History Film / DarkNightOfTheScarecrow

The film was finally given a DVD release in 2010. Not to be confused with ''Film/NightOfTheScarecrow''.

The plot concerns Bubba (Creator/LarryDrake), a mentally handicapped man being unjustly accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield only to be hunted down and shot by a posse led by the cruel Otis Hazelrigg (Creator/CharlesDurning). Immediately afterward, it's revealed that he saved the girl from a vicious dog attack, so the members of the search posse cover up their crime and successfully beat the rap for murdering poor Bubba. Unfortunately for them, someone's not too happy about their KarmaHoudini status, and one by one the men are killed off in grisly accidents, the only common element being a mysterious scarecrow that suddenly appears in each man's field...

* DirtyOldMan: Otis Hazelrigg. Definitely not the funny, harmless variety, either.

* IdiotBall: The D.A. totally whizzes what should have been a layup of a prosecution against Otis and his posse. Had thought to bring up how Bubba was both tied to a post when he was killed and clearly wasn't shot at close range he could have poked a huge hole in Otis' self-defense story, not to mention that Otis perjures himself by claiming that his posse fired warning shots into the air to give Bubba a chance to surrender. As he was shot at close range and every bullet hit him, an examination of the guns should reveal how many shots were fired and that this was a lie. With such an incompetent prosecutor, an implicitly biased jury almost seems unnecessary.

* KillingInSelfDefense: After the posse learns that they shot Bubba for a crime that he didn't commit, Hazelrigg puts a pitchfork in his hand to make it seem that they shot him in self-defense. The criminal court somehow buys it, despite poor Bubba being tied to a post when they pumped him full of lead. That said, it's blatantly implied Otis and his gang only got away with it because the jury was biased considering Bubba was disliked by most of the community for being mentally impaired.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror MadeForTVMovie that first aired on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1981. According to Aaron Crowell, managing editor of ''[=HorrorHound=] Magazine'', this was the first feature-length horror movie with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in subsequent years, giving Feigelson credit as progenitor of the entire “[[ScaryScarecrow killer scarecrow]]” genre.

* OnlySaneMan: The district attorney is the only person able to recognize the glaring holes in Otis's bogus cover story and willing to punish him and his crew for their actions. Unfortunately, Otis is well respected by the community who are all a bunch of ableist pricks that weren't fond of Bubba to begin with (though, as mentioned above under IdiotBall, the D.A. is rather woefully inept at making his case during the trial).

* SymbolicBlood: The film cuts from Arliss being pushed into his wood chipper to runny strawberry jam being spooned on to Otis' plate by his landlady.

* AccidentalMurder: Hazelrigg accidentally causes a heart attack on Bubba's mother when he sneaks up on her in her
home. He covers his tracks by blowing up her home.

* AccidentalMurder: Hazelrigg accidentally causes a heart attack on Bubba's mother when he sneaks up on her in her home. He covers his tracks by blowing up her home.

* HarmfulToMinors: It is strongly implied that Otis Hazelrigg is a child molester and the reason he hates Bubba so much is because he makes it difficult to get to Marylee. Mrs. Ritter sees right through him.
* HateSink: Otis is a judgmental, hypocritical, violent piece of garbage and is also heavily implied to be a child molester who only really wanted Bubba dead so he'd have an easier chance of getting Marylee to himself.

* NothingIsScarier: The film's gorier moments utilize this trope so the viewers can use their imagination.

* OnlySaneMan: The district attorney is the only person able to recognize the glaring holes in Otis's bogus cover story and willing to punish him and his crew for their actions. Unfortunately, Otis is well respected by the community who are all a bunch of ableist pricks that weren't fond of Bubba to begin with.

* IdiotBall: The D.A. totally whizzes what should have been a layup of a prosecution against Otis and his posse. Had thought to bring up how Bubba was both tied to a post when he was killed and clearly wasn't shot at close range he could have poked a huge hole in Otis' self-defense story, not to mention that Otis perjures himself by claiming that his posse fired warning shots into the air to give Bubba a chance to surrender. As he was shot at close range and every bullet hit him, an examination of the guns should reveal how many shots were fired and that this was a lie.

