Ex-con and former high school football star Poke Jackson (a solid and likable performance by Timothy Bottoms) returns to his small country home town only to discover that his old flame Mary Lee (a fine and charming portrayal by Susan George) is now involved with the corrupt sheriff Duke (Bo Hopkins in peak slimy form),who also was responsible for sending Poke up the river in the first place.

Director Jack Starrett, working from a compelling script by William A. Norton, keeps the engrossing and entertaining story moving along at a steady pace, offers a strong and flavorsome rural redneck hamlet atmosphere, and stages several exciting action set pieces with his trademark rip-snorting gusto. Bottoms and George display a winning and convincing chemistry as the personable main characters; they receive able support from Morgan Woodward as flinty local bigwig C.J. Crane, John Karlen as bumbling deputy Lenny, Art Hindle as amiable grease monkey Boogie, and George "Buck" Flower in an especially lively and funny turn as scruffy hick hell-raiser Bull Parker. Both Charles Bernstein's spirited harmonic score and Robert C. Jessup's sharp widescreen cinematography are up to par. A fun flick.

Even within its own and secluded subgenre (that genre being the good ol' boy hixploitation),"A Small Town in Texas" is a largely unremarkable and utmost derivative effort. The film has all the mandatory ingredients, like corrupt sheriffs, bluegrass music and virulent car chases, but the plot is overly simplistic, and the three lead characters are weak and unmemorable. Timothy Bottoms has zero charisma as the ex-con on the run for the corrupt Sheriff who wants to frame him for murder. The Sheriff, as played by Bo Hopkins, is alright, but not nearly as grim and menacing as the rotten lawmen in other contemporary semi-classics. Susan George is a lovely woman and a more than decent actress, but she one major handicap for starring in this film. She's far too British to depict a Texan local gal and can't really hide her accent. The makers must have noticed this as well, since she doesn't have many significant lines. The undisputed highlight of the film is a random but outrageous appearance by George 'Buck' Flower - who else - as the sneering Uncle Bull. "A Small Town in Texas" certainly isn't a total waste of your precious time, but there are much better and equally obscure hixploitation classics out there to discover (notably "Moving Violation", "Jackson County Jail", "Poor Pretty Eddy", "....tick...tick...tick", "Nightmare in Badham County", etc")

Folks who dig car chases and car crashes will find a fair bit to enjoy here; "A Small Town in Texas" is particularly enjoyable when it gets down to the vehicular stunt aspect. As for the rest, well, it's definitely a formula script (by William W. Norton),with engaging but familiar types of characters. Actor / director Jack Starrett ("Slaughter", "Cleopatra Jones") guides it with his customary efficiency, and does the expectedly solid job of capturing life in the South. Our hero is likable enough (although, after a while, you wish he'd shut up about going to California) and our villain is very much a heel.

Timothy Bottoms stars as Poke Jackson, who tangles with his sheriff nemesis Duke Calley (Bo Hopkins),the man who set him up (resulting in Poke spending five years in jail) and stole Pokes' girl Mary Lee (Susan George) in the process. Poke, who reconnects with Mary Lee and the son (Mark Silva) that they had together, ends up witnessing a crime in which the crooked Duke is involved. So now Poke is obliged to take it on the lam and evade Duke (who now wants Poke dead) and his deputies.

Nicely shot in Panavision by Robert C. Jessup, this features a wonderful score by Charles Bernstein, is sufficiently rousing when it gets to its more action oriented scenes, and has some poignant moments as well as some humorous ones. The capable supporting cast includes Morgan Woodward as local fat cat C.J. Crane, John Karlen and Clay Tanner as deputies, Art Hindle and Hank Rolike as Pokes' good friends Boogie and Cleotus, and the always very amusing George 'Buck' Flower (who doesn't appear until late into the movie) as Pokes' ornery old uncle. Bottoms and Hopkins make for fun adversaries, and George is of course lovely to look at. Director Starrett has a cameo as the drunken Buford Tyler.

Nothing special but still a good example of this type of "hicksploitation" entertainment.

Seven out of 10.