A Real American Hero (1978) - full transcript
Bufford Pusser is the Sheriff of a Tennessee County who must go against a former friend, and a group of women who use an old blue law to segregate a recently freed prostitute. To fight them he uses other old laws that aren't relevant today. Is he ready to face opposition, or will there be any?
(dramatic music)
- The wrong kind of people
have had their say for too long.
And I want to remind them that
somewhere in this world there
is a little law and order
left, to let them know
in the only way their kind
understands that they can't
bribe or threaten their way,
and that they will damn well pay
dearly for every crime they commit.
♪ No ordinary gentleman ♪
♪ With many scars upon his back ♪
♪ He lives the only way he can ♪
♪ To prove the courage we all lack ♪
♪ He has to care ♪
♪ While we don't dare ♪
♪ He will not bow ♪
♪ He will not kneel ♪
♪ Or say the things he doesn't feel ♪
♪ If we could follow
the dream he follows ♪
♪ Then through it all be walking tall ♪
- 501, this is 502.
- I'll take this.
That sounds like Grady.
- All right.
- Hang in there now.
- Come on, let's go, girl.
Let's go, pretty girl.
Yeah. That's it.
Let's go, pretty girl.
Take him out up there. Go
on up that little rise.
- Buford, this is Grady.
I gotta chase a-goin'.
Do you read me, Sheriff?
Come in, 501.
- Yeah. I read you, Grady. What you got?
- I've got a souped up
van with a load of kids.
They're drunker than a bunch of hoot owls
and they're goin' like a bat.
- Where are you, Grady?
- I am north on Highway 19,
approximately 10 miles
south of the junction
of County Road 103.
- How fast you reckon
that bat's travelin', huh?
- At least 100.
It's that Mick Rodgers again.
- 504. Sheriff, I'm on Duly Road.
I can cut in right behind him.
I can take him easy.
- That's a negative, Til.
Don't try it.
All right. Now listen up, both of ya.
Stay behind that van.
Keep your lights and sirens
going, but don't close in.
I repeat, don't close in.
Now you hear me?
- I read you, Buford.
- Sheriff, I can take that van.
- But you won't, Til.
Now, if Mick crashes that van, we're
going to have a world of trouble.
I'll cut him off at the junction of 103.
Out.
I got to go now.
See you all later.
- All right.
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- Oh, god.
Come on, Mick.
Come on.
You all right?
- (laughing) Buford!
- You're all right.
Come on.
Anybody hurt back here, Grady?
All right now.
Come on. Wake up.
That's it. All right.
Easy now, easy.
- I got him, Buford.
OK. That's it. Come on.
- I think they're all right, Grady.
Come on, girl.
Wake up now.
Come on.
Grady, get an ambulance out here fast!
Go on! Move it, man!
- I came over as soon as I heard, Buford.
- Sorry to interrupt your lunch, Debbie.
I need you to take down statements
from the kids, those that can talk.
- I heard.
Terrible thing.
- It's bad, Buford.
- Bad liquor?
- Yeah. Re-distilled alcohol.
It's always risky.`
And this time, mountain moon's bad enough.
But this is pure poison.
- How 'bout the kids?
- Two dead.
Mick and Jody are OK. They'll recover.
- How about the other two girls?
- They're blind.
- Any chance they'll recover their sight?
- Not much.
- Damn!
Can I talk to Mick now?
- Sure. He can go home any time now.
- Don't hassle me, Buford.
- Oh, now Mick, you know
what's happened here.
And you know who's to blame.
- Beats me about it.
- Where'd you get the liquor, boy?
- You think I'm some kinda fink?
- I think you're a stupid fool.
Where'd you get that whiskey?
- I don't remember.
You can get that stuff any place.
- All right, Mick. All right.
That's all you got to say?
- Yes, sir. Can I go now?
- Oh, now wait a minute.
Wait a minute, Mick.
Don't you want to see
your friends first, huh?
- No. I'll see them later.
- No, Mick. You're gonna see them now.
(somber music)
Now say goodbye to 'em, Mick.
They were friends of yours.
(dramatic music)
- Buford, I can't.
(crying)
- If the man that sold you
that poison liquor isn't found
and stopped, there's gonna be more
kids stretched out just like these.
