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IMDbPro

The Terror of Tiny Town

  • 19381938
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 2m
IMDb RATING
3.9/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Billy Curtis, Yvonne Moray, and 'Little Billy' Rhodes in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
  • Family
  • Western
An evil gunslinging midget comes to terrorize the good little people of Tiny Town. The townspeople organize to defeat him, and zany antics ensue.An evil gunslinging midget comes to terrorize the good little people of Tiny Town. The townspeople organize to defeat him, and zany antics ensue.An evil gunslinging midget comes to terrorize the good little people of Tiny Town. The townspeople organize to defeat him, and zany antics ensue.
IMDb RATING
3.9/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Sam Newfield
  • Writers
    • Fred Myton(original screenplay)
    • Clarence Marks(added dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Billy Curtis
    • Yvonne Moray
    • 'Little Billy' Rhodes
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sam Newfield
  • Writers
    • Fred Myton(original screenplay)
    • Clarence Marks(added dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Billy Curtis
    • Yvonne Moray
    • 'Little Billy' Rhodes
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 51User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos15

    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    Billy Curtis in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    Billy Curtis, Billy Platt, and 'Little Billy' Rhodes in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    Billy Curtis and Yvonne Moray in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    Jerry Maren, 'Little Billy' Rhodes, and Jed Buell's Midgets in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    August Clarence Swenson in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)
    John T. Bambury, Charles Becker, Billy Curtis, Fern Formica, Joseph Herbst, Karl 'Karchy' Kosiczky, Nita Krebs, Jerry Maren, George Ministeri, Yvonne Moray, William H. O'Docharty, Billy Platt, August Clarence Swenson, Jed Buell's Midgets, Marie Winters, Franz Balluck, Josefine Balluck, Christine Buresh, and Lida Buresh in The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Billy Curtis
    Billy Curtis
    • The Hero (Buck Lawson)as The Hero (Buck Lawson)
    Yvonne Moray
    • The Girl (Nancy Preston)as The Girl (Nancy Preston)
    'Little Billy' Rhodes
    • The Villain (Bat Haines)as The Villain (Bat Haines)
    • (as Little Billy)
    Billy Platt
    • The Rich Uncle (Jim 'Tex' Preston)as The Rich Uncle (Jim 'Tex' Preston)
    • (as Bill Platt)
    John T. Bambury
    • The Ranch Owner (Pop Lawson)as The Ranch Owner (Pop Lawson)
    • (as John Bambury)
    Joseph Herbst
    • The Sheriffas The Sheriff
    Charles Becker
    • The Cook (Otto)as The Cook (Otto)
    Nita Krebs
    • The Vampire (Nita, the dance hall girl)as The Vampire (Nita, the dance hall girl)
    George Ministeri
    • The Blacksmith (Armstrong)as The Blacksmith (Armstrong)
    Karl 'Karchy' Kosiczky
    Karl 'Karchy' Kosiczky
    • The Barber (Sammy)as The Barber (Sammy)
    • (as Karl Casitzky)
    Fern Formica
    • Diamond Dollyas Diamond Dolly
    • (as Johnnie Fern)
    William H. O'Docharty
    • The Old Soakas The Old Soak
    • (as W.H. O'Docharty)
    Jed Buell's Midgets
    • Castas Cast
    Franz Balluck
    • Villageras Villager
    • (uncredited)
    Josefine Balluck
    • Villageras Villager
    • (uncredited)
    Christine Buresh
    • Villageras Villager
    • (uncredited)
    Lida Buresh
    • Villageras Villager
    • (uncredited)
    Stephen Chase
    Stephen Chase
    • Master of Ceremoniesas Master of Ceremonies
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Sam Newfield
    • Writers
      • Fred Myton(original screenplay)
      • Clarence Marks(added dialogue)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jed Buell was inspired to make the film when he overheard an employee of his production company, Spectrum Pictures, bemoaning the state of the film business. He said "if this economy doesn't turn around, we'll have to start making pictures with midgets."
    • Goofs
      When Haines arrives at Preston's ranch, he ties his horse securely to the hitching rail. When he leaves a minute later, he mounts his untied horse.
    • Quotes

      Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, we're going to present for your approval a novelty picture with an all-midget cast, the first of its kind to ever be produced. I'm told that it has everything, that is, everything that a western should have.

    • Connections
      Edited into Speak of the Devil (1993)
    • Soundtracks
      Mister Jack and Missus Jill
      Written by Lew Porter

    User reviews51

    Review
    Top review
    Sold Short
    I watched this in preparation for Herzog's dwarf film. He requires some time in the wilderness.

    In the early 30's there were some precode films that copied already established genres but with toddlers playing the roles. I commented on two: "War Babies" and "Runt Pages." Recently, I saw "Baby Geniuses," which borrowed heavily in spirit — but without the sex jokes.

    This is also modeled in a way on those, but is schizophrenic.

    It was the same year that "Wizard of Oz," used little people in a serious way to introduce the distorted magic of Oz. (This was before we could rely on Dr Suess.) Nearly all of these actors were in that scene, with its grueling shoot. The actual story is played almost perfectly straight. A standard script is used: cowboy romance, "Romeo and Juliette" family feud and romance, cattle rustling, corrupt sheriff, barroom moll... the whole works. These actors and the director take the movie seriously.

    On the other hand, a different director managed the musical numbers. There are a half dozen, and the novelty of little people is played to the hilt, using some actual children I think where cuteness is required. The shift in stance is radical. You can see that distributor realized that they had a problem, so here is what they did:

    At the beginning, an announcer comes on "stage" to announce that we would see a "novelty picture" with "midgets." A one of a kind, first ever, he effuses. But he is interrupted by the actor playing the hero, who assures him that the movie is not a novelty but a real film. Then he and the film's villain engage in a bit of scripted verbal slapping that someone thought was a successful synthesis of worlds.

    Here's what interests me: mainstream movies have only a few seconds to work with the viewer to establish where what the world is they are entering and where they stand in it. It is critical to the success of a film that this is right. It is why genres are so strong film; there is no relief from the moving forward of the narrative. Big films today can do that by showing a synopsis of the whole movie in the long trailers we have. And title sequences have become extremely effective: an art in itself.

    By here in 1938, they took those few precious minutes for this strange dialog.

    Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
    helpful•6
    1
    • tedg
    • Feb 14, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Cücelerin Korkunç Şehri
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Clarita, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Jed Buell Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $100,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 2 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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