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Hey there!
Grandma!
Dwana! Oh, how you've grown!
Grandpa! Grandpa!
Mikey!
Grandpa!
Oh, Dwana, how are you?
Grandma! How are you?
Oh, that's my boy.
How are you? You...
Pauline.
Grandpa. Oh.
Papa! How are you?
Hey, you're looking good.
Grandpa, we're getting a house that doesn't move!
A regular house with a solid foundation.
Where?
Well, right around here somewhere
if you think you can tolerate us.
Oh, Pauline, is it true?
It is, Grandma
Are you trying to tell me that you've given up wresting?
Yes, Grandpa, Buford the Bull is officially retired.
Oh, Son, that makes me so happy.
Pauline, I'll bet you had something to do with this.
Mmm-mmm. It was Buford's decision as always.
I just agreed immediately.
It was a one-way street leading nowhere, Dad.
It was organized dishonesty.
It was a system.
You know, you win when they let you win,
you climb the ladder when they let you,
you breathe when they feel like giving you air.
I just got fed up with other people running my life their way.
Buford, it's all over now. Don't relive it.
It weren't worth it. Yeah, you're right.
Now, see what you did with your fool questions?
They've come home.
Nothing else is important.
Oh, don't worry, Mama. I'm not gonna fight with anybody anymore.
Buford's word.
By God, this calls for a drink
With you, just about everything calls for a drink.
Oh, well, anytime a man's son returns to his senses,
it's celebrating time.
I wanna go see the cows.
That's for first graders.
I wanna see Dad's solid gold football.
My granddaddy gave me this gun when I was 9 years old.
And when you're 9 years old, Mike, we just might talk about it.
Gee, I'm almost nine.
Grandma's making cookies downstairs.
I get the bowl!
I get the scraper!
Thank you.
Nothing wrong with guns, in the right hands.
You wondering why you ever left this place?
We all make mistakes.
Of course, the smart fella,
he don't make the same mistake twice.
Now you take Parker Forsythe.
You remember Parker?
He had 300 acres.
Only trouble was, he never did learn that gasoline
and white lightning just don't mix.
God reminded him one night,
right up there where state highway meets Route 7...
Now old Parker's allotted land is
back on the open market. $6,000 down.
House, nice house, almost new.
Furnished.
Got two catfish ponds on it.
The state even has a timber lease.
Now if a fellow was to get a partner,
and the partner had some logging gear.
Dad, what time did you tell the bank we'd come look at the place?
That does call for a drink.
Yeah.
There it is!
Oh, Buford
Look, I see them coming up! Do you?
The first thing we do
is sell the trailer so we won't ever be tempted.
Knew you were gonna say that.
That's why I sold it this morning.
For me? No, it's for us.
Oh, Buford! Oh.
I might just cry. Oh!
Watch the steps.
Honey, here's the deed and the mortgage to your home.
You happy?
Buford! It's Lutie
Oh.
It's Lutie McVeigh!
He played end on our football team. Remember, Mama?
I sure do.
Are you crazy, Lutie?
He drives them all fast and he's never caught,
but he's always good for laughs.
He's gonna stop.
Yeah.
Grandma and I have a lot of shopping to do.
You'd just be in the way.
Take your time. I'll go home with her.
You sure? Positive.
Come on, Grandma.
One thing, Buford. What?
If you look around town, you might see some changes
But pay them no mind.
They've got nothin g to do with us.
Yes, ma'am.
I heard it, but I didn't believe it.
"The old Forsythe place," they said.
"Nonsense," I said. "Buford Pusser," they said.
"Must be another Buford Pusser," I said.
"Nobody's gonna tame that wild bull dog. " No, sir.
Hey, Lutie!
Why, a man would have to be crazy to give up
all them faraway places with them strange-sounding dames.
You didn't, did you?
Afraid I did. I come home to roost.
The old lady, and a pretty one she is,
kinda leaned on you, huh?
Settle down, grow roots.
Her daddy ain't gonna have no more fun, she said.
Now, come on, you can level with old Lutie.
Nah, it ain't nothing like that.
I just got tired of being a trained animal in somebody else's circus.
Hey, come on, let's get a beer.
Only refused a drink once in my life
and that was offered over the telephone.
Hey, remember Amy Dalton? Yeah.
She's got seven kids now.
Two by her own husband.
Grady Coker, he's deputy sheriff,
in case you want a ticket fixed.
Where we going, Chuck and Babe's?
Man, you really are out of touch.
Why, that place is nothing but an old museum.
Strictly senior citizens.
Why, they even play checkers on the bar.
Buford, we're a big city.
We got our own sin, gambling, crime, vice, 24 hours a day.
A man like you'd feel right at home. Come on, let's go!
Look, Buford, look!
How about that, huh?
A shopping center for sinners.
You can lay a bet or a broad or a base for a three-day drunk.
Brought more business to town than anything since the cotton gin.
Mabel, how are you, baby?
How are you?
Come on, let's go. Come on, go, go!
Oasis for the weary traveler.
Home for the wicked.
Soothing balm for the frustrated husband.
And some of the gals even give trading stamps
to keep the old lady from waking up the kids when you come home.
Sodom and Gomorrah,here comes Buford, the Wild Bull!
No holds barred.
