  We present a one-parameter family of large $N$ disordered models, with and
without supersymmetry, in three spacetime dimensions. They interpolate from the
critical large $N$ vector model dual to a classical higher spin theory, towards
a theory with a classical string dual. We analyze the spectrum and OPE data of
the theories. While the supersymmetric model is always well-behaved the
non-supersymmetric model is unitary only over a small parameter range. We offer
some speculations on the origin of strings from the higher spins.
