Chatter Telephone Explained

Chatter Telephone
Type:	Toy telephone
Country:	United States
Company:	Fisher-Price
To:	present
Materials:	Wood, plastic
Slogan:	"Look who's talking now!"

The Chatter Telephone is a pull toy for toddlers 12 to 36 months of age.^[1] Introduced in 1961 by the Fisher-Price company as the "Talk Back Phone" for infants and children, which was updated to the name Chatter Telephone in 1962, is a roll along pull toy. It has a smiling face, and when the toy is pulled, it makes a chattering sound and the eyes move up and down. The toy has a rotary dial that rings a bell, and was conceived as a way to teach children how to dial a phone.^[2]

The original version was made of wood, with a polyethylene receiver and cord.^[3] In 2000, Fisher-Price changed the rotary dial for a push-button version with lights in an effort to modernize the toy, but consumers complained and the rotary version returned to the market the following year.^[4] The Chatter Telephone was designed by Ernest Thornell,^[5] whose daughter Tina would drag around a metal phone while playing. This gave him the idea of adding wheels, which with a bent axle permitted the movement of eyes, adding to the "whimsical" nature, that Herman Fisher desired of all Fisher-Price toys (from phone conversation with Ernie Thornell and recollections of Herm Fisher by John Smith).

From its introduction through the 1970s, the Chatter Telephone was Fisher-Price's best selling product.^[6] It has been cited as one of the company's offerings that helped save Fisher Price in the 1990s following a failed attempt to market toys for older children in the late 1980s,^[7] and enjoys continuing popularity.^[8] It is available both as an authentic reproduction^[9] and in a modern form.^[10]

In popular culture

• In 1985, Fisher-Price offered to donate a Chatter Telephone, Rock A Stack, and Activity Center to NASA for Senator Jake Garn to play with while on the STS-51-D space shuttle mission. This offer was rejected as NASA felt there was insufficient time to test the toys for safety.^[11]
• In the 1999 movie, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Elmo owns a Chatter Telephone.
• The 2002 Venetian Snares album 2370894 features a melted Chatter Telephone on its cover art.
• In 2003, the Chatter Telephone was listed as one of the 100 most memorable toys of the 20th century by the Toy Industry Association.^[12]
• In 2005, the Chatter Telephone was chosen as one of Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys.^[13]
• A Chatter Telephone toy appears in the 2010 animated film Toy Story 3 as a supporting character, who has been at Sunnyside Daycare for many years, and helps Woody save his friends from Lotso, notably warning him about a cymbal-banging monkey who watches the daycare’s security cameras and alerts Lotso to toys attempting to escape. He is voiced by Teddy Newton and speaks with a film noir style, and a Brooklyn accent.
• The Chatter Telephone influenced an art car created by Howard Davis for his telecommunications company.^[14]
• A Chatter Telephone appears on the cover of American rock band Thee Oh Sees' 2011 album Castlemania.
• A Chatter Telephone appears in the 2017 animated film The Boss Baby. He also appears in the sequel .^[15]
• A Chatter Telephone prominently appears in the 2022 horror film Skinamarink.

External links

• The official site of Fisher-Price for Chatter Telephone

Notes and References

1. News: Brilliant Basics™ Chatter Telephone®. Fisher-Price. 8 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130603020849/http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/babytoys/products/5663#. 2013-06-03. dead.
2. Web site: Coopee. Todd. Chatter Phone from Fisher-Price (1962). ToyTales.ca. 11 April 2016 .
3. News: Louis Wiesel: Your Christmas Wond [sic] Fisher Price Toys]. 1963-12-05. The Tuscaloosa News. 7 March 2010.
4. News: Where Did You Go, Raggedy Ann?; Toys in the Age of Electronics. Barnes. Julian. 2001-02-10. . 7 March 2010.
5. Shared in a phone conversation on 8-31-16 between Eric Smith and Mr. Thornell; he went on to share that the inspiration for the toy came from his daughter.
6. News: Flash is fine but kids still go for classic toys . Moss . Meredith . 1980-12-09 . The Miami News . The Cox News Service . 7 March 2010.
7. News: Kids Save the Day for Fisher Price . Germain . David . AP . Gainesville Sun . 1992-12-25 . 2010-03-07.
8. News: Retro Toys. 2008-12-28. WCTV Tallahassee Thomasville Valdosta. 7 March 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110721022554/http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/36800434.html. 21 July 2011. dead. dmy-all.
9. Web site: Fisher Price Chatter Telephone . www.backtobasicstoys.com . 7 March 2010 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091128113245/http://www.backtobasicstoys.com/item/productid/5761/txt/Fisher_Price_Chatter_Telephone_Toy . 28 November 2009 .
10. Web site: Chatter Phone-Fisher Price Toys. 7 March 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110609231524/http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=product&pid=5663. 9 June 2011. dead. dmy-all.
11. News: Space senator's toys must be borrowed. 1985-02-24. The Spokesman Review. 7 March 2010.
12. News: Toy Industry Association Announces Its "Century of Toys List". 2003-01-21 . All Business. Business Wire. 7 March 2010.
13. Web site: Dr. Toy's Best Classic Toys, 2005. 7 March 2010.
14. Web site: The Phone Car . 10 June 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110429005623/http://www.thephonecar.com/ . 29 April 2011 .
15. Web site: Sergey . 2021-07-02 . Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone In The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) . 2023-05-16 . en-US.