Mercy, mercy, look at the motor on that!
Wanna break training, gents?
Just slightly. Couple of beers.
Hiya, Lutie!
Hi, Margie Ann
Hello, baby!
What is this?
Tarzan?
Superman?
Or King Kong?
This here's my bodyguard, Buford.
There's enough here for three of us.
Only if he gets group rates, Margie Ann.
Bozo, these girls are tinder dry
Wet them down!
What's the matter, honey? Come on, come on.
Come here, baby! Oh, Lord!
A beer
That's on me, Bozo!
You got a light?
I don't smoke.
Looking's for free
What I mean is, looking don't cost nothing.
Settle down, girls, and drink your pacifiers.
I'll tell you when.
Now for the next stop on our tour.
Bozo, get the girls another drink.
Come on, Buford. Come on, come on!
Ain't this something?
Watch me build this into a big bundle!
Give me $10
There you go.
Once more.
That's it. That's it, that's it.
Come on, come on. Let it go!
Come on, come on!
Let's go! Come on, come on, come on.
I sure could use $50 until we get back to town.
Come on, don't worry!
All right. You're my partner.
Yeah, yeah. Come on, come on.
Just a second.
Come on!
That's good. That's good.
Pit call.
There you go.
Four. Four's the number. Hard way open.
Place your bets, gentlemen.
Lady Luck is spreading her legs.
Oh, that's all I gotta do.
Bring them out, hard way. Hard way.
Hard way, you're on.
Two and two.
Oh, baby! Ah, yeah, come on four!
Your point's 13.
You're not rolling, wise guy.
My money is!
Get the money you lost, Lutie.
Give me my thirty-five dollars.
Now, just a minute
Look out, Buford!
...three!
Let me have him!
All right, Augie, show this bastard who runs things around here.
You should've called a seamstress.
Took some 200 stitches in him.
Three years in the Marine Corps,
five years in the ring.
He has to come home to get half killed.
Ordinary man wouldn't have made it through.
Where... Where can I wash up?
Pauline, did he mention where it happened?
Some place called the Lucky Spot.
I'd laugh if it weren't so awful.
Pretty... Pretty obvious he was all liquored up.
Dead drunk, huh, Doc?
Not obvious at all
The important thing to you should be who did it to him?
Yeah, Thurman.
Who throwed him in that ravine to die
And where's his station wagon, huh
I'm looking into that, Mr. Pusser.
Yeah, well, let's hope you don't look into it
like you been looking into all the other
funny things going on in this county.
Now, Carl, you know that men just naturally gotta let off steam.
I try and keep it in bounds.
You better be remembering one thing before election time.
People in this county give you that badge,
and they can damn well take it away from you!
Grandpa.
Not like you to threaten a man, Carl.
He speaks for more than himself.
Lunch time.
Pauline. Hello.
Buford, you feeling a bit better?
Yeah, physically, Grady.
I can't find tire nor bolt of your station wagon, Buford.
Neither can the state police.
It can't just vanish.
Oh, it happens all the time.
Professionals, most likely.
They repaint them, file off the numbers, you know.
Say, as far as that fracas you got into over at the Lucky Spot,
I can't find a single witness that saw it your way.
We got Lutie.
Now, Buford, you know Lutie.
Crazy Lutie McVeigh!
Can't tell where the truth ends off and the tall stories begins.
Nobody takes him serious.
I do.
Well, if that's your whole case, you got none.
Look, I got a chest full of stitches!
Well, if that's all, count your blessings and drop the case.
Like hell I will!
Your funeral.
Thurman,
Thurman, I've known you since I was a kid.
I always thought you walked tall.
Looks like you done learned how to crawl!
Buford, you've got stitches, remember?
How can I forget? Hey, Grady, what about you
You just gonna let them throw me in a hole and bury me?
Well, what am I supposed to do, Buford?
He deals the cards.
I just play the hand I get.
Go find yourself another game.
Grady! Get over here and fast!
Oh, there it is again.
What?
The system.
You gotta live my way or you don't live.
It's just like a clock
Every time we get started,
that damn boy in that beat-up truck
of his comes around looking for a job.
Obra?
Buford!
Hey! You really filled out
Yeah, well, you did, too.
We made a great tag team, huh?
Well, maybe we still can.
Can you use a man and his truck?
I'm used to hard work and low pay.
Well.
Can you get your load in good shape?
Yeah, sure I can.
Well, we need men, and the pay's the same for everybody.
You're on! Thanks.
Hey, I'll go tell the boss.
Pa!
Pa, you got something against Obra?
I knowed him since he was a pickaninny.
Hired his old daddy many times.
That doesn't tell me anything.
Well, he got educated, you see?
Then he come down with a raging case of that new social disease
Black Power.
Is that all?
Now look, hold on just a minute.
I believe in equality just as much as anybody.
But I don't want it forced on me, see?
Gonna be a lot of fun working with the two of you.
Come on, man, give me a break, will you? Slow down!
You say you want a job, huh?
Yeah!
That's lunch!
Oh!
Touchdown!
You know, if you push that wood any faster, man,
I'm gonna need six arms.
You can take it. I got faith in you
Yeah.
Walk softly and carry a big stick, huh?
You planning on trying that somewhere?
I was thinking about it.
When I get well enough.
