In 1969, Hasbro updated its popular Talking Telephones line with new features, new TV shows, and new cartoon brands.
Operating on a single D-cell battery, each phone came with two interchangeable records that contained audio recordings of individual characters. A new select dialing feature allowed kids to “call” different numbers for different selections.
On the Banana Splits phone, kids talked with Drooper, Fleegle, Snorky, and Bingo. Bozo the Clown options included talking to the clown himself or a variety of his circus friends. The Disneyland-themed Talking Telephone rolled out Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and other Disney favourites.
A bonus feature was included with the Bozo and Disneyland phones: they doubled as pay phone-style coin banks, allowing children to save money for a rainy day while talking up a storm.
