JohnHowardReid Director: JOSEPH H. LEWIS. Screenplay: Ben L. Perry. Photography: Ray Rennahan. Film editors: Frank Sullivan, Stefan Arnsten. Art director: William Ferrari. Set decorator: Rudy Butler. Make-up: Sid Perell. Hair styles: Shirley Madden. Property master: Arnold Goode. Music editor: George Brand. Special effects edigtor: Carl Brainard. Assistant director: Richard Dixon. Associate producer: Carroll Sax. Producer: Frank M. Seltzer.Released through United Artists: September 1958 (USA), 14 September 1958 (Britain), 29 January 1959 (Australia). 7,200 feet. 80 minutes. (An excellent M-G-M DVD). COMMENT: This is one of those films that - influenced by TV techniques - start off with a few tantalizing action clips from the climax before the credits roll on to the screen. This device generally signals that the rest of the movie (like its TV counterpart) will be long on talk, short on action. And such is regrettably the case here. True, Lewis does occasionally manage to insert a tautly dramatic composition. True too that color ace, Ray Rennahan, proves equally adept at stylish black-and-white. But unfortunately the initially off-beat characters turn out to be as stereotyped as the formula "B"-western plot, - with a tiny dressing of more sophisticated dialogue. As the protagonist in this oft-told tale, Sterling Hayden's Swedish accent slips on and off like a mack on a showery day. It's a blessing that Cabot and Ned Young come across as a forceful pair of villains and that the girls are moderately attractive (though their parts are so small they could be scissored altogether without harming our comprehension of the plot). Aside from a clip or two of stock train footage, production values are not too miserly - by the normally humble standards of the independent western "B".

LeonLouisRicci The common man, in this respect a Whaler from Sweden, versus slick and soulless Capitalists. The greedy, rich Men representing the System can purchase fancy attire, and expensive and flashy weapons of destruction. But our lower class type of an immigrant sod buster dresses in plain clothes and is forced to use the tools of his trade to defend his honor and exact revenge.There are no subtle representations here and it is all framed like Artful arrogance and what this stylish B-Western presented is nothing less than one of the most unique and classy Proletariat Pictures from a decade that was full of mediocre meanderings from others by the wagon load.This Norish Western was the last for an unsung B-Movie Master Joseph H. Lewis and his underrated work was missed but not forgotten among Film Historians and Movie Lovers. This is not as good as The Big Combo (1955) or Gun Crazy (1950), but very few Films are. He was great at entertaining and messaging with a flat out frenzy of style and pomp that made His Movies, and this one is certainly no exception, quite different and much better than most.

TedMichaelMor Dalton Trumbo's ideological script and Nedrick Young's complex hired killer drive this interestingly weird and elegant Western. Director Joseph Lewis brought immense skill to this work, as did cinematographer Ray Rennaban and editors Stefan Arnstan and Frank Sullivan. Gerald Fried's original score has the same minimalist intensity as the script and production. Several old-time actors with excellent skills play in this movie. I think anyone connected to this movie had to feel pride.Sterling Hayden, Carol Kelly, Eugene Mazola, and Sebastian Cabot play a bit more traditionally than Ned Young does, but that makes for interesting counterpoint. You never have a sense of haste in making this film. This is not a subtle work. It is an effective one.I rate it highly because for a small movie, it is a fine piece of work.

MartinHafer Sebastian Cabot is a rich jerk who wants to buy up all the land because there is oil--though none of the locals are aware of the oil. With the help of an evil gunfighter in black, they kill and terrorize everyone. When the son of a murdered man arrives, he refuses to back down and stands up to these forces of darkness.Wow. As I watched TERROR IN A Texas TOWN, I felt as if I'd seen this film many times before and would probably see something like it again. That's because aside from a few novelties (such as Sterling Hayden using a harpoon on the bad guy), it has a plot that is too familiar. Once again, we've got a rich guy who is trying to drive out all the farmers in order to gain control of all the land. And, to do so, he's brought in hired guns to force people to sell or kill them. Been there, done that in just too many films.I love Sterling Hayden in films, but just couldn't recommend this as anything other than a poor time passer.