The Town That Dreaded Sundown

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

1976 1h 26m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 229

HorrorMysteryThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When two young lovers are savagely beaten and tortured on a back country road in Texarkana, local police are baffled and must find "the Phantom Killer" before he can kill again.

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

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Cast

Ben Johnson
JD Morales
Andrew Prine
Norman Ramsey
Dawn Wells
Helen Reed
Jimmy Clem
Mal Griffin
Jim Citty
RJ Sullivan
Charles B. Pierce
AC Benson
Robert Aquino
Otis Barker
Cindy Butler
Peggy Loomis

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles B. Pierce
Writers: Earl E. Smith
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

86 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles B. Pierce, shot by James W. Roberson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jaime Mendoza-Nava. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tom Boutross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ben Johnson and Andrew Prine and Dawn Wells carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles B. Pierce directs. James W. Roberson behind the camera. Jaime Mendoza-Nava scores. Tom Boutross cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

186 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $0.4M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
350 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Part of the "The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Charles B. Pierce, shot by James W. Roberson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Jaime Mendoza-Nava. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Tom Boutross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Ben Johnson and Andrew Prine and Dawn Wells carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "In 1946 this man killed five people... Today he still lurks the streets of Texarkana, Arkansas.".
10IMDB entry: tt0075342 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: James W. Roberson
Original score: Jaime Mendoza-Nava
Editing: Tom Boutross
Makeup / hair: Cheri Minns
Sound: Richard Portman
Stunt coordinator: Bud Davis
Runtime: 86 min · 1h 26m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $400,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

Part of

The Town That Dreaded Sundown Collection

The 1976 original film and the 2014 metasequel.

Also by

Charles B. Pierce

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2021-03-18
★ 6/10
A killer is on the loose in Texarkana in 1946 The Texarkana Moonlight Murders and the ensuing investigation that took place from late February to early May, 1946, are chronicled with the names changed and details altered for dramatic purposes. Ben Johnson plays a renowned Texas Ranger on the case and Andrew Prine a formidable deputy sheriff. Dawn Wells shows up in the last act. “The Town that Dreaded Sundown” (1976) is a crime docudrama that could be designated as an early slasher even though it’s based on a true story. The sack the killer wears on his head was the inspiration for the mask Jason dons in “Friday 13th: Part 2” (1981). Along with “The Legend of Boggy Creek” (1972) and “Grayeagle” (1977), this was one of B-film director Charles B. Pierce’s more notable flicks and he appears in the movie as bumbling Patrolman Benson. Speaking of which, there some curious attempts at comedy that are incongruous with the grave proceedings, which is reminiscent of the incompatible blundering cops in the original “The Last House on the Left” (1972). I liked the 1946 setting with the old cars plus the fact that this basically happened in real life and inspires you to research the true story, just don’t expect anything close to the greatness of “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967). Have mercy, the budget was $400,000. The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Texarkana on the Texas/Arkansas border, plus The Jack Williams Ranch in Garland City, Arkansas, with the train sequence done in Scott, Arkansas. GRADE: B-/C+

Production companies