- All we wanted to do
was to have a little fun.
- I know that. I know.
Where'd you get the liquor, boy?
- (crying) Uh, we got it at Danny's disco.
- All right. All right.
All right. You can go now.
- I'll type this up for you Buford.
- It won't stand up in court, Sheriff.
Obtained under duress.
- You want statements
from the other kids, huh?
- Later.
- Are you coming back to the office?
- I said later!
- What's he do?
- Bust up Danny Boy Mitchell's, I reckon.
- He can't do that.
- Well, you just go tell him that, Til.
- Sheriff!
Legally, there's nothing we can do.
(upbeat music)
- Danny.
What?
Yeah, yeah. I'm here.
All right. I appreciate it.
I'll call you later.
Hey, forget it, Bunker.
Get rid of that hooch and do it now.
- Toby, get rid of this stuff.
You know where to stash all the stuff.
- I mean take it away and dump it.
I mean it!
- All of it?
- Yeah. Some kids got a
bad bottle last night.
- Look, Danny Boy. This
bootleg don't run true.
This batch might be OK.
- And it may not be.
And we ain't takin' any more
chances than we have to.
Now you dump it at all.
- Toby, you heard?
We're getting rid of it.
- Ruby, you help haul all this
stuff outta here with Bunker.
Toby and Monks, you get
the liquor out from inside.
We about to have company.
(upbeat music)
- Hey, I paid for that whiskey.
- Forget it, kid.
- Settle down there, everybody.
Hey, turn off that thing, hear?
Now listen up, everybody.
They law's gonna pay us a little visit.
- Aw.
- Now, it don't make no difference.
The only thing is that we
can't have any booze in here
for a while.
- Aw.
- But we gonna make it all up to ya.
You can all relax, 'cause
the beer's on the house.
- Yeah!
(audience applauding)
(dramatic music)
- If it isn't Mr. Pusser himself.
Mr. Pusser himself.
(upbeat music)
- Hey, no need to run off, kids.
Sheriff's just paying us a friendly visit,
isn't that right, Buford?
(glass shattering)
(screaming)
(glass shattering)
- Well, take it easy, huh?
- One kid's dead. Two
kids blinded for life.
(glass shattering)
'Cause of poison, ratgut hooch.
This place stinks of it!
- Now, Buford, you can't
take a smell to court.
And there ain't nobody in here under 18.
Now why don't you forget it, you and me
have a drink for old time's sake.
- No!
- I don't want no trouble here!
(glass shattering)
- Come on.
(glass shattering)
- Buford, you make it awful
hard for an old friend
to stay friendly.
(glass shattering)
(shouting)
- Grady, you two came in
just a little bit too early.
All right, take 'em in.
Take 'em in and book 'em.
- What's the charge?
- Bootlegging, manslaughter,
spittin' on the sidewalk.
I don't care!
Just book 'em!
- Move! Come on!
- You know, you're wasting time, Buford.
You ain't got nothin' on me.
- All right. Put a chain on
this place and lock it up too.
- Danny Boy's right, Buford.
Taking him this way isn't
gonna get the job done.
- You just lock it up.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, Roger man, I'm glad to see you.
- Don't say anything, Danny.
You been given your rights?
- I ain't been given
nothin' but a hard time.
- Sheriff, my name's Mull.
And I have here a bail release
signed by Judge Marlowe.
- No hard feelings, Buford.
- All right. Turn him loose.
- That's how you learn, Sheriff.
You just can't go around
smashing up private businesses
and roughin' up innocent people.
- All right. Now you get
outta here, Lawyer Mull.
And you take this garbage with you.
- You can't talk to me like-
- Shut up, Roger. Let it go.
Some other time, Buford.
- It's best we get back
on the road, Sheriff.
(somber music)
- Mr. Conway.
- Well.
Well, good afternoon, Miles.
I wonder what could bring you here.
- Buford, what in the devil
do you think you're doing?
- Sometimes I wonder myself.
- It isn't funny.
Arrestin' citizens without a warrant,
breaking up legitimate business premises,
and you didn't even read 'em their rights.