How does it feel to be part of the oppressed minority?
Well, that's something you ought to know about.
Any suggestions?
Yep.
Do not beat your head against the wall
cause it'll probably fall on you.
Two, lone wolves are easy prey.
Organize. There's strength in unity.
And, three, you are a damn fool, Buford,
for trying to do what I know you're going to.
Margie Ann, lie down, I wanna talk to you.
Hey, Bozo, don't give me no crap!
Help me get this bum up.
What's up, Bozo?
Bozo!
Look, I'm, I'm just the bookkeeper.
I didn't have anything to do with it
Here's a receipt.
$3,630 you owe me.
3,300 for my station wagon,
280 for my and Lutie's money,
and about $50 for the doctor's bill.
You sign it, you give me my money.
No, just the $3,630 you owe me.
Sign it.
Mister, your hands are shaking.
If you miss, you'll never shoot again.
Pull.
Buford, you're under arrest.
What for?
Assault and battery and armed robbery.
That dog moves, shoot him.
Shep, sit. Sit! Stay!
Cuff him.
Buford, I don't understand.
What happened?
He knocked over the Lucky Spot.
I'll be all right, Pauline.
Just tell Daddy to get me bail money.
My daddy wouldn't rob anybody!
Looks like violence runs in your family.
$50,000 for bail?
They don't set that much in this state for premeditated murder!
What is this about only one day to prepare for trial?
You're ignorant of the law, Pusser. You refused to hire counsel,
so suffer the consequences of your foolishness.
Do you have any idea what you face?
Sure. Frame-up?
A possible sentence of 30 years.
Now, whether you want it or not,
I'm gonna give you the benefit of my legal wisdom.
Don't go to trial.
Plead guilty to the assault charge.
Make financial restitution,
and I'll personally consider some kind of lesser sentence.
How much lesser?
I'll work that out with Sheriff Thurman.
In that case, I'll take my chances with the McNairy County jury.
You're a damn fool, Buford!
But then we've already established that, haven't we?
All right, take him back.
People of the State of Tennessee v. Buford Pusser.
Honorable Judge R. W. Clarke presiding
Against my advice, the defendant
desires to act as his own counsel.
Therefore he cannot claim a mistrial on that basis.
Will the defendant please challenge the jury?
It's fine with me.
The prosecutor may challenge.
If it please the court, the jury is satisfactory with the state.
They just fished Lutie McVeigh and his car out of the river.
Then you may call your first witness.
Call Buel Jaggers.
Buel Jaggers.
Go on, Mr. Pusser.
This morning my only witness, Lutie McVeigh,
he was fished out of the river.
Well, they've had their say.
Seems like they've had that kind of say around here for too long.
Look, I had to stand up for myself alone.
And I didn't go in to rob any gambling house with just a stick.
I went in there to remind them that somewhere in this world,
there's still a little law and order left.
To let them know in the only kind of terms
that their kind understand is
that they can't buy, bribe or threaten
their way out of what they did to me!
They did this!
Oh, now hold it! You're out of order!
Stop it right now! Stop it!
Your Honor, the state objects to it.
You let them do this to me and get away with it,
then you give me the eternal right to do
the same damn thing to any one of you!
You're out of order, sir!
And put on your shirt!
They've only been out less than five minutes.
Mr. Foreman, have the jurors reached a verdict?
Not guilty.
Congratulations, Buford. Keep up the good work.
Thank you. Hey, Buford!
Congratulations. Buford. Hey!
Man, you really know how to play the crowd.
You had that jury ready to walk
barefoot over hot coals for you.
That's something they'd never do for him.
Hey, Buford.
Buford, why don't you try this job on for size?
No, Buford, no!
We'll go someplace else.
Find a decent town to live in.
Where?
And how?
Everything we've got's sunk in this place.
Besides, I never turned tail and run from nobody.
I'm not gonna start with these people.
Is your pride worth the safety of those children?
Of all of us?
Okay, then you leave.
You go to your mama's and you take the kids
and you come back when it's okay.
I don't want to leave you.
And I don't want you to run for sheriff.
"No more fighting, " you said.
You gave your word.
Wild Bull Buford's word.
On that you can bank.
I didn't know this was gonna happen.
Oh, well, you're turning this
into some kind of senseless life and death grudge fight.
It's not senseless, Pauline.
Listen to me.
Pauline,
this is my home.
You made it yours.
And you want me and you and the kids just to go run, hide,
afraid to come home?
Just for a little while.
Only until all this violence blows over.
It's not gonna blow over by itself.
Now somebody's got to huff and puff.
Oh, Buford, grow up.
Dad,
what do you think my chances are?
Fair. Fair.
I'll tell you something, though, Buford.
You run against these people and lose,
you're gonna be worse off than before.
'Cause you'll never find anyone
to stand up against them for you again.
Not ever.
Then we'll leave. Only then.
Yeah, yeah
Punish me
Oh, make me feel the pain
So I'll know not to ever do you wrong again
Come on, punish me
Make me crawl back to your world
But don't go and find another girl
Oh, no, no, baby
I said I just couldn't stand it now
Take my life into your hands
Come on, punish me
Oh, but don't take your love away
'Cause I couldn't make it another single day
Come on, punish me
Make me crawl back to your world
But don't go and find another girl
Oh, come on, baby
Do what you want with me
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Great.