The film was finally given a DVD release in 2010.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror MadeForTVMovie that first aired on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1981. According to Aaron Crowell, managing editor of ''[=HorrorHound=] Magazine'', this was the first feature-length horror film with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in subsequent years, giving Feigelson credit as progenitor of the entire “[[ScaryScarecrow killer scarecrow]]” genre.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror MadeForTVMovie that first aired on Creator/{{CBS}} in 1981. According to Aaron Crowell, managing editor of ''[=HorrorHound=] Magazine'', the movie was the first feature-length horror film with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in subsequent years, giving Feigelson credit as progenitor of the entire “[[ScaryScarecrow killer scarecrow]]” genre.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror 1981 made-for-television film airing on Creator/{{CBS}}. According to Editor Aaron Crowell Managing of [=HorrorHound=] Magazine, the movie was the first feature length horror film with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in the superseding years, giving Feigelson credit as progenitor of the entire “[[ScaryScarecrow killer scarecrow]]” genre.

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/220px-dark_night_of_the_scarecrow_6237.jpg]]

* CrammingTheCoffin: After Otis and Skeeter dig up Bubba's grave and discover [[spoiler:his body in his coffin]], Otis murders Skeeter and buries the body in Bubba's grave alongside the coffin.

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiller:Every single person responsible for Bubba's death has died by the end of the movie, killed by Bubba's vengeful spirit.]]

* FieryCoverUp: When Otis triggers a fatal heart attack in Mrs Ritter by threatening her, he covers up his deed by turning on the gas and causing a fiery explosion.

* KillingInSelfDefense: After the posse learns that they shot Bubba for a crime that he didn't commit, Hazelrigg puts a pitchfork in his hand to make it seem that they shot him in self-defense. The criminal court somehow buys it, despite poor Bubba being tied to a post when they pumped him full of lead.
%%* LaserGuidedKarma

%%* OnlySaneMan: The district attorney.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror 1981 made-for-television film airing on Creator/{{CBS}}. According to Editor Aaron Crowell Managing of [=HorrorHound=] Magazine, the movie was the first feature length horror film with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in the superseding years, giving Feigelson credit as the entire “[[ScaryScarecrow killer scarecrow]]” genre.

The plot concerns Bubba (Creator/LarryDrake), a mentally handicapped man being unjustly accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield only to be hunted down and shot. Immediately afterward, it's revealed that he saved the girl from a vicious dog attack, so the members of the search posse cover up their crime and successfully beat the rap for murdering poor Bubba. Unfortunately for them, someone's not too happy about their KarmaHoudini status, and one by one the men are killed off in grisly accidents, the only common element being a mysterious scarecrow that suddenly appears in each man's field...

The plot concerns Bubba, a mentally handicapped man being unjustly accused of attacking a young girl. Disguised as a scarecrow, he hides in a cornfield only to be hunted down and shot. Immediately afterward, it's revealed that he saved the girl from a vicious dog attack, so the members of the search posse cover up their crime and successfully beat the rap for murdering poor Bubba. Unfortunately for them, someone's not too happy about their KarmaHoudini status, and one by one the men are killed off in grisly accidents, the only common element being a mysterious scarecrow that suddenly appears in each man's field...

* FieryCoverUp: When Otis triggers a fatal heart attack in Mrs Ritter by threatening her,, he covers up his deed by turning on the gas and causing a fiery explosion.
* GardeningVarietyWeapon: The Scarecrow carries a pitchfork as a weapon, although only [[spoiler:Hazelrigg]]ends up being killed by it.

Directed by veteran novelist Frank De Felitta from a script by J. D. Feigelson, ''Dark Night of the Scarecrow'' is a suspense/horror 1981 made-for-television film airing on Creator/{{CBS}}. According to Editor Aaron Crowell Managing of [=HorrorHound=] Magazine, the movie was the first feature length horror film with a scarecrow as its centerpiece, with many having copied this image in the superseding years, giving Feigelson credit as the entire “killer scarecrow” genre.

* HorrorDoesntSettleForSimpleTuesday: The film takes place around [[AllHallowsEve Halloween]].

* VillainProtagonist: Otis Hazelrigg, due to his actor Charles Durning getting top billing.

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Since there was no clear explanation as to how [[spoiler: Bubba came back from the dead]] it is entirely possible that it was somebody else posing as The Scarecrow as a means to bring justice for the crimes Otis and his gang committed.

* AngryGuardDog: Marylee is mauled by an angry guard dog when he sneaks into a garden to look at the fountain. This event is what sets the plot in motion.