The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Director:

Charles B. Pierce

Writer:

Earl E. Smith

Release Date:

24 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In 1946 this man killed five people... Today he still lurks the streets of Texarkana, Ark.

Plot:

A Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of a small town, set in 1946 Arkansas. Loosely based on a true story.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Arkansas | Police | Sadism | 1940s

US TV Schedule:

Sat. June 9

2:00 AM

TCM

Cast

Ben Johnson	...	Captain J.D. Morales
Andrew Prine	...	Deputy Norman Ramsey
Dawn Wells	...	Helen Reed
Jimmy Clem	...	Sgt. Mal Griffin
Jim Citty	...	Police Chief R.J. Sullivan
Charles B. Pierce	...	Patrolman A.C. Benson
Robert Aquino	...	Sheriff Otis Barker
Cindy Butler	...	Peggy Loomis
Christine Ellsworth	...	Linda Mae Jenkins
Earl E. Smith	...	Dr. Kress (as Earl E. Smith)
Steve Lyons	...	Roy Allen
Joe Catalanotto	...	Eddie LeDoux (as Joe Catalanatto)
Roy Lee Brown	...	Rainbow Johnson
Mike Hackworth	...	Sammy Fuller
Misty West	...	Emma Lou Cook
Rick Hildreth	...	Buddy Turner
Jason Darnell	...	Capt. Gus Wells
Mike Downs	...	Newspaper Reporter
Bill Dietz	...	Newspaper Reporter
Carolyn Moreland	...	Newspaper Reporter
Michael Brown	...	Police Officer
Woody Woodman	...	F.B.I. Agent
James Duff McAdams	...	Sheriff's Deputy (as James D. McAdams)
John Stroud	...	Dr. Preston Hickson
Mason Andres	...	Rev. Harden
Richard Green	...	High School Principal
Dorothy Darlene Orr	...	Dispatcher
Don Adkins	...	Suspect
Bud Davis	...	The Phantom Killer
Vern Stierman	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Lehane	...	Texas Ranger (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles B. Pierce

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Earl E. Smith

Produced by
Samuel Z. Arkoff	....	executive producer
Thomas W. Moore	....	associate producer (as Tom Moore)
Charles B. Pierce	....	producer

Original Music by
Jaime Mendoza-Nava		(as Jaime Mendosa-Nava)

Cinematography by
James W. Roberson		(as Jim Roberson)

Film Editing by
Tom Boutross

Art Direction by
Grant Sinclair
Myrl Teeter

Makeup Department
Cheri Minns	....	makeup artist (as Cheri Johnston)

Production Management
Bob Gates	....	production manager

Art Department
Denise Broulette	....	assistant props
Libby Smith	....	property master

Sound Department
Dick Damon	....	production sound mixer
Dan Finnity	....	sound effects
Dimitry Gortinsky	....	sound effects
Phil Haberman	....	sound effects
Andrew Herbert	....	sound effects
Fred Judkins	....	sound effects
Fred Payne	....	boom operator
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Steve Shearsby	....	sound effects

Special Effects by
Joe Catalanotto	....	special effects (as Joe Catalanatto)

Stunts
Bud Davis	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Butler	....	grip
Joe Catalanotto	....	gaffer (as Joe Catalanatto)
Jim Davis	....	grip
Kevin Davis	....	grip
Steve Fleet	....	grip
Steve Lyons	....	first assistant camera
Moss May	....	grip
Cheyenne Rivera	....	camera boat operator
Michael Sherfey	....	second assistant camera
John Stroud Jr.	....	grip
Dan Williams	....	grip
Tim Williams	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Chris Ellsworth	....	assistant wardrobe
Karen Jones	....	wardrobe
Bonnie Langriff	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Betty Moortgat	....	negative cutter

Other crew
Lynn Andres	....	production assistant
Cindy Langford	....	slate girl
Barbara Pryor	....	script supervisor
Ginger Tanton	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Filmways Pictures

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1977) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Goldwyn Studios  sound re-recording
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Norway:15 | Norway:18 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Garland City, Arkansas, USA

Company:

Filmways Pictures

Trivia:

This movie is a semi-documentary based on the real-life string of mysterious killings that terrorized the people of Texarkana, Texas, in 1946. The murder spree became known as the "Texarkana Moonlight Murders" and ultimately would claim five lives and injure many others. The only description of the killer ever obtained was of a hooded man. To this day no one has been convicted and these murders remain unsolved.

Goofs:

Continuity: Several times in the movie when we see a close-up of the cops driving in their car, you can see rows of houses behind them out the back window of their car, but in the immediate next wide angle shot they're out in the wooded countryside, with no houses anywhere in sight

Quotes:

Rainbow Johnson:That's him! That's him! Mister, you owe me a dollar for driving you today! And ten dollers for taking ya to Lefkin!
Eddie LeDoux:[to the cops] What's the matter with that donkey? He crazy? Get him outta here!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nightmares in Red, White and Blue: The Evolution of the American Horror Film (2009)

A very scary, suspenseful film

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is one of my favorite movies of all time. I collect anything I can find on the movie. I own lobby cards, pictures, posters. The movie has comedy, but is also really tense. The movie stars the great actors Ben Johnson and Andrew Prine as determined lawmen trying to stop the phantom. The director and producer of the movie Charles B. Pierce also stars and is very funny as Sparkplug, as he is sometimes called. As I mentioned the movie has comedy such as Sparkplug and others going undercover dressed as women hoping to catch the killer, but believe me the comedy is a welcome relief from the very frightening scenes with the phantom killer, who is one of the scariest killers I've ever seen in a movie. Based on a true story and with Dawn Wells of Gilligans island fame as one of the phantoms victims, you cant go wrong. I highly recommend this great film.