On Monday, August 6th, 1966 America, still recovering from the despicable murderous acts of Richard Speck in Chicago the week prior, was walloped again on this fateful day. For on that day, a little before noon, Charles Whitman started shooting from the observation deck of the University Tower in Austin, Texas.

Ninety-six minutes later, twelve people were dead and countless others wounded. Also killed prior to the rampage were Whitman's wife and mother. And Whitman was dead, too; dropped in a hail of gunfire and buckshot -- just like he probably wanted. The prick. And America changed that day. These days we make jokes about people "going postal" but this was one of the first, and still ranks as one of the worst, cases of mass murder in U.S. history; and it happened during the light of day, out in the open, where we would never feel quite as safe again. (An obvious modern equivalent would be the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.)

Why did he do it? We'll get to that in a second. 

First, we're going to take a look at the only attempt I'm aware of to bring the story of that day to film: a made for TV movie known as The Deadly Tower. (And yes, I do know that Peter Bogdonivich's Targets is a thinly veiled version of this story.) Seldom seen anymore, this rarity used to be a late night staple on TBS and was also released on video under the alternate title Sniper. I finally managed to get my hands on a very beat up copy that was basically unwatchable for the first half-hour, and then "almost" tracked for the remaining hour -- my first negative feedback experience on eBay. I was going to let it go, but when about ten minutes of the film went missing, taped over with something else, was ultimately the deciding factor.

The production sidesteps some prickly issues by focusing not only on Whitman, but on one of the heroes of that day: Officer Ramiro Martinez, and used him as a framing device to counterbalance Whitman's activities prior to the shootings, and then the deadly game of cat and mouse they engage in after the shooting starts.

The film begins in Austin where Officer Martinez (Richard Yniguez) returns to the police station after his shift on night patrol. Even with the sunrise still hours away, the Texas heat is already sweltering. Before he heads home, Martinez is informed by Lt. Lee (Pernell Roberts) that he was passed over for promotion -- again. There are less than subtle hints that less than subtle racism is the reason why.

Meanwhile, Charles Whitman (Kurt Russell), an ex-Marine sharp-shooter strung out on amphetamines (the movie neglects this aspect), composes a letter about some strange and violent thoughts he's been having lately that he has no explanations for. He also plans to act out those thoughts. He's already killed his mother and put her to bed. (Whitman bludgeoned her from behind but the script deviates here.) Then he ambushes his wife (but he really killed her while she slept, but luckily, he lets the family puppy live. *whew*) Whitman adds an amendment to his letter, confessing to these acts, but this is only the beginning.

The following morning, Martinez tries to enjoy his day off. Upset about the promotions, he takes it out on his wife (Maria Cordero). She senses his frustrations and tries to help, but it only results in a bigger argument over whether he should just quit the force altogether.

Meanwhile, Whitman is hitting the local gun stores buying rifles and a lot of ammunition. You'd think this would send up a red flag, but we are talking about Texas. (And yes, that was a cheap shot. It wouldn't raise any red flags around here, either.) When the clerk asks what Whitman's hunting for he answers he's going to "shoot some pigs." We then cut to Whitman meticulously packing all of the weapons into a footlocker, along with some food, water and a portable radio. Donning a janitor's jumpsuit he loads the trunk onto his truck and drives to the UT campus, where he wheels the cache into the Administration Building toward his final destination: the observation deck on the 29th floor of the University Tower. The unassuming Whitman rolls his deadly cargo right by security and into the elevator. Finally stopped by a campus secretary, who wants to know what he's up to, Whitman threatens that if she values her life, she'd best leave and escorts her to the elevator. (In reality, Whitman bludgeons her to death, too.) Whitman then hauls the trunk onto the open air deck that surrounds the building and starts unloading his arsenal.

Down below, the secretary alerts the campus security chief. Dispatching two unarmed guards to investigate, they spy Whitman and all his guns and report in. The chief orders them back down to the lobby and to seal off the elevators, so no one else can get up there. They're already too late. Another elevator filled with a family of tourists was on its way up as they're heading down. Making their to the observation deck, Whitman hears them and grabs his shotgun.

And then the killing begins in earnest.

Whitman ambushes the group in the stairwell, killing two and critically injuring two more. The others retreat and are pulled into some adjoining offices by others who heard the shots, where they hide, unsure of what's really going on. Whitman returns to the deck and takes up his rifle. Peering through the high-powered scope at the people milling about below, he slowly moves from one person to another before settling on a target and starts firing. The first hit is Claire Wilson: She is shot in the lower abdomen. She was over 8-months pregnant. (Wilson lost her baby but survived the injury.) Her friend, Thomas Eckman, turned to help, but was hit next and died instantly, falling on top of her. (Whitman would use the wounded by firing at those trying to help them.) Moving around the tower, shooting everywhere, Whitman's massacre continues. The campus erupts in panic as people scramble for cover. Incredulous onlookers several blocks away -- an assumed safe distance, are hit, too. It seems no where is safe.

Ramirez hears the initial reports over the radio, and despite his wife's protests, heads into work. Captain Ambrose (Clifton James) tries to get a lock on the situation and worries about all the media attention. They set up a command post, but there is no real plan on what they should do. This kind of thing isn't in the handbook. Detective Forbes (John Forsythe) feels he can do more good trying to figure out who it is that's up there shooting, and then maybe they can find someone to talk him down. Ambrose gives him the OK, but warns that if they have the opportunity, they're going to shoot first and sort it out later.

Due to the chaos of the situation -- officers are scattered everywhere, and the phone lines are jammed up -- there is no coordinated plan of attack. Ramirez arrives on scene and runs into Officer Davis (Alan Vint), who brings him up to speed. Their biggest problem is that the sniper can reach them, but he is effectively out of their range. But that doesn't stop a lot of locals from arming themselves with their own guns and firing back at the tower. Ambrose is even desperate enough to OK the use of crop-duster, to try and buzz the tower, and see if they can get a shot at the sniper.

