NOTES ON STRUNG OUT
“Strung Out” was created from a Bell Telephone System instructional film titled “Adventures in Telezonia” from 1949. Just short of 20 minutes duration, the movie provided hints on good telephone habits, and was shown to elementary school kids in the 50s.
The original story in “Adventures in Telezonia” concerned Bobby, who has lost his dog, and the well-meaning puppets who steer him to a happy solution through the phone system, using directory assistance, party lines, and polite phone etiquette. The film is available here.
The directors/puppeteers were a husband/wife duo named Bil and Cora Baird. In addition to instructional films, the couple produced the “Lonely Goatherd” scene in the film version of “The Sound of Music”. The couple ran a marionette theatre in Greenwich Village in the 1970s.
The story for “Adventures in Telezonia” was written by Ruth Snow Burns, an achievement grand enough to get her listed in the IMDb movie database.
The song during the credits, “Real Bad Time” is by CJ Ramone, who played in Ramones from 1989 to 1996.
