The Manhattan Alphabetical Phone Directory

This silent, black & white film was made as an in-house film for the New York Telephone Company and shows the process of updating the Manhattan telephone directory daily and then incorporating them into the massive yearly book.

It describes how a Linotype works, shows proofreading, lockup, printing, binding, paper cutting, stereotyping, and gluing. There are also some pretty goofy title cards and a crazy final scene with a guy smoking in a mirror for no apparent reason.

Ca. 1940s