From the OP it appears that in other countries they use actual phone numbers in movies, since it asked if all numbers in US started with “555”. Now I’m wondering how other countries handle this in movies.
Slightly off-topic, but I know that in the UK, the DVLA have a set of number plates (tags) which they reserve for use in dramas, crime reenactements, etc.
…additional thought…IIRC, in Sliding Doors, there was a phone number, and it was a couple of digits short of a valid UK number…not difficult, when a London number is now 11 digits long.
In the film, Magnolia
Enterainment Weekly reported in their January 21st issue that the 877-TAME-HER (826-3437) number shown on screen was, in fact, in service. A spokesman from New Line told EW that the phone number “had to be purchased.”
After dialing, Entertainment Weekly heard “a recording of Cruise (as Frank T.J. Mackey, of course) leading a crowd in an expletive-filled misogynistic rant.” When EntertainmentWerks called the number on January 14, the recording had been replaced with a tamer “sales pitch” from the fictional Mackey. The replacement recording is amusing nonetheless, and is sure to amuse trivia fans.
GorillaMan, I’ve seen a fair number of movie shoots around town here in Toronto, including three at different times outside my apartment building. (One of these included a fully-armed SWAT team and a police helicopter in the plaza across the street… a hell of a startlement on the way to work, but that’s another story.)
Movie-shoot cars here are usually fitted with generic license plates that have numbers and letters on them, but no state or province identifier. I think I’ve seen one with a ‘fake’ state name and slogan, but I may be making that up.
It’s a goverment conspiracy. I used to work for them. I’ll tell you everything.
Just call me at 555-555-5555…