Now Buford, as the county
prosecutor, if I told you once,
I told you 100 times, you cannot take
the law into your own hands.
- You know those kids, Miles?
Do you know 'em?
Did you ever watch them growing up?
Huh?
- You best save that for the judge.
There's gonna be a hearing into
what you done in 30 minutes.
You be there.
(dramatic music)
- In a free and democratic society,
elected officials are
sworn to uphold the law.
And vigilante justice has no place-
- I must protest
counsel's choice of words.
- That's enough.
This isn't a trial.
I'll remind you both it
is a preliminary hearing
and nothing more.
- Yes, Your Honor.
But I only wish to point out-
(gavel banging)
- Prosecutor, are you
prepared to present charges
against Mr. Mitcheel at this time?
- No, Your Honor.
Unfortunately Sheriff Pusser
acted somewhat hastily.
- Hastily?
Destruction of private property,
illegal arrest and detention-
(gavel banging)
- Sheriff Pusser, the court
will hear your explanation now.
- Mick Rodgers named Mitchell as the man
that had sold him poison bootleg.
- I object.
Unsubstantiated hearsay is not admissible
evidence in a court of law.
- Mr. Mull, if you don't keep quiet,
I'll have you removed from this court.
Go on, Sheriff.
- Well, when I got to Mitchell's place,
it stank of rotgut hooch.
But he'd been tipped off by somebody.
They had gotten rid of the
stuff before I arrived.
- And you damaged Mr.
Mitchell's place of business
and placed him under arrest.
Does that sum it up?
- Well, all it leaves
out is two dead boys,
two girls blinded for life.
- The law makes no provisions
for acting upon unproven
assumptions based upon hearsay.
You have made an illegal
search and arrest.
If you'd acted properly
by obtaining a warrant,
then and only then would physical evidence
be admitted in court.
You leave me no choice
but to find no evidence
to support probable cause
and to dismiss this case.
Your actions may entitle Mr.
Mitchell to legal redress
from the County of McNairy.
- Forget it, Your Honor.
Buford just went off half-cocked.
We all do that now and then.
(gavel banging)
- This hearing is dismissed.
- Hope this teaches you a lesson, Buford.
- Yeah. Well, you can
count on that, Miles.
- Sheriff Pusser.
Buford, we've been
friends for a long time.
I try to understand your
motivation, your need
to help others, to act
against injustice and crime
in your own way.
But each time you make
it more difficult for me.
- Well, Sabrina, I'm sorry if you think
I'm taking advantage of our friendship.
But men like Mitchell are
walking around free, killin'
kids and getting away with it
'cause the law protects 'em.
- It's your fault Danny Mitchell
walked out of here a free man.
The law protects everyone equally
when it's properly applied!
Buford, you must learn to respect it.
And that means enforcing it to
the letter and nothing more.
I'm sorry, Buford.
But if you appear before this court
again under similar circumstances,
I warn you now the
consequences will be severe.
Your problem, Buford, is that you place
your emotions above your common sense.
- Do you ever wonder,
Sabrina, if you don't
do the same thing with your law books?
(dramatic music)
- How you doing today?
- Buford?
Buford Pusser.
- Well, good morning, Amelia.
How are ya?
- I'm fine.
Which is more than I can say
for the affairs of Selmer.
- Well, right now I'm inclined
to agree with you, Amelia.
- It isn't funny, Buford.
And we demand that it be stopped now.
- Amelia, supposin'
you come into my office
and we'll find out what's
botherin' you, all right?
- That's exactly what we intend to do.
- I'm sure.
- This ain't funny, Obra.
All right, Amelia. What's the problem?
- Carrie Todd.
That's a problem.
- It is? Well, what's she done?
- That woman was released
from the State Penitentiary
after serving seven years
for killing her pimp.
Now she's back, profaning the house of God
with her presence,
walking the streets unashamed,
forcing decent women
to step aside to avoid meetin' her.
- All right, Amelia.
She's gone to church.
She's been seen on the streets of Selmer.
Is that all?
- Isn't that enough?
She has not right walking these-
- Carrie Todd has served her
time in the penitentiary.
Now, she has every right in the world
to do just exactly as she pleases.
- She has not.
