MovieChat Forums > The Anderson Tapes (1971) Discussion > Randomatic?

Randomatic?

posted 15 years ago by jimgcollins
9 replies | jump to latest

Just finished watching this on TCM. I liked the movie well enough.

But half way through the movie, they are taking statements in the police office. The lady says they referred to one guy as "Socks". A policeman looks in a book and then tells another policeman something. He punches a couple of buttons on the good ol' "RANDOMATIC" and out comes a booking photo of that character.

What the heck is that supposed to be? Was that real or just something they dreamed up. My guess is dreamed because they were still using punch cards back then. Anybody else want to hazard a guess?

Jimbo

[–] psdhart 15 years ago

As someone said in another thread it look like a punch card sorter device.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066767/board/nest/40347158?p=1

[–] mavrick45 14 years ago

"the good ol' "RANDOMATIC""

haha, classic. I laughed when I saw that.

[–] Verdoux-1 14 years ago

That scene didn't make any sense. At that point they had already caught them all, so they didn't need to find out who Socks was.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] FrankoFerko 14 years ago

No.

[–] joe420 14 years ago

I really liked the RANDOMATIC. For some reason it was comforting just knowing it was there. I hope there is a 21st century equivalent.

[–] bon22 11 years ago

The Randomatic, state of the art: spat out a punch card of Socks & his picture. It was like watching a fax machine from the 1940s.

[–] HoboPelican 11 years ago

Randomatic Data Systems out of Trenton NJ. Made card sorters back in the day. What, no one remembers going to the data center in college with boxes of cards? :-)

[–] vpilutis 7 years ago

Never mind boxes how about trays & trays of punch cards?
Depending on what system one was on at IRVING TRUST CO. (1969 to 1976 for me) one could spend a whole shift feeding punch cards into a card reader.

Stocks like TWA & OTIS ELEVATOR filled maybe a 100 trays or more.

on location with SUPERMAN I,& OTHER STARS
http://www.vbphoto.biz/