The Town That Dreaded Sundown
A Texas Ranger hunts for a hooded serial killer terrorizing the residents of a small town, set in 1946 Arkansas. Losely based on a true story.
- Director: Charles B. Pierce
- Genre:Crime / Drama / Horror / Mystery / Thriller
- Runtime:86 minutes
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
Sunday, March 3, 1946. In the small town of Texarkana, Arkansas, Sammy and Linda Mae are out parking in a car. The car hood pops open and a man wearing a hood over his face takes something from the engine. Sammy realizes that someone is out there and fruitlessly tries starting the car as the hooded man breaks the drivers side car window with a pipe and pulls Sammy out. Linda Mae screams, and the man goes for her as well.
Linda Mae is found lying severely wounded on the side of the road the following morning and both she and Sammy are taken to a nearby hospital. A doctor tells Deputy Ramsey and Sheriff Barker that Linda Mae was “bitten” and “literally chewed” on different parts of her body by the assailant. Police Chief Sullivan asks about the Lovers Lane Case and he tells the other officers to warn people about parking on lonely roads. Ramsey states his belief that the mysterious person will strike again.
On March 24, Howard and his girlfriend, Emma Lou, go out driving in the rain. After hearing gunshots, Ramsey, patrolling in his car, finds Howard’s parked car, but no one around. Ramsey hears more gunshots and in the woods he finds Howard and Emma Lou, both dead, having been shot several times. The hooded killer gets in the parked car and drives away.
Since the killer, now known as “The Phantom” seems to have no motive and the townspeople begin to dread sundown. A few days later, Ramsey goes to the nearby train station to meet Captain Morales, a famous criminal investigator and Texas Ranger who arrives in Texarkana to find the killer. Morales has the officers set up a curfew for the entire town. Many people are on the case, including a few associates of the FBI whom also arrive in town to assist. But a number of criminals and crazy people come forward admitting to the murders, while a horde of other citizens are demanding protection.
Ramsey tells Morales that on April 14, 21 more days after the second attack, the killer may strike again. Morales sets up decoys (cops posing as couples in unmarked parked cars). That every night at the local Junior and High Schools Prom, many people are leaving under the watchful eyes of the police officers nearby. Peggy gets her trombone and leaves with her boyfriend Roy. Roy suggests parking at their favorite spot, despite Peggy’s wariness over the recent murders. After making out, the two of them nod off and wake up in their car at 2:40 in the morning. As Roy starts the car and begins to drive away, the Phantom jumps on their car, grabs Roy and causes both of them to fall out. The Phantom whacks Roy on the head with a pistol and chases Peggy down, and ties her to a tree. A dazed Roy gets up and tries to run away, but the killer shoots him dead. The killer gets Peggys trombone, attacked a knife to the end and “plays” the instrument, stabbing Peggy in the back a few times, killing her. Read more