Don't forget to vote.
? Since you caught me, feel so ashamed
? I never thought I'd see the day I'd be down on my knees
? Begging you, please, baby, please
? Won't you punish me?
? Oh, just take out your revenge
? So I'll know not to ever do you wrong again
? Come on, punish me
? Make me crawl back to your world
? But don't go and find another girl?
Hey, Buford.
How'd you like a nice, plush job as my deputy?
No brains required, just brute animal force.
I ain't that desperate.
You will be, boy.
You sure as hell will be.
The day after elections.
Last chance, Buford.
If you can't lick them, join them.
Now, Grady, that's what I call
a pure case of reckless driving.
That boy has got no respect for law and order.
Hey, Al, let him go!
God damn it, Grady, you act like you're gonna vote for him!
Now get in or I'll dock you a day's pay!
We'll get him!
We'll get him, Grady, and we'll nail his ass to the cross!
"Pusser for Sheriff. "
Now I got the bastard!
Hold it!
Damn it, Grady, that's more money than you can make
in 20 years as a deputy.
And all you gotta do is testify that
Buford deliberately ran you off the road.
That's murder and the end of him.
I'll think it over.
Don't give us that crap, Grady.
You'll do it or else!
I'd be dead if it weren't for Buford.
Christ, can you ever figure people?
Well, looks like our only chance now is to elect a corpse
and gamble on getting our own man appointed in his place.
We got only one week before election.
We'll get us some big billboards, radio, TV spots,
and call in all favors owed us.
I swore that bastard would have took a hot stove.
You're right, Callie.
We gotta throw everything we can lay our hands on
behind our dead sheriff.
Another 10, 20,000 should do it.
My people just ain't got that kind of money.
I ain't got but two girls working for me
and I can't carry any more freight.
You pay your end, Hassie, or get your ass out!
For God's sakes, Jaggers, lay off the local suckers.
Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot easier, Callie,
just to run that yokel out of town?
Next time you meet up with him, Jaggers,
you have my permission.
Oh!
Hey, Buford! Hey! Hey!
We won! We won!
Yeah, congratulations!
Where's Grandma? Back there.
Hey, Mama! What they got you arrested for, Mama?
Buford!
I won it, Ma! I won it.
Morning.
All right, there's two rules, and that's all.
But don't ever forget them.
Number one, we enforce the law equally.
Number two, any man who takes a bribe
is gonna get his head knocked off by me.
Now Grady's gonna show me the territory.
This is 201 to 501.
201 to 501, come in if you read me.
That's for you, Sheriff, 501.
501. Who are you?
This is Sheriff Tanner over in Alcorn, Mississippi.
Welcome to the shooting gallery.
First morning on the job, I hate to give you a big one,
but we got a multiple death case
over here that should interest you.
I'll be there in an hour, Sheriff Tanner.
No rush. We got them on ice. Over.
A civil rights picnic, all young, in their early twenties.
We got a dozen more over at County Hospital.
All of them drinking poisoned white lightning.
This here is Sheriff Pusser from McNairy County.
Now tell the man where you picked up that lot of moonshine,
and don't you lie.
From Willie Rae's bar over near Salem.
Okay, thank you, Sheriff. We'll take care of it. Grady.
Thanks, Sheriff.
Now get him out of here.
Good morning, Sheriff! Obra.
My, my, my. You sure do look the part.
Hey, look, Obra, your friend Willie Rae
runs a still back up here somewhere.
You know where it is?
You are some kind of quick study.
You got the talk, the official manner,
and the coldness down just like that.
Look, I just came from the morgue at Alcorn.
They got eight dead niggers stretched out over there,
all dead from poisoned rotgut whiskey
made somewhere up around here!
Let's not waste any time playing these dumb word games.
Buford, don't you talk to me like that.
You've been running around all this county all the time
shooting your mouth off about how you want to help your people.
Well, I'm trying to give you a chance.
You know that last sheriff,
he wouldn't have given a damn about those eight bodies,
they weren't his favorite color.
I care, and whether you help me or not,
I'm gonna do something about it.
All right.
About seven miles from here up in them hills,
near an old logging road.
Some boys from Arkansas.
I can show you.
Thank you.
I got something for you.
You got a new job.
You're Deputy Sheriff, McNairy County.
Oh, no. Buford, now you've been away for too long.
That just isn't done down here.
Is that right?
Well, it's okay for you to set up a poor, white-trash ex-wrestler for sheriff,
but it's not good enough for you, huh?
You're all under arrest.
Stay where you are.
Whose truck's this?
Jesus! Who the hell's the son of a...
This truck is hereby confiscated
for carrying unlicensed liquor.
Whose car is this?
I don't know. Never saw it before.
Well, whoever it belongs to, they lost it now.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, Augie,
Willie Rae, you're under arrest.
Manslaughter. Eight counts.
I'll radio in and get some deputies out here.
Take care of this truck and car.
Don't lose anybody.
Sit down!
That's right, yeah, put your hands over your heads.
Come on!
Sit down, Willie Rae.
You showed him up here, didn't you, boy?
Sure hope you do try something, Augie.
If you live long enough,
you're gonna wish this day never happened, smart ass!
