Walking Tall
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Walking Tall is a 1973 semi-biopic of the late Sheriff Buford Pusser, a former professional wrestler-turned lawman in McNairy County, Tennessee. It starred Joe Don Baker as Pusser. The film was directed by Phil Karlson.
Pusser, at his wife Pauline's behest, retires from the ring and he moves back to Tennessee to become deputy under his father, Carl Pusser, and then the sheriff of Adamsville, Tennessee. But when he wins election as sheriff of McNairy County, Pusser becomes aware of the rampant corruption and decides to clean up the county. Buford Pusser became infamous for being incorruptible, intolerant of crime, and his array of four foot hickory clubs which he used to great effect in destroying clandestine gambling dens and illegal distilleries, and even against the bad guys.
Some residents praised Buford Pusser as an honest cop in a crooked town; others denounced him as a bully willing to break some laws to uphold others.
On August 12, 1967, he and Pauline were ambushed near the New Hope Road church in McNairy County. Pauline was killed, and Pusser was seriously injured.
The original Walking Tall was a hit, but the tepid sequels, Part 2, Walking Tall and Final Chapter - Walking Tall, both starring Bo Svenson, were far less profitable. A short-lived 1981 television series (again starring Svenson) further dramatized Pusser's life and career. Buford Pusser himself was signed to star in Part 2, Walking Tall, but on August 21, 1974, after a press conference in Memphis, Tennessee to announce the film, Pusser's Corvette left the road about six miles from his Adamsville home and struck an embankment, ejecting Pusser. He probably died upon impact or shortly afterwards.
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Controversy
In some circles, the name Buford Pusser has become synonymous with police brutality. This is bolstered by the fact that Walking Tall was initially marketed, perhaps erroneously, as a right-wing film upon its original release. [1] Whenever a character parodies Pusser, he is generally violent and overzealous.
Remake
In 2004, a remake starring professional wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was made. Although it took many elements of Pusser's life and the original Walking Tall, many things were changed, such as Johnson's character's name (Chris Vaughn) and setting the film in semi-rural Kitsap County, Washington. The remake was generally seen as formulaic action-adventure fare and only performed modestly at the box office.
Pop culture references
In an episode of South Park, Eric Cartman becomes an acting police officer. He starts speaking with a faux-Southern accent, and pulls people over for trivial offenses. When they resist, he accuses them of not respecting his authority and beats them with a billy club.