WALKING TALL (1973)
Special Features: 50th Anniversary. Intro by George Pelecanos at the March 31 show
After retiring from the wrestling ring, ex-Marine Buford Pusser (Joe Don Baker, in his breakthrough role) returns to his home state of Tennessee to try his hand at logging. After a trip to the seedy gambling establishment the Lucky Spot ends up with Pusser seriously injured, he makes a vow to rid the town of corruption. He carves a big wooden club and bludgeons his way through town, ultimately being elected sheriff — much to the dismay of the local riffraff. Uncompromisingly visceral, WALKING TALL was directed by underappreciated B-movie maestro Phil Karlson (99 RIVER STREET, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL), adapting the actual life of legendary lawman Buford Pusser into a crowd-pleasing action thriller. DIR Phil Karlson; SCR/PROD Mort Briskin. U.S., 1973, color, 125 min. RATED R
AFI Member passes accepted.
Run Time: 125 Minutes
Opening Date: Friday, March 31, 2023
Genre: Action thriller