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Though purportedly set in Argentina, Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Call Without a Number was rather obviously filmed in and around New York. Roy Scheider stars as the real-life Timerman, a Jewish Argentinian journalist who speaks out against the repressive government. In response, the authorities imprison and torture Timerman, then place him under house arrest for 18 months. Liv Ullman costars as Timerman's wife, who gives him the courage to persevere. Veteran scenarist Budd Schulberg was so taken aback by the changes made in his script that he had his name removed from the credits, in favor of the alias "Oliver P. Drexell Jr." The viewer will be likewise put out; advertised as a sociological masterpiece in the tradition of The Life of Emile Zola, Jacobo Timerman looks more like a cheapjack, cardboard product from the Dark Ages of live television.