Speaking?

Most old movies and TV shows have totally unrealistic phone behavior. Businesses don’t pick up the phone with the name of the business, they just say “Hello” or “Yeah?” The caller always does the ID. “Is this Acme Construction?”

When shows try for realism, they use a method that may have been real in some areas.

“Acme Construction Company, Parsons speaking.”

And when the caller wanted to be sure she was talking to the right party, she’d ask

“Is this Mr Bartlett?”
“Speaking.”

This seems closer to reality, but I’ve never heard it or used it in real life. When I worked in jobs that involved answering the phone, I was required to say “Hello, this is Trail Motel.” or “Good afternoon, Acme Construction.”

When you asked if this is Mr Bartlett, Bartlett simply said “Yes”, same as we do now.

Was the Speaking thing common in NYC, or was it another movie trick? Hard to tell.