Out of the Inkwell

From the October 1938 ediition of Popular Science is this three-page spread on the cult film "The Terror of Tiny Town," the infamous midget Western.

I've tried to watch this production but it is so exploitative that I always turn it off. It's not like the Westerns aimed at African-American audiences starring Herb Jeffries that were made about the same time. Their goal was to create a Western hero for black audiences.

I doubt though there was a clamor from the community of little people for this film! We're supposed to be amazed the midgets are "normal" within the context the film establishes.

Made on a low budget by Sam Newfield, one of the auteurs at PRC, the film is a pretty standard B western only with little people. They ride ponies instead of horses. I bet this thing was exhibited for years.

Go over to youtube and search for it. There's a variety of clips.

© 2007 by Gordon Michael Dobbs