Lemme y'all tell a story about a fine working-class hero named Buford Pusser!
Actually, being a European and born in the 80s, I only know Buford Pusser from his Wikipedia page and the many things I heard & read about this film. "Walking Tall" is supposedly one of the most successful and loved drive-in/exploitation movies of its era, so it must have ended up on my must-see list sooner or later. It's a partially biographical and partially fictionalized tale about a "real American Hero", and illustrates the period between Buford's homecoming to McNairy County, TN, and the tragic assassination of his wife in 1967. The sequel picks up from there, and normally would have starred the real Buford Pusser if he hadn't died in questionable circumstances prior to the start of production. Bo Svenson took over the role from Joe Don Baker (who refused in honor of Buford Pusser) and portrayed him in the two sequels and a short-lived television series.
So much for the information you can also find on Wikipedia. "Walking Tall" is a bizarre drive-in/exploitation experience, since it's one of the sole movies of its type that successfully merges emotional drama with extreme bits of violence. Usually these "Dixie-rednecksploitation" efforts heavily focus on the moonshining, liquor-smuggling and illegal gambling activities - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - but "Walking Tall" clearly wanted to put the emphasize on human beings and their personal quests. This naturally includes Pusser's quest to rid his beloved county of all the smutty mafia practices going on, but also his wife's quest to safeguard her husband and family, and the quest of the Dixie mobsters to proceed with their profitable business and eliminate the intrusive Sheriff. It's definitely different, but "Walking Tall" works very efficiently. Even though a bit too long for my taste, the atmosphere is moody and ominous throughout, and all the significant characters are well-developed. The action sequences are very violent, and the aforementioned assassination even downright shocking, but it certainly adds power and realism to the film. Great acting performances all-around, notably from Joe Don Baker and the integer Elizabeth Hartman as his wife, but also from many respectable names in the supportive cast, like Noah Beery Jr, Gene Evans, Felton Perry and Bruce Glover. With regards to that last name, it's amazing how Bruce Glover and his son Crispin look identical!
