Walking Tall (1973 film)

Last updated

Walking Tall
Walking Tall (1973 film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Phil Karlson
Written byMort Briskin
Stephen Downing (uncredited)
John Michael Hayes (uncredited)
Produced byMort Briskin
Starring Joe Don Baker
Elizabeth Hartman
Cinematography Jack A. Marta
Edited by Harry W. Gerstad
Music by Walter Scharf
Production
company
Distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corporation; Paramount Pictures
Release date
  • February 22, 1973 (1973-02-22)
Running time
125 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000
Box office$40 million [1]

Walking Tall is a 1973 American neo-noir biographical vigilante action film based on the life of Buford Pusser, a professional wrestler-turned-lawman in McNairy County, Tennessee, played by Joe Don Baker. The film was directed by Phil Karlson. [2] It has become a cult film with two direct sequels of its own, a TV movie, a brief TV series and a remake that had its own two sequels.

Contents

Plot

Buford Pusser, at his wife Pauline's behest, retires from the professional wrestling ring, and moves back to Tennessee to start a logging business with his father Carl Pusser. With a friend, Pusser visits a gambling and prostitution establishment "The Lucky Spot", and is beaten up after catching the house cheating at craps. Pusser is seriously injured with a knife and receives over 200 stitches. He complains to the sheriff, but is ignored, and soon becomes aware of the rampant corruption in McNairy County.

Later, working at his father's lumber mill, Pusser makes a club out of a tree branch. Late one night, Pusser waits until after "The Lucky Spot" is closed, and beats up the same thugs who left him for dead. The next day, Pusser is arrested; he represents himself at trial. At one point, he rips off his shirt and shows the jury his scars. He informs them, "If you let them do this to me and get away with it, then you're giving them the eternal right to do the same damn thing to any one of you!" The jury finds Pusser not guilty, and he decides to clean up the county, and runs for sheriff. The campaign is contentious against the incumbent sheriff, who is killed trying to run Pusser off the road.

Pusser is elected, and becomes famous for being incorruptible and intolerant of crime, and for his array of four-foot hickory clubs, which he uses to great effect in dispatching criminals and destroying their clandestine gambling dens and illegal distilleries. Some residents praise Pusser as an honest cop in a crooked town; others denounce him as a bully willing to break some laws to uphold others. Pusser is betrayed by one of his deputies, and is attacked several times. Finally, Pauline and Pusser are ambushed in their car. Pauline is killed and Pusser is seriously injured.

Pusser is admitted to the hospital after being shot, and while still in a neck-and-face cast, attends his wife's funeral. Afterward, Pusser rams a sheriff cruiser through the front doors of the Lucky Spot, killing two of his would-be assassins. As Pusser leaves with two deputies, the townspeople arrive and begin throwing the gambling tables out into the parking lot. They light a bonfire as an overwhelmed Pusser wipes tears from his eyes.

Cast

Reception

Box office

Walking Tall was a box-office smash. Produced on a budget of $500,000, the film grossed over $40 million, [1] earning $10 million in theatrical rentals in the United States and Canada. [3] The film played in rural areas before moving to larger cities, starting off slowly, but becoming a success through word-of-mouth. [1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on reviews from 12 critics. [4] On Metacritic, it has a score of 60% based on reviews from seven critics. [5]

Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice wrote: "Like it or not, Walking Tall is saying something very important to many people, and it is saying it with accomplished artistry. [6] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that, despite disliking the film, whose final scene he likened to "a nice KKK bonfire," he could "admire the manner in which it manipulates its audience through various notable clichés." [7] Judith Crist of New York Magazine wrote: "Walking Tall grabs you where trash and violence invariably do, with excellent performers, shrewd plotting, and pacing." [8] Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club , writing in 2002, describes the film as "an ultraviolent revenge fantasy" and "a masterpiece of over-the-top unintentional hilarity" and highly recommends the film, calling it an "unconscionably good time". [9]

Accolades

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Sequels

The original Walking Tall was a hit, but the sequels, Walking Tall Part 2 (September 28, 1975), and Walking Tall: Final Chapter (August 10, 1977), both starring Bo Svenson, were far less profitable.

