Phil Karlson's "Walking Tall," a Tennessee-set vigilante film starring Joe Don Baker, was released in 1973 to somewhat positive reviews and a rather respectable take at the box office. Made for about $500,000, the film made over $40 million.

Baker played Buford Pusser, a real-life cop who retired from a professional wrestling career in 1964 to become the sheriff of McNairy County. Pusser was a local hero who became notorious for his efficacy, cracking down on illegal gambling, sex work, and moonshining. He was able to interrupt the criminal dealings of the Dixie Mafia, a Mississippi-based crime syndicate, as well as the State Line Mob, which ran illegal goods from Mississippi to Tennessee. Bad guys were constantly trying to assassinate Pusser, always unsuccessfully. His wife, Pauline, was

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