Sit down, smart ass!
Sit down!
Sheriff Pusser,the court orders you to set the prisoners free.
You don't mean that, Judge.
I do and I'm so ordering you.
Why?
Because you acted improperly.
You failed to get search and seizure warrants
before you invaded their privacy.
You failed to inform them at the time of their arrest,
of their legal rights to counsel,
to silence, to access to a telephone.
These people were responsible for eight deaths, Judge.
You can't just let them go because of some little technicalities.
The United States Supreme Court does not consider them
little technicalities, Sheriff Pusser.
They are the law of the land.
There's more to upholding the law than swinging a big stick
and kicking down doors.
Now you set them free, or I'll hold you in contempt,
which I do anyway.
Remove those handcuffs.
Buford, there's a man,
Mr. Witter from Nashville was here looking for you.
He's up there now, talking to Judge Clarke.
Mr. Witter.
Sheriff, this is John Witter.
Very pleased to make your acquaintance, Sheriff.
Judge Clarke's been telling me all about you.
Well, that shouldn't have taken him long.
I wonder if I can talk to you in private?
I think it'd be better in your office.
Oh, well, this is it.
Pusser, you're a local sheriff.
A brand new one at that.
Now, maybe nobody told you,
but this is a lot more than just a local operation.
I mean, there are some important people involved,
all the way up to the capital and beyond, believe me.
Well, the only important people to me are down there.
They built the county. They have to live in it.
You know, one of the first things
you gotta learn to do in this life
is to take care of number one.
If you don't, nobody else will.
You don't have to commit any sins.
All you've gotta do is let those
who want to pay for their fun, do it.
I got nothing against a little drink, a little fun,
but the law of the land shouldn't be for sale.
Now if you let those people that run those joints have an inch,
they'll steal the whole state.
And it looks like they've already got a leg up on it.
Well, I suggest you think it over for a day or two.
Why don't you come on up to Nashville
and you meet some of the fellas.
You'll like them.
You'll find them very generous.
Well, I already thought it over,
long before I went after this job, Mr. Witter.
So I heard.
You know, ideals and realities are very far apart.
One day you're gonna see that, son.
And if you don't, someone's gonna point it out to you.
Clearly.
You already have. Thank you.
Enjoy yourselves, boys, these are two of the best.
Here comes that big stick.
Hi, Luan, I see you moved your trailer.
And I see you're still looking.
Hi, Callie. Hello, Prentiss.
You know, Callie,
you've got one of the sexiest track teams I've ever seen.
What's the record between here and the trailer, huh?
Hmm?
Hey, Callie, wanna open the storeroom?
The one with the illegal liquor?
Prentiss, open the storeroom for the sheriff.
Leave those there.
Put those against the back wall.
All right, if he won't buy off,
let's kill the son of a bitch.
You know what Witter said. "Go easy. "
The Nashville papers are playing up that big stick of his
like he was Sir Lancelot or somebody.
We ought to take Sir Lancelot's big stick and shove it up his ass!
We ought to do what we're told to do.
Find some way to teach him a lesson.
Then maybe Witter can talk some sense into him.
You teach him your kind of lesson.
I got a couple boys in Alabama who'll teach him something
he won't live to remember.
Craps.
? Made a mistake long time ago
? 'Cause I wanted to see the lights of the city
? The big town called me and I just had to go
? But a fire behind the lights is not too pretty
? Hey, hey, hey
? 'Cause I'm coming home on the very next train, yes
? I'm coming home and I'll never leave again?
This is the third time today you've rousted me over.
Why the hell you working to hurt me, brother?
I'm not working to hurt you, Willie Rae.
I just wanna make sure nobody else gets hurt.
Is that another way of saying you wanna make a deal?
Okay.
I'm just a little deputy, Willie Rae.
I don't have authority to make deals.
Well, now,
we saw your car parked outside,
and we thought we'd come in to say hello to our new deputy.
Hey, fellas, would you look
at the solid gold badge this here boogie's wearing
Obra, Obra, now that you've got yourself a steady job, you gonna,
you gonna buy us all a beer, huh?
Hold on. Come over here, would you?
Now why don't you get the hell out of the way
and let some men do some drinking, huh?
Now, look, oh, I was talking to you, boy.
You gotta show some more respect for your betters, huh?
Six beers!
I said give us six beers!
Calling 501, 501.
This is patrol car number three calling Sheriff's car 501.
Calling 501, 501!
501, that's you, Obra?
Yeah, Buford.
Look, I'm down at Willie Rae's,
and there's six troublemakers down here.
Do you wanna come down and pick them up?
No, you pick them up, I haven't eaten yet.
But they're white men, Buford.
Arno Purdy and that bunch, you know?
Buford, did you hear what I said?
I said they're white men!
Obra, now you're a deputy sheriff for McNairy County,
not a shoeshine boy!
If they're out of line, pick them up!
Let me tell you about Saturday night.
I was down at this place.
And if you ever do...
You're under arrest.
Don't make me have to kill you!
Well, now,that wasn't so hard now, was it?
No, not from where you were sitting.
Hi, Arno. How's it hanging?
$10 or ten days.
You take your life in your hands for $10.
It's not the fine that's important.
It's the principle of the thing.
You got public respect, Obra.