The County prosecutor tells that there's
a law against people like her.
- What law? Amelia.
- I've got it right here.
County ordinance Section
301, paragraph 93B,
October 12, 1878.
"That women of ill repute shall remain
below the deadline of South River Street."
- Amelia that old deadline blue
law was passed 100 years ago
when Selmer was just a
frontier timber town.
- I don't care when it was passed.
It's the law.
And we demand that it be enforced.
- Hey, it's Buford.
There's a law on the books.
It's an old deadline blue law.
You know about it?
Mrs. Biggins has been to see
you this morning too, eh?
Yeah.
OK.
- Now will you do something about it?
- Yes, Amelia. Yes.
I'll talk to Carrie Todd.
- Now? Today?
- Yes, Amelia. Today.
- Well, good.
Thank you, Sheriff.
Come on, ladies.
We've done our duty.
- First time I've had the book thrown
at me in some time, Buford.
- Lloyd, do you ever feel strangled
by the law you're trying to serve?
- Oh, every lawyer has.
That's why my office walls are dented
with hard-thrown law books too.
Only consolation is
we'd be a lot worse off
without laws, messed up as they may be.
- Sometimes I wonder about that.
- From what I hear, you
don't let little things
like, uh, legalities bother you much.
- You heard about Danny Boy, huh?
- Yeah. Funny thing.
I always sort of liked him.
I understand you did too.
- Then everything changed.
Lloyd, how many laws you reckon there are?
- Thousands.
Too many.
Some of those old laws should've
been repealed years ago.
- All those crazy old
laws, they still valid?
- You want my legal opinion, Buford?
Cost you money.
- Well, bill the County.
How 'bout it?
- You serious?
- Yeah.
- I suppose they are.
No. I know they are.
See technically, any law,
statute, or ordinance,
legally adopted and not
amended, repealed, or revoked,
is enforceable.
- You just brought a little
light to a very dismal day.
- Look, Buford. What I said is true.
Some of those old laws would
still stand up in court,
I suppose.
But most of them wouldn't.
If you try to use those against somebody,
well, that could be construed
as police harassment.
- Harassment.
You pick on one man,
that's harassment, right?
- Yeah. I understand
Judge Marlowe warned you.
- Against taking the law
into my own hands, Lloyd.
I got no intention of doing that.
- Oh. I'm glad to hear that, Buford.
Look, why don't you take a little break?
You had your lunch yet?
- Well, look, let's make it
another time, all right, Lloyd?
I got some reading I want to do here.
- I hope you know what
you're doing, Buford?
Hey look I'm counting on seeing you
at the dance Saturday night.
Be a lot of, uh, food,
drink, music, and dancing.
It's the kind of get together
we don't have much anymore.
And don't come alone.
- All right. I'll try to make it, Lloyd.
Hey, listen. Thanks very much!
- Yeah.
- Oh yeah.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, Buford!
Y'all come back and see
us sometime, you hear?
(laughing)
- Sure, Danny Boy.
(dramatic music)
- Carrie. Long time.
- What's chewin' on you, Sheriff?
- You know, when I was a kid, my folks
used to say the Todd place had the best
water in McNairy County.
- Yeah?
Well, help yourself.
At least the water hasn't gone to ruin,
which is more than I can
say for everything else.
Ow!
- Easy. Easy now. Let me
try it. Let me try it.
Come on. Get down.
Take a rest.
What brings you back to
McNairy County, Carrie?
I mean, you must have known
it was going to be tough.
You musta known there were gonna be
some people that were gonna resent you.
- Well, I was born here,
you know. I grew up here.
My folks are dead and gone.
I got nothin' else, no place to go.
I did my time, you know.
I got a right to pick up the
pieces for myself if I can.
- Sure you have.
You have.
But it, uh, depends upon
the way you do it, you know.
- Oh, I get it.
Mm-hmm.
Somebody's worried I'm
going to be the way I was.
Well, I got news for you, Sheriff.
There is no future in the business
for a tired lady of the evening.
- Carrie, it's gonna be tough.
Your place needs a lot of work.
Did they, uh, they teach you a trade?
- Five years nursin'
in the prison hospital.
- You gonna try to find some
work like that here in Selmer?