Remake

On December 9, 1978, CBS aired a television movie titled A Real American Hero: Buford Pusser, starring Brian Dennehy as the title character. The film is set in 1967 and focused on real-life Sheriff Buford Pusser, who goes after a criminal who has killed young people with his illegal moonshine.

In 2004, a remake starring professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was made. Although it used elements from Pusser's life and the original Walking Tall, many things were changed. Johnson's character's name was now Chris Vaughn, the sheriff is trying to stop the selling of illegal drugs instead of illegal moonshine, and the film's setting became semirural Kitsap County, Washington, although it was filmed in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Two sequels to the remake were produced, and released in 2007: Walking Tall: The Payback and Walking Tall: Lone Justice , both made in Dallas, Texas, and released directly to DVD. These sequels starred Kevin Sorbo as Nick Prescott, the son of the town's sheriff, who takes the law into his own hands when his father is killed in a suspicious car accident.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McNairy County, Tennessee</span> County in Tennessee, United States

McNairy County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,866. Its county seat and largest city is Selmer. McNairy County is located along Tennessee's border with the state of Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selmer, Tennessee</span> City in Tennessee, United States

Selmer is a city in McNairy County, Tennessee, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 4,396 at the 2010 census and estimated at 4,400 at the 2018 census. It is named after Selma, Alabama. It is the county seat of McNairy County, Tennessee

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adamsville, Tennessee</span> Town in Tennessee, United States

Adamsville is a town in Hardin and McNairy counties, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,207 at the 2010 census. Adamsville is named after George D. Adams, who operated an inn and stagecoach stop in the 1840s. Adamsville's nickname is the "Biggest Little Town in Tennessee" and was the home of Sheriff Buford Pusser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buford Pusser</span> American policeman, sheriff, and wrestler (1937-1974)

Buford Hayse Pusser was the sheriff of McNairy County, Tennessee, from 1964 to 1970, and constable of Adamsville from 1970 to 1972. Pusser is known for his virtual one-man war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices along the Mississippi–Tennessee state line. His efforts have inspired several books, songs, movies and a TV series. He was also a wrestler known as "Buford the Bull" in the Mid-South.

<i>The Gambler</i> (1974 film) 1974 film

The Gambler is a 1974 American crime drama film written by James Toback and directed by Karel Reisz. It stars James Caan, Paul Sorvino, and Lauren Hutton. Caan's performance was widely lauded and was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Joe Don Baker is an American character actor and a life member of the Actors Studio. He established himself as an action star with supporting roles as a mysterious cowboy drifter in Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and as a deputy sheriff in the western Wild Rovers (1971), before receiving fame for his roles as a mafia hitman in Charley Varrick (1973), real-life Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser in the action film Walking Tall (1973), a brute force detective in Mitchell (1975), deputy sheriff Thomas Jefferson Geronimo III in Final Justice (1985), and police chief Jerry Karlin in the action-comedy Fletch (1985). He is also known for his appearances as both a villain and an ally in three James Bond films: as Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987) and as CIA Agent Jack Wade in GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Svenson</span> Swedish-American actor

Bo Svenson is a Swedish-American actor, film director, film producer, published author and award winning screenwriter, known for his roles in American genre films of the 1970s and 1980s.

The Dixie Mafia or Dixie Mob is an American criminal organization composed mainly of White Southerners and based in Biloxi, Mississippi, operating primarily throughout the Southern United States since at least the late 1960s. The group's activities include movement of stolen merchandise, illegal alcohol, and illegal drugs.

The State Line Mob was an association of criminal elements that operated in the 1950s and 1960s at the Mississippi–Tennessee state line in Alcorn County, Mississippi, and McNairy County, Tennessee, along U.S. Route 45. The State Line Mob was involved in bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, tourist fleecing, robbery, and murder. A few of the members were from Phenix City, Alabama, having been displaced from that town when martial law was declared by the Governor and the Alabama National Guard attempted to clean the town up.

<i>White Lightning</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Joseph Sargent

White Lightning is a 1973 American action film directed by Joseph Sargent, written by William W. Norton, and starring Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty, Bo Hopkins, R. G. Armstrong and Diane Ladd. It marked Laura Dern's film debut.

