 The low-budget film grossed roughly $25 million, and Pierce followed that success with several inexpensive, regional films set in the southern United States, including "The Town That Dreaded Sundown", based on the true story of the Phantom Killer murders in Texarkana.Pierce continued directing films into the 1980s, when he wrote the story for the Clint Eastwood film "Sudden Impact".For that screenplay, he is said to have written the phrase, "Go ahead, make my day," which became one of the most famous movie quotes in history.