- Thinkin' 'bout it.
- I wish you luck.
Thanks for the water.
- Thanks for the help.
- Any time.
- Is that it?
- Carrie, you know Amelia Biggins?
Do me a favor, will ya?
Stay outta her way for a while, huh?
- Amelia, huh? I knew it.
I figured she and her holier
than thou Ladies League
would raise Cain about my
showing up in church on Sunday.
She's real big in church.
And church throws a lot of
weight around McNairy County.
- So does its boss.
Nice talkin' to ya, Carrie.
Good luck.
(dramatic music)
- 502, this is base. Grady?
Just got a complaint.
Farm out on Old Field Road.
- 501, Debbie.
I know where that is. Tell
Grady I'll meet him there.
(chickens gobbling)
(horn honking)
- Yes sir.
I'm Buford Pusser from
the sheriff's office.
- Blue line to come in here
spinnin' and a-turnin'.
- Well, what's the nature
of your complaint, sir?
- Well, I sure enough did complain.
Now look, my name is Diedric F. Jones.
Well, at least it's to
where I thought it was.
And I saw this little piece
of paper it said Diedric.
You know how you spell that?
Capital D-I-E-D-R-I-C.
Wouldn't you know it?
Not some little old H.
- Yeah.
What, what exactly is
your complaint, Mr. Jones?
- My name is Diedric F. Jones.
And I been snuckered.
- You've been snuckered?
- Look here, Sheriff,
are you a might deaf?
- What is your complaint,
please, Mr. Jones?
- Well, I told you I been snuckered.
I see you're gonna come in here.
And you're gonna sheriff around.
And you're gonna find that old cup.
It's gonna be Deke Miller
who's snuckering on his folk.
(siren wailing)
You gonna do something
'bout that, Sheriff?
- Yes sir, Mr. Junker. I tell
you. You just stay right here.
We're gonna take care
of this. Now don't move.
Stay right here.
Grady, I haven't got an idea in the world
what this man is talking about.
I want you to go over
there and talk to him.
All right?
- OK.
Yes sir. Can I help you?
- Well, I told Sheriff
here that Deke Miller,
he come in here.
He snuckered me. And look
what happened to my chickens.
- Just a minute. OK?
- What did he say?
- Well, it's just as plain
as the nose on your face.
- What's just as plain
as the nose on my face?
- He's been snuckered.
- Oh, he's been snuckered?
- Yeah.
- Snuckered?
- Yeah.
- Well, I see.
I'll tell you what, Grady.
Why don't you go over there
and you unsnucker him, all right?
I'll meet you back at the office.
- This here your truck?
- Yep.
- This here your chickens?
- Yep.
- Do you have any help?
- Nope.
- Well, let's get 'em picked up.
(dramatic music)
(horn honking)
- Well, you'll never
guess what Mike's doing.
He's shaving!
Isn't that a scream!
- Would you prefer him with a beard?
- Two whiskers and some
peach fuzz make a beard?
You gotta see him!
- That's it now. You
work that lather in good.
You see boy, that'll lubricate the skin
and soften up them tough,
wiry whiskers of yours.
Yeah.
- This ain't a free show.
I don't need an audience.
- Don't say ain't.
- Get away!
Sorry, Dad.
- Uh, he just thought he needed to shave
for a special occasion.
No. No.
Wait a minute. You ain't gonna
gouge nobody with that, boy.
You see, you've got to
take it gently like this.
And then just a smooth, slow easy scrape
down there like that, huh?
Yeah. That's it.
Uh-huh. It's all right.
We got the styptic right handy here.
- We can always get some
stitches if you need 'em.
- Watch your mouth, boy.
I remember you nicked
yourself a time or two, huh?
- Tell me, Mike, are you
shaving just to be shaving,
or you got something on for tonight?
- He's got a thing on with Jenny Cooper.
- Dwana!
- Well, he has.
Gonna take her to Lloyd Tatum's
barn dance Saturday night.
Gonna be a hay ride.
And he's countin' on messing
with Jenny in the hay.
- Dwana!
Here's what I tell ya.
The way that girl talks sometimes-
- Hey, Mom. How you doin'?