Up above, Whitman takes a breather and turns on his radio and listens to the reports of the chaos he's caused. (Which is a damning piece of evidence against him in my book.) He freaks a little when he can't get the scuff marks off his polished boots, so he starts shooting again and continues to fire. While the bodies keep piling up, Ramirez helps round up some of the wounded, but soon realizes it's a futile gesture if the shooting doesn't stop. So he decides to try and make it into the tower -- a daunting task because there is a lot of open ground between him and the entrance. Officer C.T. Foss (Paul Carr) is also trying to make his way to the Tower. He makes it as far as the campus bookstore where he runs into Allan Crum (Ned Beatty). Foss tells Crum to keep himself and his rifle out of trouble. But Crum tells Foss that he can get him into the Tower safely, via some connecting tunnels under the buildings.

Beginning to piece it all together, Detective Forbes gets Whitman's name from the receipts at the gun shops. This eventually leads him to the discovery of Margaret and Kathy Whitman's bodies -- and her husband's letter. 

Things are starting to get a little hairier up on the observation deck; the plane proves ineffective, but heavier caliber weapons, mostly civilian, are starting to reach Whitman's perch. But they also prove just as deadly to those victims trying to hide inside the building. Safely inside, Foss and Crum watch as Martinez zigzags his way through the open quad, dodging bullets, making it safely out of Whitman's line of fire. They all congregate in the lobby, including Davis and few others who made it in using a utility tunnel. They argue over what to do next. Martinez wants to try and contract Ambrose for orders, and to let them know they made it inside, while the others just want to head on up and end this. He tries to call, but the phones are still jammed up. They're on their own.

Entering the top floor, the officers start clearing out the rooms and escorting those found alive and the wounded back down to the lobby. While they search, Crum laments to Martinez that he's proud of his hometown, but now everyone around the country is going to think they're all a bunch of crazed killers -- and he'll never be able to look at the tower the same way again. The top floors cleared, while the others secure the area, Martinez and Crum make their way up the stairwell to the door of the observation deck. The shooting stops, so they don't know where Whitman is. Before they try the door, Crum wants Martinez to deputize him. Martinez thought he was a cop. He tells him to raise his right hand, and after he does, says "Consider yourself deputized."

Martinez tries the door but it's jammed shut by the two-wheeled cart. Forcing it open, the metal dolly clangs on the cement, alerting Whitman to their presence. They cautiously make their way outside but Whitman is nowhere to be seen. With no clue to where the shooter is, Martinez leaves Crum by the door and starts to creep along the wall toward the first corner. He quietly rounds the first corner...Nothing. Then a gun appears behind him, but it's only Foss. Ramirez grabs him before the people on the ground can shoot him, mistaking him for sniper. On the other side of the building, Whitman listens. The radio is still playing and a report comes on listing those who've been killed. Whitman listens, sweating, shaking, and then let's out a blood-curdling scream.

Martinez and Foss round the next corner, where Whitman sits and waits. Martinez orders him to drop the rifle. He doesn't, and swings it around to fire. Foss freezes, but Martinez empties his revolver into Whitman, and then takes the shotgun away from Foss to finish the job; but Whitman is already dead. 

The officers try to approach the body to be sure, but their movement draws more fire from below. Waving a white handkerchief, Crum yells at them to stop shooting. Then all is silent except for the newscaster, who is still listing the wounded. Crum angrily takes the radio and smashes it. 

Down below, Forbes returns too late with the Whitman family priest. Up above, the police photograph and catalogue Whitman's arsenal. Martinez, overcome by the situation, succumbs to shock and is escorted out of the building and into the waiting embrace of his wife (who wandered down because she was worried about him.)

The film ends with our good friend the overly morose narrator, who says an autopsy on Whitman found a malignant brain tumor that some doctors believe was the cause of his homicidal behavior. He also cites that Martinez, Foss, Davis and Crum were all given medals for their actions that day.

The End

I honestly believe, as an art form of entertainment, the made for TV movie is dead. Well, if not dead breathing its last lethargic gasps. And if it says a Sci-Fi Channel Original Production, for godsakes run for your life. Tragically, all we can do is hearken back to the glorious heydays of this convention in the 1970s, where anything and everything -- sentient homicidal bulldozers, psychic occult detectives, and ancient spirits of evil hijacking airplanes -- wound up as a televised movie of the week on one of the Big-Three broadcasting channel. *sigh*

Made eleven years after Whitman's reign of terror, the production was shot at the state capitol building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana because Austin really didn't want any part of it -- or needed any reminder of their unlucky role in this infamous piece of American history. Directed by Jerry Jameson, he also helmed several other MFTV-movies including a couple of pretty good disaster tubers with Heatwave and A Fire in the Sky. He also had a hand in the feature film disasters Airport '77 and Raise the Titanic. William Douglas Lansford provided the teleplay but is probably more famous for another MFTV-movie he wrote called Sweet Hostage. That's the one where Martin Sheen plays the escaped mental patient who kidnaps young Linda Blair; and they eventually fall in love, thanks to some really bad poetry.

And like all MFTV-movies from the '70s, The Deadly Tower was populated by a ton of B-level character actors like Roberts, Forsythe, Beatty, and the wonderfully acerbic Clifton James. And I'm guessing Russell really wanted to break away from his Dexter Riley character -- from all those goofy teenage Disney movies he made -- because he went from The Strongest Man in the World to this. (And Used Cars after that, and then John Carpenter got a hold of him for Elvis