The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)

Brief curiosity (though politically incorrect) from an era where the idea of producing a low budget western, with musical ambitions, with a cast entirely comprised by "Jed Buell's Midgets" wasn't completely preposterous, let alone actually executing the deed. It's only natural that somebody who wants to see "The Terror of Tiny Town" isn't worried about the plot and it shouldn't. It's obviously not the point here. Not the worst movie ever nor a particularly abject example of exploitation cinema, "The Terror of Tiny Town" ends up being a funny "so bad it's good" in a very unique and unrepeatable way and justifies the cult classic status.And there's a penguin.

Prolific B-movie director Sam Newfield helmed this serviceable outdoors oater "The Terror of Tiny Town" with a cast completely consisting of vertically challenged tykes. Actually, this musical western is the first all-midget cowboy musical done during the era of the singing cowboys. Bat Haines ('Little Billy' Rhodes) pits two ranches against each other so they will wipe each other out and he can step in to pick up the pieces. Buck admits that he is the bad guy. "I'm the villain. I'm the toughest hombre that ever lived, and I ain't afraid o' the biggest one o' you. I'm the Terror of Tiny Town, and that's the star part." Good guy cowboy Buck Lawson (Billy Curtis of "High Plains Drifter") is the hero who saves the day. The romantic interest, Nancy Preston (Yvonne Moray) meets Buck when he pulls over the runaway stagecoach that she was riding in after Bat's gunslingers killed Peter the driver and the Wells Fargo shotgun messenger. Bat is a thoroughly obnoxious outlaw who has no qualms against shooting down anybody and he bushwhacks Nancy's father, Tex (Billy Platt) as he is riding across a pasture. Bat implicates Buck for the killing of Tex and coerces the local sheriff to arrest him. Entertaining and offbeat fun, even though there are several murders. The finale is appropriately explosive!

The standard issue plot consists of the title villain rustling cattle and sparking a range war between two rival ranchers, who each suspect the other.This is the first and only all little person musical western film. Once the novelty wears off though, The Terror Of Tiny Town starts to look like a typical 1930's poverty row programmer, of which director Sam Newfield is strongly associated.Billy Curtis, who went on to co-star alongside Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter, makes an appealing hero. The musical numbers (some of which were dubbed) are well done and the climax is surprisingly good.The producers should have cast Mickey Rooney as a giant!

One wonders who thought this would be a great idea--a western done straight with all midgets. Plot-wise this is like any other B western--two neighboring ranchers suspect each other of rustling their cattle. The Hero (that's how he's billed in the cast--Billy Curtis) of one ranch falls in love with the Girl (Yvonne Moray) of the other ranch! And the Villain (Little Billy) tries to frame the Hero.The plot is as old as the hills and every single Western cliché is firmly in place. Also there are songs! The movie opens with the entire town singing a nauseating song about how happy they are! There's there's a saloon vamp (Nita Krebs) who squeaks out a few more (and very badly too). The acting is truly horrendous and (cinematically speaking) this movie is worthless. After the initial novelty of the midgets wears off this is pretty lame stuff. Still it moves quick and is only about an hour long. Also there are some good action scenes--if you can get past the midgets riding ponies instead of horses! I give this a 3 because it does have its moments and you have to admire the fact that the whole movie is played straight.