"The Dummy" is a 1982 student film by Louis La Volpe. It was picked up by HBO, USA Network, and Showtime in the early days of cable TV, receiving extensive play for almost ten years, more than any other short film. It was often used as a bumper for horror movies and suspense anthologies like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." The film was the source of nightmares for a generation of kids watching late night television in the 1980s and inspired the "Child's Play" films.