A half century ago today, the infamous "red phone" linking the White House to the Kremlin went live. Of course, the secure Washington-Kremlin hotline involved no phone at all, let alone a red one. Its first iteration used teletype technology. In the 1980s, the direct line would make the jump to fascimile.But the thought of a screaming-red, no-wait phone--one reserved for the highest of high-level, sensitive communications--was powerful enough that it almost immediately ingrained itself in the popular consciousness. Red phones have gone on to see numerous pop culture depictions, perhaps most natably in the original Batman television show. Commisioner Gordon's "Batphone". The term has become a sort of catch-all for any private phone line prioritized above the noise of public lines.Don't get it wrong, though. Bat signals are still way chiller.Reach Brian at brian@motherboard.tv. @thebanderson