Paper Man (TV 1971)

A prank that starts with a group of college students creating a fictitious person so they can get a credit card develops into a plot that leaves three of them dead.

Director:

Walter Grauman

Writers:

James D. Buchanan (screenplay), Ronald Austin (screenplay),

Stars:

Dean Stockwell, Stefanie Powers, James Stacy

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dean Stockwell	...	Avery Jensen
Stefanie Powers	...	Karen McMillan
James Stacy	...	Jerry
Tina Chen	...	Lisa
Elliott Street	...	Joel Fisher
James Olson	...	Art Fletcher
Jason Wingreen	...	Doctor
Dan Barton	...	Electronics Expert
Robert Patten	...	Father
Suzanne Taylor	...	Mother (as Sue Taylor)
Johnny Scott Lee	...	Avery as a Boy
Len Wayland	...	Executive
Dean Harens	...	Bureaucrat
Bob Golden	...	Deputy
Marcy Lafferty	...	Secretary

Storyline

Four college students take advantage of a credit card mistakenly issued to someone who doesn't exist, then use their university's computer to erase the charges they run up. But the computer seems to have some ideas of its own ...

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Plot Keywords:

computer | college | public domain | murder | falling through a window | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1971 (USA)

Also Known As:

L'homme de papier

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min 89 min (video release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Released briefly in theaters in 1971. This is why the 20th Century Fox fanfare plays before the film begins on the video releases. The theatrical release runs an extra fifteen minutes than the television release version.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Karen McMillan: What do you think about that - another Henry Norman? If at first you don't succede, ha ha ha.
Avery Jensen: Yeah, very funny. Let's go home.

User Reviews

Computer Games

When a super computer apparently turns on a group of naughty tech students who've created a bogus identity to essentially commit credit card fraud, the student who wrote the programme (Stockwell) becomes prime suspect in the series of bizarre accidents that follow. Stefanie Powers, James Stacy, Elliot Street and Tina Chen initially profit handsomely from Stockwell's handy-work, but the sheriff (Ross Elliot) suspects that Stockwell may not be as introverted and shy as his reputation suggests. As the "accidents" escalate, a twisted nerve is revealed that might identify the culprit.

While it's dated, the concept of the super computer becoming an all powerful entity of destruction is a theme that's as prolific as they come forty years later. Stockwell (sporting an epic bouffant) is suitably suspicious (and not unlike his character in "Compulsion"), while Powers is an attractive and sympathetic psychology graduate, ex-Marine Stacy the stereotypical jock, Chen providing the ubiquitous ethnicity and Street a likable, computer geek, perhaps creating the "nerd" mould. James Olson has a key supporting role as the computer technician.

I saw the 90 minute version, and the suspense builds nicely to a climax that while not entirely telegraphed, isn't going to shock most armchair sleuths. Nevertheless, the acting is watchable, the dialogue realistic and the narrative consistent. Dated but entertaining mid-week movie.