Walking Tall (1973)

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Mort Briskin (writer)
Stephen Downing (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

22 February 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Take your best shot... 'cause it'll probably be your last.

Plot:

Based on the life of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser whom almost single-handily cleaned up his small town of crime and corruption, but at a personal cost of his family life and nearly his own life.

Plot Keywords:

Corruption | Tennessee | Sheriff | Corrupt | Wrestler

Cast

Joe Don Baker	...	Buford Pusser
Elizabeth Hartman	...	Pauline Pusser
Leif Garrett	...	Mike Pusser
Dawn Lyn	...	Dwana Pusser
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Grandpa Carl Pusser (as Noah Beery)
Lurene Tuttle	...	Grandma Pusser
Ed Call	...	Lutie McVey
Dominick Mazzie	...	Bozo
Lynn Borden	...	Margie Ann
Brenda Benet	...	Luan Paxton (as Brenda Benét)
Arch Johnson	...	Buel Jaggers
Russell Thorson	...	Ferrin Meaks
Gil Perkins	...	1st Bouncer
Carey Loftin	...	Dice Player
Warner Venetz	...	Stickman
Gene LeBell	...	2nd Bouncer
Del Monroe	...	Otie Doss
Gene Evans	...	Sheriff Al Thurman
Bruce Glover	...	Grady Coker
Don Keefer	...	Dr. Lamar Stivers
Felton Perry	...	Obra Eaker
Douglas Fowley	...	Judge R.W. Clarke (as Douglas V. Fowley)
Lloyd Tatum	...	Prosecutor
Vaudie Plunk	...	Jury Foreman
Wanea Wes	...	Singer
Sam Laws	...	Willie Rae Lockman
Rosemary Murphy	...	Callie Hacker
John Brascia	...	Prentiss Parley
Kenneth Tobey	...	Augie McCullah
Pearline Wynn	...	Hassie Berlson
Pepper Martin	...	Zolan Dicks
Ted Jordan	...	Virgil Button
Red West	...	Sheriff Tanner
Andrew J. Pirtle	...	Prisoner
Logan Ramsey	...	John Witter
Richard X. Slattery	...	Arno Purdy
Sidney Clute	...	Sheldon Levine
John Myhers	...	Lester Dickens
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lloyd Harris	...	Doctor in E.R. (uncredited)
Chris Ladd	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Phil Karlson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mort Briskin		writer
Stephen Downing		writer
John Michael Hayes		uncredited

Produced by
Joel Briskin	....	associate producer
Mort Briskin	....	producer
Charles A. Pratt	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Walter Scharf

Cinematography by
Jack A. Marta		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Harry W. Gerstad		(as Harry Gerstad)

Casting by
Irving Lande

Production Design by
Stan Jolley

Costume Design by
Phyllis Garr
Oscar Rodriguez

Makeup Department
Virginia Jones	....	hair stylist
Jack H. Young	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Floyd Joyer	....	production manager
Houseley Stevenson Jr.	....	post-production supervisor (as Houseley Stevenson)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ralph E. Black	....	assistant director (as Ralph Black)
David 'Buck' Hall	....	assistant director
Mark Sandrich Jr.	....	second assistant director (as Mark Sandrich)

Art Department
Sam Gordon	....	properties
Wallace Graham	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Gilmore	....	production sound mixer (as Andy Gilmore)
James J. Klinger	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Sass Bedig	....	special effects

Stunts
Carey Loftin	....	stunt coordinator
Gil Perkins	....	stunt coordinator
Roydon Clark	....	stunt double: Joe Don Baker (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl Kennedy	....	chief electrician
Sherman Kunkel	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor

Transportation Department
James D. Brubaker	....	transportation coordinator (as Jim Brubaker)

Other crew
Hazel W. Hall	....	script supervisor (as Hazel Hall)
John Pommer	....	production executive (as John E. Pommer)
Buford Pusser	....	technical advisor
Maury Foladare	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bing Crosby Productions

Distributors

• Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM-Fox (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (????) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Rhino Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• Vestron Video International (1985) (Belgium) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1985) (UK) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Chrysler Corporation  automobiles furnished by
• Cinemobile System  location equipment (as Cinemobile Systems)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1986) (video) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1986) (video) | France:U | Finland:(Banned) (uncut) (1974) (theatrical) | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1974) (theatrical) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:R | Norway:16 (video rating) | Norway:(Banned) (1974-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Henderson, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Bing Crosby Productions

Trivia:

Two actresses associated with this film went on to commit suicide: Elizabeth Hartman jumped from the 5th floor of a Pittsburgh apartment building in June 1987; Brenda Benet took her life in April 1982. She had been married to Bill Bixby.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Sheriff Pusser addresses his deputies for the first time outside of the Sheriff's station, there is a boom mic visible at the top of the screen for the entire scene.

Quotes:

Buford:Hey Arno, howzit hangin?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Rules of Attraction (2002)

Soundtrack:

Walking Tall

What's the fuss about?

Wow, the previous reviewer really had issues with this film! Judging from his/her use of overly-descriptive adjectives, I'd say he/she was looking down their nose, even before they entered the theatre.

"It coincided with the beginning of a sordid bottom period in the social and intellectual history of the United States from which the nation has yet to recover."

Whoa! Where'd that come from !? For starters, that wasn't the beginning of any bottom period for this country. I'm not even sure what context he/she is referring to. If it's violence in society, then you need to roll the clock back 10, 20 or more years to find the bottom. Sounds like someone lived in a glass house during the McCarthy-era, JFK's assassination, Vietnam, MLK's assassination - and that's just going back 10-20 years! Dip back further into the early part of the century, when the country was involved in labor fights (of which I highly recommend watching "Matewan One", a movie about unionizing coal miners of West Virginia back in the 20's or 30's).

Sorry to digress. Here's my take on Walking Tall:

I watched this the other night and was glued to it! Not for the display of violence, but for the fact that this movie is now nearly 30 years old and it's like a time capsule of sorts. Yes, it was a story based on violence, but the real story is how morally bankrupt one town had become, while still functioning as a little town somewhere in America.

Joe Don Baker played an excellent role in being a not-so-nice guy bent on cleaning up the scum of his childhood town. He had been away too long, and when he returned, it was too much for him to handle.

I took to watching this movie lightly. A lot of viewers commented on the social aspects of this, but I took-in all of the surrounding things like the props and scenery. For instance, look how huge those Dodge sedans were! Boats with wheels! The bad hair, bad clothes, especially one scene where his wife is wearing this blouse that has about 4 different contrasting patterns on it. Truly Seventies Americana.

As mentioned in another post, the boom operator must have been someone's kid helping out on the set, as the mic is shown in many of the scenes. Being an independent company, they must have said the heck with it in the editing room. Not enough money for a re-shoot.

I take this movie with a grain of salt. I was entertained by the time period of it and the acting. This movie belongs in the yet-to-be implemented IMDB genre category of "The Seventies". Hint hint IMDB.