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Bonus Edition Introduction by George Kupczak of the AT&T Archives and History Center

This 1959 documentary covers the alert systems that had been the product of joint Bell System/U.S. military communications systems development since WWII.

The film begins with an overview of civilian communication issues before moving on to a discussion about how communications will be employed in the event of a war with an unnamed adversary. In comparing the communications system in place (the DEW Line, BMEWS, the White Alice system, NWS, and more) to a nerve network, NORAD becomes the brain where all the parts connect.

The film strongly reassures the viewer that technology could provide peace of mind in the event of a disaster. The antiballistic missile Nike Zeus system is mentioned as a reliable ICBM interceptor. This film was made at the height of joint operations between the Bell System and the military, but changes in global politics and business would sever that association in the 1970s and 1980s.

Hosted by Raymond Massey
Produced by Audio Productions, Inc.

Footage courtesy of AT&T Archives and History Center, Warren, NJ