Sportswriter George Plimpton poses as a rookie quarterback for the Detroit Lions for a "Sports Illustrated" article.
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Title: Paper Lion (1968)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Alan Alda | ... | George Plimpton | |
| Lauren Hutton | ... | Kate | |
 |
Joe Schmidt | ... | Joe Schmidt |
| Alex Karras | ... | Alex Karras | |
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John Gordy | ... | John Gordy |
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Mike Lucci | ... | Mike Lucci |
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Pat Studstill | ... | Pat Studstill |
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Bill McPeak | ... | Bill McPeak |
|
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Jim Martin | ... | Jim Martin |
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Jim David | ... | Jim David |
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Charles Knox | ... | Charles Knox |
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John North | ... | John North |
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Carl Brettschneider | ... | Carl Brettschneider |
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Roger Brown | ... | Roger Brown |
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Lem Barney | ... | Lem Barney |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
George Plimpton wants to write a story for Sports Illustrated on what it is like to be a quarterback for an NFL team. No one is willing to allow a klutzy amateur to go on the field for fear he'll kill himself. After several teams turn him down, Plimpton got the Detroit Lions to let him go to training camp. He tries to keep his true identity a secret from the real players. This is based on a true incident and many of the players play themselves in the movie. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
Taglines:
The Paper Lion is About to Get CreamedCertificate:
ApprovedParents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
14 October 1968 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
León de papel See more »Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
[Shows George the door]
Vincent Lombardi: Have you tried the AFL?
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
At the time of the book and movie, Alex Karras was a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions. However, after his playing career ended, Karras became a commentator for Monday Night Football before embarking on an acting career appearing in movies like Blazing Saddles as well as starring in his own hit TV show, Webster. See more »Goofs
After George enters the game and the team is penalized for Delay of Game, the referee is shown winding the clock. The clock is not started after a Delay penalty. See more »Quotes
Vincent Lombardi: You know, George, we carry four quarterbacks now. And to ask us to carry five, I think would be a real headache. I just don't think it will work.[Shows George the door]
Vincent Lombardi: Have you tried the AFL?
See more »
Crazy Credits
Disclaimer from the opening credits: "This film is an amiable fiction based on the book 'Paper Lion' by George Plimpton and is not intended to be a literal depiction of its author." See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Bestselling writer George Plimpton(Alan Alda)takes on an assignment for Sports Illustrated. He is to go incognito to the Detroit Lions training camp and try out for a position as third string Quarterback. He is quickly found out by the team members featuring Alex Karras and Mike Lucci. The entire team finds it amusing to cause stumbling blocks in the writer's determination to Quarterback for a series in a real game.
This movie is Alda's debut and also helped Karras leave the gridiron for acting. Besides the 1968 Detroit Lions, the cast also includes "Sugar Ray" Robinson, Roy Schieder and Lauren Hutton.
Alex March directs this story based on Plimton's book.