Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Walking Tall

  • 1973
  • R
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
6.4K
YOUR RATING
Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Hartman in Walking Tall (1973)
Trailer for Walking Tall
Play trailer1:12
1 Video
42 Photos
ActionBiographyCrime

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

  • Director
    • Phil Karlson
  • Writers
    • Mort Briskin
    • Stephen Downing
    • John Michael Hayes
  • Stars
    • Joe Don Baker
    • Elizabeth Hartman
    • Leif Garrett
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    6.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Phil Karlson
    • Writers
      • Mort Briskin
      • Stephen Downing
      • John Michael Hayes
    • Stars
      • Joe Don Baker
      • Elizabeth Hartman
      • Leif Garrett
    • 64User reviews
    • 38Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Walking Tall
    Trailer 1:12
    Watch Walking Tall

    Photos42

    "Walking Tall" Joe Don Baker
    "Walking Tall" Joe Don Baker
    Joe Don Baker in Walking Tall (1973)
    Grande Movie Poster, 47 x 63
    Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Hartman in Walking Tall (1973)
    Joe Don Baker in Walking Tall (1973)
    Joe Don Baker in Walking Tall (1973)
    Elizabeth Hartman in Walking Tall (1973)
    Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Hartman in Walking Tall (1973)
    Walking Tall (1973)
    Walking Tall (1973)
    Walking Tall (1973)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Joe Don Baker
    Joe Don Baker
    • Buford Pusser
    Elizabeth Hartman
    Elizabeth Hartman
    • Pauline
    Leif Garrett
    Leif Garrett
    • Mike
    Dawn Lyn
    Dawn Lyn
    • Dwana
    Noah Beery Jr.
    Noah Beery Jr.
    • Grandpa
    • (as Noah Beery)
    Lurene Tuttle
    Lurene Tuttle
    • Grandma
    Ed Call
    • Lutie McVeigh
    Dominick Mazzie
    • Bozo
    Lynn Borden
    Lynn Borden
    • Margie Ann
    Brenda Benet
    Brenda Benet
    • Luan Paxton
    • (as Brenda Benét)
    Arch Johnson
    Arch Johnson
    • Buel Jaggers
    Russell Thorson
    Russell Thorson
    • Ferrin Meaks
    Gil Perkins
    Gil Perkins
    • 1st Bouncer
    Carey Loftin
    Carey Loftin
    • Dice Player
    Warner Venetz
    • Stickman
    Gene LeBell
    Gene LeBell
    • 2nd Bouncer
    Del Monroe
    • Otie Doss
    Gene Evans
    Gene Evans
    • Sheriff Al Thurman
    • Director
      • Phil Karlson
    • Writers
      • Mort Briskin
      • Stephen Downing
      • John Michael Hayes(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Walking Tall Part II
    6.0
    Walking Tall Part II
    Final Chapter: Walking Tall
    5.7
    Final Chapter: Walking Tall
    Framed
    6.4
    Framed
    Walking Tall
    7.1
    Walking Tall
    Walking Tall
    6.2
    Walking Tall
    Walking Tall: The Payback
    4.7
    Walking Tall: The Payback
    Walking Tall: Lone Justice
    4.8
    Walking Tall: Lone Justice
    The Outfit
    7.0
    The Outfit
    Billy Jack
    6.2
    Billy Jack
    Joe
    6.8
    Joe
    Rolling Thunder
    6.9
    Rolling Thunder
    White Lightning
    6.4
    White Lightning

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The real-life Buford Pusser actually wanted Bo Svenson to play him in this film; however Svenson was unavailable and Joe Don Baker was cast instead. When Baker turned down Walking Tall Part II (1975), the producers approached Svenson again, by which time Svenson jumped at the chance to play Pusser.
    • Goofs
      When bartender Bozo and Margie Ann pick up the unconscious drunk outside The Lucky Spot, the drunk pushes off slightly with his right leg to help out with the lift.
    • Quotes

      Buford: There's only two rules, and thats all... But don't ever forget them. Number one we enforce the law equally. Number two, any man caught taking a bribe gets his head knocked off by me.

    • Alternate versions
      Although the UK cinema version was uncut the 1988 Vestron video version was cut by 29 secs by the BBFC to heavily edit a scene where a woman is whipped and closeup shots of her wounds.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      Walking Tall
      Sung by Johnny Mathis

      Lyrics by Don Black

      Music by Walter Scharf

    User reviews64

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    you "boom mike" people don't understand
    All you folks complaining that this is amateur film-making because the boom is visible in several shots don't understand how movies are made. In order to get good sound on dialog, the mike is hung very close to the subject. It is almost always captured on film, but in the area which is not meant to be seen by an audience, as the square film frame is supposed to be matted at top and bottom by the projectionist when shown in a theater, or by the technician when transferring film to video.

    In the case of Walking Tall, whoever supervised the transfer to video did so "open matte", meaning they transfered the ENTIRE film frame without proper matting, hence the visible boom. This was not carelessness on the part of the filmmakers, but on the part of whoever put it out on video. You'd see microphone booms in Star Wars if it were transfered to video this way.

    When I saw Walking Tall in the theater, it did not have visible booms. Blame the video release, not the filmmakers.
    helpful•80
    16
    • wilbrifar
    • Aug 13, 2006

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 22, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Große aus dem Dunkeln
    • Filming locations
      • Jackson, Tennessee, USA
    • Production company
      • Bing Crosby Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $500,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Joe Don Baker and Elizabeth Hartman in Walking Tall (1973)
    Top Gap
    What is the French language plot outline for Walking Tall (1973)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.