Come over to my house tonight with public respect.
Watch the bonfire.
I've been thinking this whole thing over.
Well, no use lying.
I got drunk, and I made a fool out of myself.
I had no business being at Willie Rae's.
Obra, I...
I want you to know that...
I want you to know I'm damn sorry.
Believe me, I mean it, Sheriff.
I am.
Here's 20 bucks.
For the shirt.
Best I can do.
Don't you just hate somebody like that?
What do you mean?
Well, he ruined our bonfire.
That fight yesterday was for real.
Obra could have been killed, and all you did was levy a $10 fine.
My prerogative.
You run the streets, I run the courts.
If I bring them in , you let them go,
the whole thing just becomes a big joke.
And I don't care to trade lies for lives.
From now on, I want maximum penalties.
You want? You want?
Why, you self-appointed dictator!
All you know is force and violence.
You don't understand the simplest things about the law.
I understand the difference between a poor, honest judge
and a rich, dishonest one.
Tomorrow morning I'll learn what's in this criminal code book
word for word.
And what you gotta worry about, Your Honor,
is what part of this I can use against you.
What the hell's going on here?
Oh, I read the book, Your Honor,
and it clearly states on Page 53, paragraph six,
that the sheriff has the right to assign
courtrooms and judges' chambers.
In view of your past judgments,
I thought you'd feel more at home here.
You have your own choice of seats.
Of course, there's no telephone yet,
but you won't need one today.
Here's a list of search and seizure warrants
that I want by 3:00 today.
I'll have your lunch sent in.
Oh, and by the way, if any word of these warrants,
excuse the expression, leaks out,
well, your distinguished career is over.
Page 92, section four.
I'll be damned. I'll be damned!
Okay, the preliminaries are over.
We now all know each other, we know the problem.
I was elected sheriff on one issue,
that I bust every joint in the whole county.
And we're gonna start tomorrow.
First off, I don't want any car, truck,
or driver that even looks like
a moonshiner to move on our roads.
Lonnie, you and Chris, you handle Highways 45 and 64.
Okay, and I hear there's four new stills operating.
Two of them up near Big Mill Road, one in Donald Springs,
and one back up in Pepper Hill.
Grady, that's your job.
Knock them all flat.
Alone?
Well, now if you was to look over your shoulders,
it's just likely you might see me
and four or five other loggers a-standing there.
Okay, the rest of us wait until the illegal liquor's flowing.
The girls are making their trailer runs,
and the suckers are crowding the tables.
And then we hit fast and hard.
Obra, you're in charge of the east half.
Virgil, I want you to make the west half run.
Big job.
Well, you're a big man.
This whole thing rests on one element.
Surprise.
? Nobody knows
? The trouble?
I know. We heard.
They knew. God damn it, they knew!
Somebody tipped them.
We'll try again. Tomorrow night.
No, not till we find out who and why.
The why is simple, money.
Well, if I find him, he won't live to spend it.
Well, I'm going home.
Good night, Grady.
Good night, Buford. Go slow.
Take care.
Look here, you dumb...
All right, just what the hell do you think you're doing, huh?
We can't get him on the radio.
Every car is out.
He was going straight home.
Well, have they checked 22?
Sometimes he comes home that way.
I'll double back. I'm going with you
Oh!
Oh.
Honey.
Oh, Buford.
This is 505, emergency!
You get me an ambulance out to Highway 22
near the old Carlson place. Double quick.
I'm all right. Don't cry.
What's that for?
Oh, just something to make you relax.
Help you get your strength back.
I don't wanna relax.
You're going to.
And while you're doing it,
try to think of a new profession.
You're not very good at this one.
I'm learning.
Doc, I'm learning.
Just made a mistake.
Tried to fight clean.
Okay, thank you very much.
I appreciate that.
A man just doesn't know how many friends he's got
until he's flat on his back.
Or how many people are glad that he is?
See, Grady, see these stacks of cards?
There's even one over there from Augie McCullough.
I didn't know he could write.
Yeah, I got these chocolates from all the girls,
and Tennessee sipping whiskey from Callie,
and these dollar cigars from Willie Rae.
Look at that. This is from the Lucky Spot.
Rolls seven every time.
You see these flowers?
You see this big bunch?
You know where that come from?
Nashville. Mr. Witter, no less.
Grady, grab yourself a big handful of cigars.
Pauline, get him a couple of those bottles
and mix him up a big highball, huh?
No, thanks, I don't want anything!
Why not?
Grady, it's the fruit of our labor.
You're afraid you're gonna get corrupted again.
Are you going on the take, Buford?
I sure am.
Well, in that case...
Yes, sir, Grady.
I'm gonna take and take and take!
Till they ain't got nothing to give but blood!
And I'm gonna take that one drop at a time.
And I'm gonna start with that informer.
You know who he is?
Yeah, a little bird just told me.
I'm gonna go after him with my bare hands.
Grady, we could have had the whole county in one night
if he hadn't...
I don't know, Grady.
He's been like that ever since the shooting.
Smoking their cigars, drinking their whiskey,
smelling the flowers.
Just reminding himself how much he hates them,
and then he works himself up into that rage.
Well, Pauline, he seems like he's earned the right.
But it's gone beyond reason. It's a kind of madness.
