A SMALL TOWN IN TEXAS
US, 1976, 96 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Bottoms, Susan George, Bo Hopkins, Morgan Woodward, Art Hindle.
Directed by Jack Starrett.
A Small Town in Texas is a violent contemporary western. Timothy Bottoms portrays a young man who comes out of jail to meet his girlfriend but finds she has taken up with the sheriff and he is framed by the sheriff on a drug charge. He also witnesses the sheriff committing a murder. This sets up a confrontation between the two – with the hero either escaping or standing up to the sheriff.
Timothy Bottoms was a popular star in the 1970s with such films as The Last Picture Show and Love and Pain. Susan George had come from Britain after appearing in a number of films including Straw Dogs. Bo Hopkins was a regular in action films of the 1970s. Director Jack Starrett made a number of tough action films and television programs during these years including Cleopatra Jones, Slaughter, Race with the Devil.
1. The focus of the title on the town, localizing it in Texas, the overtones of Texas? Yet indefinite enough to give a universal theme?
2. Texas and the background of the 19th century West, Texas in the 20th century still in the West, expectations about Texas, America, American small towns?
3. The colour, the recreation of the town, the farms, the roads? Panavision? Music?
4. How ugly was the small town in Texas, its atmosphere, people, political and moral corruption, injustice? How pessimistic was the outlook of the film? How much hope about human nature? society? The individual in society?
5. The device of having the audience enter the theme and the town with Poke? The audience identifying with him? What kind of character was Poke? A limited young man? Slow-witted? The audience seeing and feeling the town and its people with this kind of man?
6. Poke's strengths and weaknesses as a character? The charge and the drug situation of five years earlier? How much justice had been done wibh such a sentence, such a sentence being served? Audience judgement about the justice and preparation for further Injustice towards Poke? How did the film communicate his sense of bewilderment on his return from prison, arriving in the town, people's attitudes, meeting him and remembering him, his visit to the farmhouse, the discovery of his girlfriend's infidelity, seeing his son again, being immersed in the problems of the town?
7. Mary Lee as a character, her relationship with Poke, her youth, waiting five years for him, Kevin and her mothering of him? Her relationship with Duke? An ordinary character involved in situations bigger than those she could cope with? Her involvement with Kevin in the great chase? A convincing small town character?
8. Duke as the contrast with Poke? His role in securing Poke's imprisonment, his rising to Sheriff? His smugness, liaison with Mary Lee? The gradual discovery that he was dishonest and corrupt? His being in the pay of the big business interests? Audience response to the revelation that he was an assassin? The build?up of his vengeance on Poke after his discovery about the money? His toadying to Crane? Being rejected by him? The desperation of his chase, vindicating himself, getting the money? The poetic justice of his death? An evil character who had the same chances as Poke?
9. How did the film build up Poke's predicament, the fair, the political background, seeing the assassination, discovering the money? His decision to take the money, go away, get the bike? His dependence on his friends? The chase and the irony of his being wanted as a killer? His not being believed, his being categorised? The necessity for escaping, getting Mary Lee and Kevin? The reaction to Duke's death? The importance of his returning to clear his name?
10. The film's portrayal of the big men in small towns and their business interests, corruption, using people, using assassinations? Crane and his duplicity? was it credible? His use of Duke, rejecting him?
