Terror Tuesday: The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976)
Back in the 1970's, made for television movies were a big hit and many were horror themed, but when this made it's television debut, I knew that I wouldn't be watching it. In fact, based on the commercial itself, I think I spent a few months watching TV on the floor.
Eight months after World War II, the citizens of Texarkana, Texas, are settling into new routines and on March 3, 1946, the town was rocked with the attack of Sammy Fuller (Mike Hackworth) and Linda Mae Jenkins (Christine Ellsworth) while they were off the beaten path making out.
Both survived and twenty one days later on March 24, Buddy Turner (Rick Hildreth) and Emma Lou Cook (Misty West) weren't so lucky.
On that rainy night, Deputy Norman Ramsey (Andrew Prine) was out patrolling Lover's Lane when he saw an abandoned car and then heard shots coming from the woods.
As he approached, he came upon the couples bodies and was able to chase the suspect (Bud Davis) back to his car, but missed apprehending him.
When word had gotten out, the next day the town started to panic and there were no guns left to buy. The double homicide also made national headlines and Captain J.D. Morales (Ben Johnson) from Austin was assigned to the case.
Ramsey has a theory that since there was a twenty one day lapse between the first attack and the double murder, the killer might strike again on April 14.
With Morales in charge, he's issued a press blackout and a curfew and on the night of April 13, he sends out decoys to keep watch in certain remote sections, since the Junior and Senior Prom is being held at the high school and runs until 1:30 a.m.
Following the dance, Roy Allen (Steve Lyons) and Peggy Loomis (Cindy Butler) get ready to leave and after telling him that she doesn't have to be home for at least another hour, he suggests that they go parking.
She doesn't want to, but changes her mind after he tells her that they'll be in the middle of the city and will be safe. They become the next victims.
Frustrated, Morales and some town officials meet for a dinner meeting at a restaurant with psychiatrist Dr. Kress (Earl E. Smith) and he tells them that the killer is playing a game and won't be caught since he knows what he's doing.
People come out of the woodwork claiming to be the killer and try to turn themselves in, and while being interviewed by Morales, Rainbow Johnson (Roy Lee Brown) tells him that he had picked up a man (Joe Catalanatto) who claimed to be the killer. Johnson tells him that he took his wallet and threatened him.
A call comes in and following a police chase, the man is taken into custody, but nothing happens after twenty one days. Although a few days later, on May 3, Helen Reed (Dawn Wells) is leaving the grocery store and has an unsetteling feeling.
Later that night as her husband Floyd is reading the newspaper and she's sitting in front of the mirror, she asks him if he heard the noise outside. He tells her that he didn't hear anything and a moment later, he's shot through the window.
Helen is shot but manages to get out of the house and crawl through a cornfield for help.
With nothing happening over the time period of May 25 to 27, Ramsey comes up with a new theory, but Morales tells him that he could have been arrested on another charge.
Ramsey receives a call from the dispatcher about a stolen car and he and Morales go to where its found. He tells Morales that the car matches the description of the one he saw on March 24 and the two start searching through the woods.
They manage to see the killer, but he flees and when the bloodhounds lose the scent, the next scene is thirty years later, when people are standing in line to see The Town That Dreaded Sundown and the camera pans to someone's feet as they wait to buy their ticket.
It had been a long time since I had watched this movie and without knowing it, the calender for 1946 is exactly the same as 2024.
Throughout the years, the image of the phantom killer looking into the window always haunted me and I get creeped out wondering if someone has looked into my windows at night.
What sets the movie apart from other horror movies is that it's told documentary style and while I was never really a fan of this movie, I'm looking at it in a new way. I was never really a fan of the movie, but after this viewing I have much more respect for it.
It's the inspiration of Jason Voorhees' look in Friday the 13th Part 2 and is referenced in Scream (1996) as the people of Woodsboro take refuge in their homes following a curfew.
But you have to remember one thing (if you're not familiar with the story) this is a true story, although names and situations have been changed and the real killer was never caught, which makes this an even scarier movie.
