The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 1976 American horror film. It is referenced and homaged throughout the Scream franchise. It was directed and produced by Charles B. Pierce, and written by Earl E. Smith. The film is loosely based on the 1946 Texarkana Moonlight Murders, crimes attributed to an unidentified serial killer known as the Phantom Killer.

It is narrated by Vern Stierman. Ben Johnson stars as Captain J.D. Morales, a fictionalized version of Texas Ranger Captain M. T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas. The Phantom is played by Bud Davis.

The film was mostly shot around Texarkana, and a number of locals were cast as extras. The world premiere was held in Texarkana on December 17, 1976, before its regular run in theaters on December 24.

Scream films
Sidney Prescott references Woodsboro, California as being "the town that dreaded sundown" in the original Scream (1996 film). The fourth film also pays homage to Texarkana, Arkansas, which has a screening of The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976) around Halloween every year, with Stab-a-thon.

The 1976 film itself is a fictional take on the real-life Texarkana Moonlight Murders, just like the Stab movies would be to the town of Woodsboro, California.