Pierce

THE WINDS OF AUTUMN-1976-In 1844 Montana, a deranged hillbilly woman (Jeanette Nolan) helps her equally deranged son escape from a chain gang with the help of her brother (Jack Elam) and some other sons (including Andrew Prine). After the break out, they hold up at the home of a Quaker family where sonny boy shows why he should have remained in jail as he kills the couple's  young daughter. Then mom and dad are killed. Only the young son Joel (Chuck Pierce Jr.; son of the director) survives. He gets a mule and a shotgun and follows the demented family. Along the way he meets Rattler (Dub Taylor) who dispenses some advice. Later the brothers rob a whorehouse (a long and useless sub-plot). Although blood thirsty the family is kind of dumb. After nearly freezing to death and being captured by what remains of the family, Joel sort of gets revenge with the help of a family friend. According to the credits the whores were supplied by Playboy Inc. (although one of them is played by TTCSM's Marilyn Burns).

This strange violent western with a kid hero was directed by Charles B. Pierce (he has a small role) who made THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK just a few years before. He directed THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN in 1976 also.

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