If you are reading this review than it is probably because you were/are as interested as I was/am about watching 'Terror in a Texas Town.' As the few reviews have already mentioned, yes, this is probably one of the strangest westerns out there but strange in all the right ways. I mean, how often do you see a film start off with the top-billed actor walking intently down the middle of the street with a harpoon in arms, let alone in a western? Then, there is a slight monologue from the opposing man as we face his back (and we don't see his face). We are already hooked and want to know more. Who is that blonde in the crowd? Who are those people and why are they watching? And why does one man carry a harpoon? The film begins with this startling image, provides an alarming western montage, and gives us the title card to then begin guiding us through the events that lead up to the unorthodox standoff we began with.Parts are indeed flawed, but what do you expect from a B-western? The biggest qualms are more than likely the choice of music, some instances of the editing, and Sterling Hayden's floundering Swedish accent. But there is A LOT of good to enjoy which makes this film absolutely worth seeing.We are led to believe that Hayden is the main character when I think there is more to look at through Ned Young's leather-clad gun-for-hire. Some of the previous reviews mention this; that there is a moral grey area this film conveys. Ned Young's Johnny Crale, who does all the dirty work for the greedy fat man McNeill, is troubled from the start. We learn that he and McNeill have had a past and that Crale is not the same person. He has changed, but for better or for worse? What does he seek from their relationship? And I suppose the same question can be asked of Crale's and Molly's bond. And everything that was so wacky about that first confrontation now makes more sense, but not in ways we could have imagined. Now we know who the characters are and where their motives lie and the context of the situation. The Swede wants revenge for his father's death and the townspeople want to watch on like the curious bystanders they are. Society wants its victim, and so gets it. Because we need a bad guy when we know that Crale isn't the only one. As you watched the movie and got back to the confrontation how many other morally inept people were there? And how many does the Swede actually take on? Kinda puts things a bit more in perspective, doesn't it?The loyal Mexican friend, Mirada, played by Victor Millan is the other mention-able part of the film, and the other major contribution to Johnny Crale's character development. Mirada knows, and Crale makes him pay but not without their confrontation changing Crale more than he suspected. During the scene nothing out of the ordinary happens and then the scene ends. It isn't until we watch Crale confront his girlfriend Molly that we see how truly disturbed he has become. "I saw a man this morning who wasn't afraid to die. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND."Highly recommended B-western, with a lot going for it especially if you like a little bit of a change-up to the normal prescription.

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.

I do not believe I watched the whole thing. I tried. I really, really tried. I tried to like something of it but let's face it. This isn't Gary Cooper and this isn't High Noon and no one is going to Yuma. What a politicized mess. tell me something I don't already know. Bad guys are bad and good guys are good and bad girls are good too. Glad we got that straight. Now let's get on to the trashing of normal everyday folks to Dalton can be happy in his red diaper. Feel better now? Good. I think this one belongs back in the drawer. Back of the drawer. If you want to watch a western, there are many better ones readily available. This one is not worth the time. Sterling is better served in his other ventures and so are the others in the cast. Even if you only have one station and this is the only thing on, read a book. Rent Sparticus. Don't bother with this waste of film and effort all around.

Joseph H. Lewis was something of a B movie king, with his best directorial efforts coming via Westerns and film noir. After this Sterling Hayden starrer he signed off from Hollywood for good, as a legacy it's difficult to say if it's a fitting point of reference to Lewis and his talents, or entirely apt for his career? It's an often quirky, even bizarre, picture that manages through its surreal like tendencies to detract from its formulaic Western plot. Set in Prairie City, Texas, the tale revolves around George Hanson (Hayden), a Swedish whaler who after 19 years away, returns to Prairie to find his father has been murdered. As he delves deeper with a staunch undaunted determination, he finds that the law is corrupt and a horrible land baron called McNeil (Sebastian Cabot), aided by gunslinger for hire Johnny Crale (Ned Young), is behind his fathers death. It appears there is oil in the land and McNeil is using force to buy up the land at ridiculously cheap prices. But if he thought George was going to be forgiving? Or going to be easily frightened? Well he and Crale are in for some big shocks. Shot in stark black and white, Lewis' film throws up the always interesting conflict between homespun virtue and greedy evil. There's compelling villains and some nicely drawn characterisations for the decent citizens of the town, such as those who are on the periphery of the protagonists struggle (note Victor Millan's poor Mexican farmer and Carol Kelly's downbeat girlfriend of Crale). What of Hayden, though? It's a fascinating performance, where saddled with the task of trying to do a Swedish accent, and wearing a suit a size too short for him, it's difficult to know if he is in tune with the off-kilter nature of the film, or he's just on robotic auto- pilot while Lewis chuckles to himself off camera. Either way Hayden gives us a character to root for with our every breath. Hanson is a bastion of good and well meaning, we ache for him to outdo the lobster eating land baron and the metal clawed outlaw. There's some controversy in the tid-bids here. The script was credited to Ben Perry, but actually was written by Dalton Trumbo who was blacklisted. Hayden, although not blacklisted, appeared before the House of Un-American Activities Committee and simultaneously admitted past communist affiliations and named names. Lewis was not involved in the unsavoury chapter but was a close friend of Ned Young, who was blacklisted for taking the fifth, but whose impact on the film was to not only be in it, but to also be instrumental in getting Lewis to direct it. Boy was that an interesting time in American history. Stylish, odd and certainly different, Terror In A Texas Town has enough about it to make it worthy of a night in. And it gets better on repeat viewings once you buy into the kookiness. 7.5/10