- Directed by: Charles B. Pierce
- Written by: Earl E. Smith
- Stars: Ben Johnson, Andrew Prine, Dawn Wells
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMR_qvk2m1w
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
This is based on a true crime story of random attacks in Texarkana in early 1946 that killed at least five and wounded at least eight, all thought to be done by the same man. And “The Phantom” case was never solved. It’s well put together, and everything seems accurate for 1946 cars, clothes, props, etc. We both thought it was pretty good.
Spoilery Synopsis
We hear that it’s 1946 in Texarkana; the war is over and the soldiers are all returning home. At the Red River Army Depot, everything is normal, as is the economic outlook. We’re told that a reign of terror was about to begin that people still talk about thirty years later…
A couple park the car to make out. We see someone approaching outside with a sack over their face. The man breaks the window and pulls the young man outside. The girl soon follows. Credits roll.
In the morning, the girl is crawling along the side of the road, terribly injured, when a man finds her and calls for help. The deputy reports that the couple both survived, but they’re pretty messed up and in comas. The girl wasn’t raped, but she had been chewed on repeatedly.
The police chief wants to warn all the college kids to stay away from lover’s lane in the future. No suspects are found, and most people get over it.
Three weeks later, deputy Ramsey wants more patrol cars out at lover’s lane, but there aren’t enough men available. He hears shots fired and then finds a car. It’s empty but then there are more shots in the woods. He finds a man’s body and then a woman tied to a tree. The woman has bite marks on her back.
Locksmiths and gun shops in town all get very busy as people fear the serial killer. The sheriff asks for more help, and they assign Captain Morales of the Texas Rangers to investigate.
Morales is in charge now, and he seems to know what he’s doing. Patrolman Benson, his driver, is a lot less capable. Fear strikes the small town as no clues are forthcoming.
It’s been three weeks since the previous attack, and the police expect another attempt tonight. Policemen in drag go out as decoys to park in the lover’s lanes. Nothing comes of it.
There’s a big dance in town, and some women sneak some booze into their punch. It’s the prom, and all the young people attend. The dance ends and everyone leaves in pairs. One couple decides to park and make out, but it’ll be OK since they’ll still be in town.
We watch as the killer stalks their car as they get ready to go home. As they drive off, the killer grabs the can door and hangs on. He pulls the driver right out of the moving car and beats him severely. The killer ties the girl to a tree, tapes his knife to her trombone, and then plays a bloody tune on her back with it.
With this third major attack, the national press gets involved, and it starts to become a big deal. The prison psychologist profiles the killer, and the outlook isn’t good.
There’s a crime and high-speed chase. They catch the guy, and he’s suspiciously driving a stolen car. He then confesses to the murders, but Morales is skeptical.
Three more weeks pass. We watch as Helen drives home from the grocery store alone. She hears someone outside the house, but her husband Floyd doesn’t. Then someone shoots Floyd through the window. The killer breaks in and shoots her as well. She crawls out of the house and makes it to a neighbor’s house. The killer turns around and goes back to the cornfield.
Three weeks pass, and nothing happens. The police presence intensifies. Morales says that if they catch the guy, it’s going to be a miracle.
They find the killer’s car deserted in the woods. Morales and Ramsey soon spot the masked killer not far away. The killer runs to a passing train but Morales shoots him in the leg.
The cops bring in bloodhounds to follow the killer’s scent. They all chase the wounded killer out into the swamp. What happened to him, no one knows, but they never caught him or identified the killer. He may still be walking free today…
Brian’s Commentary
Slasher films in general were still pretty new at this point. The voiceover narration makes it all seem very much like a documentary about the “true crimes” the film is based on. It has local police, state police, and Texas rangers, and each group has different responsibilities, which make it all seem more realistic. This is, in fact, based on a series of actual murders, so they had a lot to work with.
There’s a bit of slapstick with “Spark Plug Benson” and his driving, but it hits a little too silly for this kind of film.
Kevin’s Commentary
I remember seeing this when it came out and finding it pretty creepy at the time as a ten-year-old.
The poster says “In 1946 this man killed five people… Today he still lurks the streets of Texarkana, Ark.” I think by this time, he’s probably not.
The movie is based on what’s known as the Texarkana Moonlight Murders, an unsolved string of at least five murders and eight woundings attributed to the same attacker in early 1946, there’s an interesting Wikipedia page about it.
It’s well put together, and I thought it still holds up as an interesting movie. They play up the fear and suspense of course to spice it up and add some humor here and there – maybe a little too much humor. I can’t say it had the same effect on me as it did when I was ten, but it was entertaining.
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