<i>Walking Tall</i> (2004 film) 2004 American vigilante action film

Walking Tall is a 2004 American vigilante action film directed by Kevin Bray. It is the remake of the 1973 film of the same name, and stars Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. The film revolves around a discharged U.S Army soldier, who returns to his hometown only to become the town's sheriff, when he finds that the town is laced with heinous crimes and corruption.

<i>Walking Tall: Lone Justice</i> 2007 American film

Walking Tall: Lone Justice is a 2007 American action film and direct-to-video sequel to 2004's Walking Tall and Walking Tall: The Payback, the film was directed by Tripp Reed and stars Kevin Sorbo, Haley Ramm and Jennifer Sipes.

<i>Walking Tall Part 2</i> 1975 film by Earl Bellamy

Walking Tall Part 2 is the 1975 sequel to the crime/action film, Walking Tall. Walking Tall Part 2 was directed by Earl Bellamy, and produced by Charles A. Pratt. The film stars Bo Svenson as Buford Pusser, replacing Joe Don Baker, who played Pusser in the first Walking Tall film. The on-screen title of the film is Part 2 Walking Tall: The Legend of Buford Pusser. The film was followed in 1977 by Walking Tall: Final Chapter, also starring Svenson.

<i>Walking Tall: Final Chapter</i> 1977 film by Jack Starrett

Walking Tall: Final Chapter is the third installment of the Walking Tall film series. The film was directed by Jack Starrett. It opened in the U.S. on June 17, 1977; its on-screen title is Final Chapter: Walking Tall. All Walking Tall films were shot in Chester and Madison Counties, Tennessee; Buford Pusser was sheriff of McNairy County.

<i>Walking Tall: The Payback</i> 2007 American film

Walking Tall: The Payback is a 2007 American action-thriller film, released direct-to-video as a stand-alone sequel to the 2004 film Walking Tall. Directed by Tripp Reed, it stars Kevin Sorbo, A.J. Buckley, Haley Ramm, Bentley Mitchum, Jennifer Sipes, Brad Leland, Charles Baker and Marc Macaulay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moonshine in popular culture</span>

Moonshine is referenced in many works, including books, motion pictures, musical lyrics and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chester County Courthouse (Tennessee)</span> United States historic place

The Chester County Courthouse is an historic county courthouse building located at 133 East Main Street, Court Square in Henderson, Chester County, Tennessee. Built in 1913 in the Classical Revival style of architecture. it is the third courthouse that Chester County has had, the previous ones having burned down. It is a two-story redbrick structure with a colonnaded front portico and a cupola in the center of its gabled roof. The original building has been added onto with an architecturally complementary extension on the rear. In 1973, it was featured in the movie Walking Tall, based on the life of McNairy County sheriff Buford Pusser. On March 26, 1979, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

<i>A Real American Hero</i> (film) American TV series or program

A Real American Hero is an American television movie that aired on CBS on December 9, 1978. It runs 90 minutes. The film was directed by Lou Antonio and written by Samuel A. Peeples.

Walking Tall is an American television drama series that ran on NBC in 1981 for one season of seven episodes. The first 5 episodes aired Saturday nights at 9:00 p.m.. The last 2 episodes aired Tuesday nights at 10:00 p.m.. NBC reran all 7 episodes from April–June 1981. This one-hour show was a continuation of the 1973 film Walking Tall, which was based on the life of McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser. In this series, Pusser is the sheriff of the fictionalized McNeal County, Tennessee, fighting criminals each week in 1969.

Walking Tall may refer to:

References

  1. 1 2 3 "'Walking Tall' To Deposit Counter". Variety . May 29, 1974. p. 4.
  2. ↑ Vincent Canby (February 9, 1974). "'Walking Tall':Film Depicts Violence in a Small Town". The New York Times . Archived from the original on August 8, 2014.
  3. ↑ Cohn, Lawrence (October 15, 1990). "All-Time Film Rental Champs". Variety . p. M194.
  4. ↑ "Walking Tall". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Walking Tall (1973)". Metacritic . Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  6. ↑ Andrew Sarris The Village Voice 21 Feb 1974, p.61
  7. ↑ Canby, Vincent (February 9, 1974). "Screen: 'Walking Tall'". The New York Times . Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ Judith Crist of New York Magazine 18 Feb 1974, p.74
  9. ↑ "Walking Tall". March 29, 2002.
  10. ↑ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.