The rock while strong and fit is certainly more show than go. Im betting buford would take the rock in about 10 seconds, buford was a legit tough guy with tons of real world fight experience and even wrestled a bear and won. Famous headstones buford pusser tennessee sheriff, his life was the subject of the walking tall movies. Sheriff buford pusser and the true story of walking tall. There are also some officials who feel the same way and are using every means to get rid of pusser. This town gained a reputation during the 1940s through the 1960s of being a hideaway for several chicago mob affiliates and home to the infamous state line mob. Walking tall is a 1973 american action semibiopic film of sheriff buford pusser, a former professional wrestlerturnedlawman in mcnairy county, tennessee. The onscreen title of the film is part 2 walking tall. Angered by the authorities nonaction, pusser decides to run for sheriff and upon his win, proceeds to clean the town up, usually with. My mother grew up in mcnairy countyshe went out on a date with one of bufords deputies and i can remember going to the esquire in cape girardeau to see the first walking tall move the clerks were a little bit aghast that our. Buford pusser vs the rock walking tall 2004 discussion.
I wouldve given this movie a 7 out of 10 and i wouldve given it a 1 out of 10 if the story didnt have anything to do with bufford pussers life but it did and that why i had given this movie a 3 out 10. Pusser, 57, lived a life full of tragedy and heartbreak, beginning with the death of her mother pauline in an alleged ambush that was meant for her father. It seems that times are changing, and the once adoring people of pusser s town now fear him and feel like its time to make a change. A pictorial history of the walking tall sheriff 1997. Just enjoy the movie and pray for more honest people to stand against the corruption. Buford pusser, whose exploits as a crusading sheriff in mcnairy county, tennessee, were related in the hit movie walking tall, was killed in a traffic accident early yesterday, only hours. As you read morris books, he starts out making buford out to be a total hero, complementing sheriff pusser in every way possible, siding with. The walking tall movies tell about his life and tragic death. The first walking tall movie about his life was made before his death. The daughter of famed walking tall sheriff buford pusser has died, officials confirmed thursday morning.
Several movies called walking tall have been made about his life that depict the man who cleaned up a town, got caught in the middle of an assassination attempt, and spent the rest of his life hellbent on vengeance for those who had hurt his family. After buford died joe don later changed his story and said he didnt do the sequel because the script was no good. Pusser can either be regarded as a tireless champion of justice or a baseballbatwielding hooligan. Unfortunately, the museum makes little effort clarify sheriff pussers true story. Based on a true story, three classic films, the first starring baker. Walking tall part 2 was directed by earl bellamy, and produced by charles a. Buford hayse pusser was the sheriff of mcnairy county, tennessee from 1964 to 1970 and the subject of the film walking tall.
Never resorting to subtlety, walking tall was such a winner that it spawned two sequels, a madefortelevision movie, and a weekly tv series none of which were enjoyed by the real buford pusser. Buford hayse pusser 19371974 find a grave memorial. Selmer, a small town in southwest tennessee, served as the authentic background for the biopic of the heroic southern sheriff. The legendary sheriff buford pusser public group facebook. Sheriff buford pusser of tennessee whos life was made into a movie about his fight against organized crime in his small town march he was killed in a suspicious car crash just after this. Pusser, a 6 feet 6 inch tall 250 pound former professional wrestler, became known for his virtual oneman war on moonshining, prostitution, gambling, and other vices on the mississippitennessee stateline against. The story begins with the critical and box office smash hit film walking tall, starring joe don baker as buford pusser, the fed up lawman who fought a tremendous uphill battle to clean up his hometown. Elizabeth hartman 1943 1987 she appeared in the movie the group and played the wife of sheriff buford pusser in the movie walking tall and the blind girl in the movie a patch of blue forest lawn memorial park blind girl elizabeth hartman famous graves walking tall acting skills poitiers political memes vintage movies. Adamsville, tennessee if tennessee had a mount rushmore of its dead folk heroes, the big heads would likely be of elvis, davy crockett, jack daniels, and buford pusser dont even get us started on ky rushmore buford was the bigstickcarrying walking tall sheriff of mcnairy county. A surprise hit when it premiered, walking tall carried the theme of one man standing up for his sense of right and wrong. The film stars bo svenson as buford pusser, replacing joe don baker who played pusser in the first walking tall film. The sequel was filmed using swedish actor bo swensen, and a final chapter triquel told of pussers demise.
This was the man buford pusser the man who became the target of many assassination attempts one of which took the life of his wife and left him emotionally and physically scarred. Tennessee sheriff buford pusser almost singlehandily cleaned up his small town of crime and corruption, but at a personal cost of his family life and. The modest brick ranch home contains the original furnishings, photos, cars, guns and memorabilia of the pusser family. If your only knowledge of walking tall is from the really bad 2004 movie starring the rock, you should watch the original. The movie series walking tall was a story about her father, sheriff buford pusser of mcnairy county tennessee.