Well, maybe that's gonna be what's required,
a kind of madness to clean out that snake pit.
That and this.
No!
You heard him, Pauline.
He said "bare hands. "
They are no match for guns.
Grady, you know how I feel about them.
Mmm-hmm.
So does Buford,
well, he's just never gonna put one on unless you say,
"It's all right. "
Well, you're just gonna have to decide.
If you wanna spend your old age with your fear,
or with your husband.
I see we all had a nice, long vacation with pay.
Now we're gonna go back to the war.
We're gonna take up exactly where we left off,
only this time we're not gonna separate.
We're gonna hit them as a team, everywhere in force.
Any questions?
I'd like to call home to tell them I'll be late.
No calls, no radio communications
and nobody gets out of my sight.
Okay, we'll start with the stills.
Follow me.
Virgil? Hmm?
I don't like the way the dynamite charges are wired.
They don't look right to me.
I don't see nothing wrong with them.
Well, you're new at this. Come on, let's go check them.
Virgil?
Hey?
No!
Buford, what's wrong with you?
No! Don't!
Buford, no!
Get away from me! I know what I'm doing!
Buford, don't, for God's sake!
No, Buford, don't do it! Don't!
Tell them, Virgil.
Don't... No.
No, Buford, don't do it! Don't!
Don't run, Virgil, you'll never make it.
Don't do it!
For God's sake! All right, tell them, Virgil.
No.
Tell everybody who tipped them off!
Tell them, Virgil!
Tell them how they knew I took the back way home at night.
No, Buford, don't. You tell them!
Okay!
Okay, it was me, okay?
But they made me do it.
Get down on your knees, Virgil.
I didn't do it! Get on your knees!
Oh, no, Buford.
That's cold-blooded murderer, you can't do it.
Buford, Buford, don't!
Come on, Virgil. Crawl.
Oh, no, Buford, no!
Okay, Virgil, crawl to me!
Crawl over here! Faster!
You ain't got much time!
Come on, faster.
You ain't got much time, Virgil!
Virgil, crawl, you ain't got much time.
Buford, don't! Faster!
Stand up.
Get up!
You walk home.
Git!
Stick them up. Outside.
Stick them up.
You're under arrest.
What the hell do you think you're doing?
All right, Callie, let's go for a walk. Come on.
I wanna talk to you. Get your hands off her!
All right, come on, come on, come on!
All right, Callie, you got the key. Open it up.
You got a warrant?
Yeah, I keep it in my shoe.
Get them in. Get them all. Come on.
He knew exactly where everything was and when to hit.
I tell you, he's got someone down here working from the inside.
Yeah, but not from my group.
My people are solid.
Oh, your people are real solid!
Like that bunch you sent over from Alabama?
Couldn't even put him away when they were two feet from him.
That really started something.
What the hell help you and Prentiss been?
Those tramps and that pimp of yours
have been robbing everybody passed through town.
You better get off it, Augie.
You run your store. I'll run mine.
I talked to Witter this morning.
He said to put him away.
Believe me, I'll take care of that son of a bitch.
I don't care what it costs.
And I wanna. tell you something
I've operated down here for 20 years.
Before you was even one of the girls, Callie.
Now you get this straight, you're not running my show.
If I want to do any killing,
I'll do it without a board meeting!
Count me out.
Augie... Lay off, Jaggers!
Why do you wanna bring in an outsider to do a job
I've done half a dozen times?
You also did four years for the last one.
But the guy's still dead.
Pa!
Just stay now.
Everybody just stay with me. All right?
Buford?
Dad!
They killed Shep! Oh!
It's all right.
Mama, they killed Shep!
Buford? Geez, I've been trying to reach you for over an hour.
Listen, Prentiss has Margie Ann in Callie's trailer.
She used to be one of Grady's playmates,
so they figure she's your informer.
You gotta get over there quick, Buford.
Please!
Go ahead! Give me an excuse! Go on!
Sit!
Stay!
Get up, pretty boy.
Come on, get up. Come on, get up!
Let's go. Come on!
Mister, you got a right to a phone call.
You hear me, mister?
Stop that!
You got a right to make one phone call.
You bastard, you're gonna kill him!
You got a right not to make a statement without a lawyer.
Stop it!
Buford! I'll get you for this.
Come on up.
You're under arrest for white slavery,
for assault and battery, for kidnapping
and any other goddamn thing I think of!
Get up. Get up. Get up!
Come on, Callie!
It's payday.
Payday?
A gift from me to you.
All warrants and charges against you
have been taken off the books.
Luan, I don't know why you risked your life to help me,
but I appreciate it.
Let's just say I have a soft spot
for big, strong, good-looking ex-Marines.
My husband would have been an ex,
but he didn't live through Vietnam.
I'm sorry.
Luan, you gotta get out of town now.
You gotta go far away and get a new job...
Not that kind of job.
With what?
Special funds account.
From your piggy bank?
No, it's from the dice table at the Lucky Spot.
I wish I could do more, but...
So do I,
but then you wouldn't be the kind of man that you are, would you?
I think I better take you to the bus station.
Thanks.
Michael, put it down.
Wonder what it is.
Yes, I wonder.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Look in the basket!
Grandma! A little dog!
Yeah. Santa Claus bring this, huh?
