Classic Horror: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)

“And when the sun went down….”

Based upon an actual killing spree that took place in Texarkana, TX between February and May of 1946, The Town That Dreaded Sundown was directed and co-produced by Charles B. Pierce. Pierce is perhaps best known for The Legend of Boggy Creek, a documentary-style film about a Bigfoot creature in Fouke, AR. Sundown is an easily digestible thriller that both suffers and thrives at the hands of its director who utilizes his entire small budget to serve up a few morbid scares and some off kilter humor.

Just FYI, there will be spoilers throughout this review. Stop now if you don’t want the film to be spoiled.

The movie takes place in the small town of Texarkana, AR. In it, a series of grisly attacks take place primarily on young couples who drive down secluded roads for a little alone time. The assailant wears what looks like a pillowcase on his head that is held in place at the neck by a string. His first attack leaves a young couple bloody and beaten but alive. The young woman, Linda, is found with vicious bite marks on her breasts, back, and stomach, but was not raped by her attacker. A second attack occurs that leaves a young couple dead. A deputy discovers the two victims. The young woman was tied face-first to a tree and then murdered. The young man was found shot to death in a ditch. The town becomes frantic, buying up all of the available guns and ammo and locking themselves up at night in fear of the Phantom Killer. Schedules are adjusted so that no one finds themselves out at night. Desperate for help, the local sheriff requests a famous Texas Ranger to be brought in to help solve the crimes and catch the murderer. Despite a massive manhunt involving bait cars, the Ranger and deputy discovering the pattern to the murders, and chasing solid leads, the Phantom is never captured and he attacks two more couples before apparently vanishing from the town. The movie ends with a shot of its own premiere in Texarkana, TX and the feet of the killer are seen in the line for the film.

As I mentioned above, Pierce was well known for squeezing every dime out of his film budgets. As he did with Boggy Creek, Pierce relied heavily on locals to portray most of the characters in the film. He did hire three professional actors for key roles in the movie. Ben Johnson, known for starring in films such as Shane (1953), The Last Picture Show (1971), and Angels In The Outfield (1994), starred as Captain J.D. Morales, the Texas Ranger brought in to help solve the murders. Andrew Prine portrayed Deputy Ramsey. He is known for his work in films such as The Miracle Worker (1962) and Chisum (1970) and a ton of starring and guest starring roles in television shows such as Hawaii Five-0 and The Fugitive. Dawn Wells, Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, portrayed Helen Reed, one of the killer’s victims, in a small but key role. Pierce cast himself as Patrolman “Sparkplug” Benson, who provides some much needed humor in the film but often at awkward times.

The film has an atmosphere of morbidity about it. Pierce knows how to make a scene creepy and how to make a viewer uncomfortable while watching. Sure, in any other film a killer attaching a knife to the end of a slide trombone might seem funny, but in Sundown, it’s twisted and brutal even though there is almost no gore seen. When the deputy walks up on the second pair of victims, you can feel the creepiness of the whole situation. It’s a talent that Pierce doesn’t get enough credit for in my opinion.

Of course, for everything that Pierce got right, he got plenty wrong as well. The humor injected into the film is often misplaced. I felt bad for laughing during certain sequences. The film’s audio is also a bit gritty. This adds to the atmosphere but it also makes it difficult to understand some of the dialogue. The special effects are okay and entirely practical, but could have been more convincing.

Pierce did take a few liberties with the murders in the film. He also moved the location of the attacks to Arkansas instead of Texas. Knowing that this film is based upon actual events makes it that much creepier, and I’m surprised that there wasn’t a quick chain of sequels cranked out after the film’s release. A second film was eventually released in 2014, but it didn’t make much of an impact in the world of horror. Also, you can’t deny how iconic the film’s movie poster is, especially since it was created by the amazing Ralph McQuarrie.

I definitely recommend checking out The Town That Dreaded Sundown. It’s an atmospheric thriller that shines thanks to the fact that it is based upon a true story. One could say that Charles B. Pierce put northeast Texas/southwest Arkansas/northwest Louisiana on the map with his films and I wouldn’t disagree with them.

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