. I know, it was just the earliest example I could offhand name of an Oscar-winning performance (to clarify, Jack Lemmon won Best Actor, but the film itself was not even nominated for Best Picture) that involved a mobile phone. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/15 "2015-11-18T15:26:14Z")
Note that “car phone” is being loosely used here. To most people, a car phone was a cell phone installed in a car. (Remember the little spiral antenna on rear windows?) In the early days of cell phones, they were big, used a lot of juice, etc. So a car was a suitable place to have one nearby without lugging a big heavy bag around and worrying about charging. There were several radiotelephone systems available prior to cell phones. Even bigger, heavier, etc. Plus a good sized whip antenna. So again, a car/truck was a suitable installation site. But the word “mobile” was usually part of the system name, rather than the keyword “cellular” which was a huge jump in technology. Those started rolling out in 1983. (But people get loose with terms. E.g., in the UK where “mobile” is the shorthand for a cell phone.) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oscar-academy-award-trivia-question-1st-cell-and-mobile-phone-usage/737663/16 "2015-11-18T15:29:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I know, it was just the earliest example I could offhand name of an Oscar-winning performance (to clarify, Jack Lemmon won Best Actor, but the film itself was not even nominated for Best Picture) that involved a mobile phone. It would have to be a contemporary movie also, many of the BP winners were not, so there may not be one.