Yeah, what do you know?
Oh, thank you, Grandma.
You're very welcome.
Son, go out in the car.
Bring in the turkey and the pies.
And, mind you, be sure you keep the turkey covered.
Oh, my darling. Oh, darling.
Merry Christmas!
Oh!
Do you like it?
Beautiful.
It only took us two days.
Merry Christmas! Hi.
Hi, George.
The place is swinging tonight. Sure is.
Hey, where's Prentiss?
Oh, he's still in the can.
They're holding him without bail.
Oh, that's too bad.
Ho, ho, ho, and a Merry Christmas, Callie.
This watch was made for a woman like you
with elegance and good taste.
Haven't you heard, Sheldon, we're in the middle of a depression.
Everybody needs a good watch, Callie.
All it's good for is to remind me I'm sitting here on my ass
losing money every time it ticks.
And I'm getting goddamned mad about it.
Merry Christmas, everybody!
George, set them up on me, will you?
I'll be sitting over there.
Girls, drinks are on Sheldon.
Merry Christmas.
Cindy, how are you?
I got some beautiful things here.
I can show you a beautiful watch.
George.
Buford, I've got a Mr. Sheldon Levine down here, jewelry salesman.
He claims some $60,000 in jewelry
was heisted from the trunk of his car
over at the Pine Ridge Club.
Okay, I'll meet you.
Don't open the presents till I get back.
Oh, Buford, not Christmas Eve.
Oh,it's just a little burglary. It won't take long. Come on.
I'll be right back . Don't worry, Mama.
Yeah, keep them coming, George.
Merry Christmas, Callie!
Santa Claus is on his way.
Merry Christmas, Suzanne. Merry Christmas, George.
What do you want, honey? It's from the house.
Something strong.
Merry Christmas.
Yeah.
Sheriff Pusser.
Sheldon Levine, sir.
I heard.
Merry Christmas.
Mike caught a fish already.
He always gets everything first.
Patience, honey. Patience.
We could have a lot more days like this if you weren't the sheriff.
Well, maybe in a small way my being sheriff lets
a lot of people have days like this.
Small way?
You gambled your life.
And no one has come to say thank you.
Well, maybe I'm wrong.
Maybe nobody really does give a damn.
You know, I'm beginning to realize this job's
a lot more important than I first thought.
I'm proud of you, Buford.
And I'm not so scared anymore.
I'm gonna drown them kids.
Buford, come on, don't!
Hello.
Who's this?
Ellie Mae, this is the sheriff.
You have any idea where that call came from just now?
How many parties on that line?
Thank you.
Who was that?
Oh. A party line down at Donald Springs.
Some neighbor overheard of a plan to set up a new still.
I gotta go down and read the riot act to them.
It's gonna be a lot of work tearing it down.
You go back to sleep.
Buford, I'm going with you.
What'd you say?
I'm wide awake.
Grandma gets up early.
She'll take care of the kids.
I think it's time I found out how my husband earns his living.
I'm hurrying!
You're like a breath of spring.
It's probably just a false alarm.
We'll probably end up just taking
a nice, long, early morning drive.
Good, you can buy me breakfast on the way back.
Oh, Buford, it's such a beautiful day!
Hey, thank you for taking me along.
Come here, I wanna talk to yo u a second.
No, you're driving. Come here.
I know where I'm going.
Come here, I want to give you a kiss. No!
Give me a good kiss. Come on.
Pauline?
501, it's an emergency!
Yeah, Buford, Grady here.
Better get me an ambulance about half a mile up Pike Creek Road
past the church.
Hurry up, it's an emergency! I'm out in a field.
We're coming, Buford!
Pauline.
Oh, please, God, no! No.
Pauline, Pauline.
Don't let her die!
Pauline...
Keep that road clear!
Keep it clear! Get that traffic back!
Hold the traffic! Hold the traffic!
Hold the traffic down there!
For the love of God, get that stretcher over here now, quick!
Obra, come on, let it go!
Dr. Ward, go to 561 west.
Dr. Ward, 561 west, please.
- Get out! - Wait a minute.
Get out of here! Keep those people out!
Let's go. Step back. Move over, please.
Let's go.
Grady, the governor has turned over his entire investigating staff
to work on this case. Shall we start?
You're all a little late, aren't you?
I'll take you out to where he was ambushed.
We picked up over 125 shells on the road.
How many men were in the cars?
Surely you recognized one or two of them.
Everybody in the capital isn't on the take.
We only want to help.
Don't you trust us?
Do you know who they are, Buford?
Dad.
Mike...
Big stick.
Here you go.
Come on, Buford, let's get on back to the hospital.
Please.
We'll get the rest of them, Buford.
Every last one of them.
I swear we will, Buford. Come on.
The world's begun to look her age
I'll tell you why she's lined and gray
We read of hate on every page
Then turn our backs and walk away
Why can't we stand
Joined hand to hand?
It's time to care
We dare not wait
And watch too long
Become too late
There's so much hatred all around
Let's end it now or it will roam
There's lots of heroes in the ground
But not enough are in the home
Let's start again
Don't say, "Amen"
Open your eyes
And lift your head
Let's help to right
The wrongs we bred
Let us pray loudly
Let us live proudly
And soon we'll all
Be walking tall
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