Based on pusser s life, it has become a cult classic with two direct sequels of its own, a tv movie, a brief tv series and a remake that had its own two sequels. Buford pusser of walking tall fame and the elvis connection. We were driving from memphis to shiloh national park when we saw signs for the buford pusser museum. Ergo, when buford who is based on a reallife tennessee sheriff who cleaned up a corrupt town at risk of. In 2000, highway 64 was named the buford pusser highway, in his honor. Buford pusser, a 66 300lb former professional wrestler became sheriff of mcnairy county tn. But by august 21, 1974, he was retired and a hollywood celebrity, driving away from his hometown county fair in a new corvette hed bought with money from his first walking tall. Joe don baker did an admirable job with the role, and the hugely violent film was a surprise hit. Sheriff buford pusser of tennessee whos life was made into a movie about his fight against organized crime in his small town march 2nd, 1998. Sheriff buford pusser museum whats right is right, and.
The high strangeness of the original walking tall trilogy. Buford pusser, sheriff depicted in walking tall film, is. A memorial was erected to him on the spot where he had his fatal accident. Big jake full movie, english film, western movie, wild west, full length free cowboy movie duration. Buford pusser was the walking tall sheriff, famous for his frequent violent runins with local lowlifes and gangsters.
We remembered the movie walking tall and decided to stop. The rock and buford pusser were both pro wrestlers so who do you think would win if they were both in their primes. The cars of buford pusser and the movie walking tall. The 1973 movie walking tall was based on pusser s story. Walking tall is a 1973 action drama directed by phil karlson and stars joe don baker as buford pusser, a former us marine and professional wrestler who returned to his hometown in tennessee only to find that it has been corrupted by gambling and prostitution. The state line mob and buford pusser buford, walking. Home of buford walking tall pusser, adamsville, tennessee.
Today, a memorial stands in mcnairy county in the house that buford pusser grew up in. Walking tall 1973 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. All three continue to give inspiration and hope to viewers. I streamed this movie via amazon prime so can not address any dvd issues. Walking tall is a 1973 american semibiographical action film of sheriff buford pusser, a professional wrestlerturnedlawman in mcnairy county, tennessee, played by joe don baker. Walking tall part 2 is the 1975 sequel to the crimeaction film, walking tall. The big sleeper movie hit of the past yearin parts of the south it has outgrossed the godfatheris walking tall. Buford pusser joe don baker, the hero of walking tall, also loses a dog to his tormentors, but thats just one crank of the motivation wheel. Walking tall 1973 internet movie firearms database. Im hard pressed to think of another film franchise quite this self. Buford pusser was a tennessee sheriff and a one man army who walked tall and carried a big stick. Since his death, several additional movies have been made, highlighting pussers career, including walking tall, part 2 1975, walking tall, the final chapter 1977, and walking tall 1981. Many of you will remember the 1973 movie entitled walking tall. Walking tall buford pusser, former wrestler and serviceman returns to family home to find the town taken over by the memphis mob and being run by various criminals.
He was the sheriff of mcnairy county, tennessee, and subject of the movie walking tall in which his unusual methods of law enforcement brought him popular renown. After a day of news meetings buford was going to the mcnairy county fairgrounds to meet his daughter there. Buford pusser was the subject of several major motion pictures. Joe don baker called buford pusser a facist pig after he made the first movie and refused to appear in the sequel.
Many of you will remember ed call from his portrayal of lutie mcveigh bufords high school buddy, who first took him to the lucky spot. So in short the walking tall films become a franchise about not buford pusser so much, but the walking tall trilogy itself. He was the sheriff who was said to be shot eight times and stabbed seven times and whose wife was killed in an ambush meant for. A lot has been written over the years regarding buford pusser and the state line. The movie disclaimer in walking tall stated that the film was based on certain events in the life of buford pusser. In 1973, a movie called walking tall, which was based on pussers life, was released. About this time buford was feeling great about things in his life, besides, he was going to be a movie star. While the walking tall franchise will never be on any list of classic film, the original is a great slice of americana, circa 70s. Buford pusser of walking tall fame and the elvis connection part 1. Pusser s daughter dwana released a book in 2009 entitled walking on, which is also an account of his life.
In august of 1974, movie executives held a press conference in memphis to announce that buford would play himself in the next buford movie. I strongly suggest that anyone who is planning on watching this cheese i suggest dont and watch the first sequel instead. In the walking tall trilogy he was played by bruce glover in the tv movie he was played by ed call. Moviechat forums walking tall 1973 discussion why did bo svenson replace joe don baker. When i was 11 years old, i read the small paperback, walking tall, and developed a crush on sheriff pusser, one that was puffed up more when i saw joe don baker portray him in the movie. What they didnt tell you was that the movie was mostly fictional. It made bakers career and perhaps kicked the southsploutation genre of that decade into gear. Walking tall big stick sheriff buford pusser museum. I will not dignify this portrayal with more than that. This film is the unabashedly manipulative story of reallife tennessee sheriff buford pusser. In addition, morris also created a pictorial history book of buford called the legacy of buford pusser.
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