The Terror of Tiny Town

The Terror of Tiny Town
Directed bySam Newfield
Written byClarence Marks
(additional dialogue)
Screenplay byFred Myton
Produced byJed Buell
StarringBilly Curtis
CinematographyMack Stengler
Edited byMartin G. Cohn
Richard G. Wray
Music byEdward Kilenyi
Production
company
Jed Buell Productions
Distributed byColumbia Pictures
Release date
  • December 1, 1938 (1938-12-01)
Running time
62 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$100,000

The Terror of Tiny Town is a 1938 American musical Western film produced by Jed Buell, directed by Sam Newfield and starring Billy Curtis. The film was shot at a sound studio in Hollywood and partly at Placeritos Ranch in Placerita Canyon, California.[1] The inspiration came when Buell overheard an employee jokingly say "If this economic dive keeps going, we'll be using midgets as actors".[2]

Using a conventional Western story with an all-diminutive cast, the filmmakers were able to showcase gags such as cowboys entering the local saloon by walking under the swinging doors, climbing into cupboards to retrieve items and dwarf cowboys galloping around on Shetland ponies while roping calves. It is considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

  1. ^ Thomas, Bryan. "Night Flight." April 14, 2015. web. October 16, 2015.
  2. ^ O'Connor, John; Rollins, Peter (2006). Hollywood's West: The American Frontier In Film, Television, And History. Professional Development Review. pp. 65–71.