MovieChat Forums > Key Largo (1948) Discussion > Radio call signs at the end

Radio call signs at the end


What were the radio call signs that Bogie used and does anyone know what they stood for? I think it was AMN (Abel-Mike-Nan) or ANM, something like that. And for himself, did he use some of the letters in Santana?

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[deleted]

He uses he phonetic alphabet when signaling. What they represent is probably not standard. The Santana(I think the name of bogart's own boat) probably is know by the call letters he uses and the local coast guard probably uses a three letter code.

Just guessing.

However they are also more likely to be fake like the 555 telephone exchange that is used in movies. the 555 prefix is used internally by att or what ever it is now. If you call a 555 number you get a busy signal.

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The standard phonetic alphabet, until 1956 when the NATO system was adopted, used the following words as letters:
Able Baker Charlie Dog Easy Fox George How Item Jig King Love Mike Nan Oboe Peter Queen Roger Sugar Tare Uncle Victor William X-ray Yoke Zebra

The NATO alphabet:
Alfa Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliett Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whisky Xray Yankee Zulu

(Juliett has two "T"s so the French would not mistakenly think the "T" was silent.)

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I watched this movie and posted over a year ago. Now I don't remember why I was curious about it. But thanks for the info :)

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[deleted]

Alfred, Benjamin, Charlie, David, Frank, George, Harry, Isaac, Jacob, King, Larry, Mary, Nancy, Oliver, Peter, Queen, Robert, Sam, Tommy, Uncle, Victor, William, Xray, Yellow, Zebra, overseas terms. It's funny it's something you never forget.

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