Paul A. Partain

Paul Alan Partain (November 22, 1946 – January 28, 2005) billed professionally as Paul A. Partain was an American actor, perhaps best known for his role in the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) as the handicapped wheel-chair bound Franklin Hardesty.

Partain was born in Austin, Texas. He served in the United States armed forces during the Vietnam War, and on his return to the U.S., started working at an electronics manufacturing plant during the day, and at a dinner theater at night. In the fall of 1972, Partain found out he had been laid off from the plant, and while at the theater where he worked, was asked to audition for the part of Willy in the 1974 Sidney Lumet film Lovin' Molly, by the theater director there. Through the help of this director, Partain got the role and his acting career was begun.

The director got Partain his next movie role as well, by pointing Kim Henkel, the screenwriter and producer of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, toward Partain. Partain originally read for the part of the hitchhiker, but the film's director, Tobe Hooper, was not impressed. Hooper had Partain read for Franklin and cast him in that part instead.

After appearing in two more films in the 1970s (Race with the Devil (1975) as Cal Mather and Rolling Thunder (1977) as the brother-in-law), Partain had stopped acting by 1978. Partain started appearing in movies again in the 1990s, starting with a cameo in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994), the third sequel to the 1974 original. One of his other roles in the 1990s was that of the Militia of Texas Minister in the 1997 movie Burying Lana.

For about 10 years, Partain worked as a Regional Sales Manager for Zenith Electronics Corporation. He was married to Jean E. Partian

Partain died from cancer on January 28, 2005 in Austin, Texas.