Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981): Cast & Plot
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a 1981 horror film directed by Frank De Felitta, starring Larry Drake as Bubba Ritter, Charles Durning and Tonya Crowe. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Frank De Felitta
- Genre
- Horror
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Wizan Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Dark Night of the Scarecrow About?
The premise of Dark Night of the Scarecrow without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Bubba, an intellectually disabled man, is falsely accused of assaulting a young girl. To flee, he disguises himself as a scarecrow and hides in a cornfield, where four self‑appointed vigilantes track him down and shoot him. Though the men are later acquitted for lack of evidence, they soon become the victims of a relentless stalker who hunts them down one by one.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- scarecrow
- halloween party
- lynch mob
- killer scarecrow
- slasher
- halloween
- injustice
- false accusation
- murder
- mother son relationship
- fear
- panic
+38 more Show fewer
- supernatural serial killer
- child in jeopardy
- murder disguised as an accident
- getting away with murder
- adult child friendship
- son
- mother
- pedophile
- pigtails
- weapon
- car mechanic
- death
- chevrolet
- chevrolet c 30
- jeep
- attorney
- explosion
- violence
- pitchfork
- dog
- car
- u.s. car
- chevrolet motor vehicle
- stalker
- characters killed one by one
- house explosion
- gas explosion
- revenge murder
- unintentional murder
- shot to death
- mob justice
- misunderstanding
- digging up a grave
- small town
- mailman
- ends with a freeze frame
- little girl
- cameo
Dark Night of the Scarecrow Cast & Characters
Larry Drake leads the cast as Bubba Ritter, with Charles Durning as Otis P. Hazelrigg and Tonya Crowe as Marylee Williams. Directed by Frank De Felitta; 20 actors are credited in all.
- Director Frank De Felitta
- Larry Drake as Bubba Ritter
-
Charles Durning as Otis P. Hazelrigg - Tonya Crowe as Marylee Williams
- Robert F. Lyons as Skeeter Norris
Also Starring in Dark Night of the Scarecrow
· 16 more- Lane Smith Harless Hocker
- Claude Earl Jones Philby
- Ivy Bethune Mrs. Hocker
- Jocelyn Brando Mrs. Ritter
- Ivy Jones Mrs. Willams
- Alice Nunn Mrs. Bunch
- Jetta Scelza Mrs. Whimberly
- Tom Taylor D.A. Sam Willock
- John Steadman Mr. Loomis
- Ed Call Defense Attorney
- Richard McKenzie Judge Henry
- Dave Adams Deputy
- Dennis Robertson Ray
- James Tartan Mr. Williams
- Modi Frank Waitress
- Robert J. Koster The Scarecrow (uncredited)
More from Frank De Felitta
More films directed by Frank De Felitta: Scissors, Trapped and The Stately Ghosts of England.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow Plot Summary
What happens in Dark Night of the Scarecrow from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a small town in the Deep South, the unlikely friendship between Bubba Ritter, [Larry Drake], a large but gentle man with a mental disability, and Marylee Williams, [Tonya Crowe], a keen and vulnerable young girl, stirs unease among the locals, especially the brooding Otis Hazelrigg, a harsh and resentful postal worker [Charles Durning]. When Marylee is mauled by a vicious dog, Hazelrigg quickly assumes Bubba is to blame and quickly fashions a lynch mob that includes Skeeter Norris, a gas station attendant [Robert F. Lyons], and Philby and Harliss Hocker, two farmers. In a desperate attempt to protect him, Bubba’s mother disguises him as a scarecrow and sets him in a nearby field, hoping to keep him safe.
Full summary
The whole story of Dark Night of the Scarecrow, scene by scene
Dark Night of the Scarecrow Videos
3 videos: 2 clips and 1 behind-the-scenes video.
- Clip Dark Night of the Scarecrow 1981 music by Glenn Paxton
- Behind the Scenes Interview with J.D. Feigelson-Creator of Dark Night of the Scarecrow.
How Well Do You Know Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays the gentle, mentally disabled man Bubba Ritter?
Cars in Dark Night of the Scarecrow
16 cars on screen, including the 1969 Jeep DJ-5A Dispatcher and the 1973 Chevrolet C-30.
-
1969 Jeep DJ-5A Dispatcher Main role -
1973 Chevrolet C-30 Important role -
1971 Chevrolet Chevy Van Minor role -
1975 Dodge Coronet Minor role
Dark Night of the Scarecrow Also Known As
16 alternative titles, including “La oscura noche del espantapájaros” and “Die Nacht der Vogelscheuche”.
- Also known as
-
- La oscura noche del espantapájaros
- Die Nacht der Vogelscheuche
- A Noite do Espantalho
- Η Νύχτα με τα Σκιάχτρα
- La Nuit de L'épouvantail
- Scarecrow: Ein Toter Schlägt Zurück!
- Die Rache des Gelynchten
- Nacht für Nacht
- ダークナイト
- Lo spaventapasseri
- La oscura noche del espantapajaros
- Les Fleurs de sang
+4 more Show fewer
- Noite do Espantalho
- Темная ночь пугала
- 稻草人的黑夜
- Terror na Escuridão
Seen Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
Movies Like Dark Night of the Scarecrow
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Night of the Scarecrow, Scarecrow and The Scarecrow.
-
Night of the Scarecrow 1995 -
Scarecrow 2002 -
The Scarecrow 1982 -
Scarecrow Slayer 2003 -
Dark Night of the Scarecrow 2 2022 -
Scarecrow Gone Wild 2004 -
Night of the Dark Full Moon 1972 -
Dark Harvest III: Skarecrow 2004 -
Dark Harvest 2023 -
Scarecrows 1988 -
American Scarecrow 2020 -
Attack of the Killer Scarecrow 2020
Dark Night of the Scarecrow FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Dark Night of the Scarecrow, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
Dark Night of the Scarecrow runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was Dark Night of the Scarecrow released?
Dark Night of the Scarecrow was released on October 24, 1981.
Who directed Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
Dark Night of the Scarecrow was directed by Frank De Felitta.
More films by Frank De Felitta Who is in the cast of Dark Night of the Scarecrow?
Dark Night of the Scarecrow stars Larry Drake as Bubba Ritter, Charles Durning as Otis P. Hazelrigg and Tonya Crowe as Marylee Williams, among 20 credited actors.
Does Dark Night of the Scarecrow have a post-credit scene?
No. Dark Night of the Scarecrow has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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