TV Land has been running old episodes of the show "Benson". In one
> episode, they received a telegram announcing an award winner.
> I was surprised they'd still use mention of a telegram that late; by
> then telegrams were virtually obsolete. For the scene's dramatic
> effect, it was necessary to have the message in a sealed envelope and
> be something special as opposed to the regular mail.
> As an aside, in an I Love Lucy episode, Lucy received a telegram from
> a fancy women's group she sought to join. That was interesting since
> it was a local group and I'd think a plain letter or phone call would
> do. I wouldn't think telegrams would be used for local in-city
> messages after the war, but maybe they were.)
The start of all the headaches for the main character in "North by Northwest", 1959 depended on a telegram scene. He wanted to get in touch with his mother who had just moved and didn't yet have her phone installed.