Day of the Wolves

Day of the Wolves is a 1971 heist movie starring Richard Egan and directed, written and produced by Ferde Grofe Jr.

Richard Egan stars as Pete Anderson, the chief of police of the small western town called "Wellerton". Anderson has a run-in with the son of a council official (played by Len Travis and John Dennis respectively), who gets him fired. His warnings that the town is vulnerable to a criminal takeover were also considered scaremongering.

At the same time as this is happening, a group of thieves are being anonymously summoned to a ghost town in the desert by a criminal mastermind. Each of the thieves is promised a minimum of $50,000 for their participation in a heist, and arrives wearing a beard to disguise their appearance. The thieves are assigned a number (number #1 being the mastermind), and asked to wear gloves for the duration of the exploit, so as not to provide evidence that could lead back to them. They are shown a map of the town of Wellerton and told that they will fleece it. The criminals use the ghost town to train for the heist.

The "wolves" fly to the outskirts of Wellerton, and overcome a farmer and his wife. They then proceed to blow up the bridge that provides access to the town of Wellerton, and cut phone and power to the town. They surprise the new Sheriff and his deputies, and lock them in the town jail.

Pete's wife Maggie tips off Pete that the town is being invaded by criminals and he drives into town and starts a running gun fight with the wolves.

Day of the Wolves contains examples of:

 * Cut Phone Lines: The Wolves cut the phone and power lines at the same time they blow the bridge, completely isolating the town of Wellerton.
 * Die Hard on an X: Die Hard in a small town... almost 20 years before Die Hard.
 * The Heist
 * New Old West: It would not take much of a rewrite to set this movie in 1871 instead of 1971.
 * Taking Over the Town: A textbook example.
 * Turn in Your Badge