- You mean you're home for
dinner? It's not even cold yet.
- I try.
- Well, I'm glad. It's on the table.
Come and get it. Carl.
- Yeah.
We'll be right along, Mother, soon
as we stanch this flow of blood here.
- Ah.
You got a little, that's
good. That's just fine.
Yeah.
- Wet that thing and put
it on that nick there, boy.
You get lucky, you'll get cut
up worse than that Saturday
night on that hayride.
(dramatic music)
- Oh.
Oh.
Princess wants to be seated too.
All right.
- You just act like that
all the time, Dwana?
Carl, say grace.
- Heavenly Father, we ask
you to bless this food to us
and thank you for the
blessing and happiness
that you showed us in the past.
Amen.
- Amen.
- Terrible thing about
what happened, Buford.
Are you sure Danny Mitchell
was involved in that?
He seems like such a nice boy.
And he used to be a friend of yours.
- He's not he way you
used to know him, Mom.
- I saw him just last week.
I was in shopping, had
my bag of groceries.
And he came up nice as you
please, said he remembered me.
Took the groceries from
me, opened the car door.
You sure he's responsible for
what happened to those kids?
- Well, he, uh, hasn't been convicted.
But yeah.
- What about Carrie Todd?
She's paid her price for the
mistakes she made and has
the right to whatever happiness she
can find in this cold, cruel world.
- Carrie Todd?
That isn't the-
- The scarlet woman who shot her-
- Dwana, where'd you
hear about Carrie Todd?
- It's all over school.
Miss Socum's daughter Ruthie
told everybody Amelia Biggins'
gonna run Carrie Todd out of town,
and that she's not fit to
associate with decent people.
- Dwana.
- But I think Miss Biggins
is just an old fuddy-duddy.
- Dwana.
- Sounds like too much late
afternoon soap opera TV to me.
- Don't you watch the soaps, Pa?
- Oh, I'm not mature enough for that, son.
- If there aren't any cowboys
on, Grandpa doesn't watch TV.
(gentle music)
- Hey, Buford.
Want a cooler?
- Oh, yeah. Thanks.
- Nice night, huh?
- Yeah.
Kinda warm.
You know, Pa, I hope
things are OK out here.
I, I'm sorry I don't get to
spend as much time with you
as I'd like.
- Oh, now, we're all right.
All right.
Something's on your mind.
You bothered because you can't do anything
about this Danny Boy Mitchell, eh?
- Oh, I'm gonna do something
about Danny Boy Mitchell.
You know, Pa, men like Mitchell, they
use the law to hide behind.
They use the law to protect themselves.
Well, maybe I can use it too.
Maybe I can use the law to
build a fire under Mr. Mitchell.
Smoke him out.
Make him so hot he'll do something stupid,
something he can't cover up.
- Like maybe try to kill you.
(dramatic music)
- Well, if it comes to that.
Pa, this is something I got to do.
People need somebody to
stand up for 'em, somebody
to face up to men like
Mitchell on even terms.
(dramatic music)
- Somebody else to take
the risks for 'em, right?
- Yeah.
Yeah, that's it.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm just fooling myself.
Maybe I'm just trying to
justify what I'm gonna do.
Makes no difference, Pa.
I got to do it.
- All right. Let's go.
Go get 'em, Tiger.
What do you say, huh?
Huh?
Hey, how you doing, George?
Kinda warm today, isn't it?
Hey, you gonna ride today?
(audience applauding)
- Mornin'.
- Oh, mornin', Sheriff.
- I thought Grady was
checking up here this morning.
- Oh, yeah. He is.
But I'm not on duty for another hour.
So I just thought I'd-
- Guess what I just did.
- Huh?
I don't know.
- I just washed my car.
- You did.
Yeah.
- Well, you know how it is,
Til, with county taxpayers.
You know, they like to be sure
that their equipment is being
taken care of with all that tax money.
- Yes sir.
- And you know, there's a
question of image, you know.
We are police officers and so forth.
- I'll wash the car, Buford.
- Well, I think that's a great idea.
I'm glad you took my little hint.
- Hint?
- You all have a nice day now.
- You too.
Why's a dirty car bad?
- Well, it's not just,
it's not a dirty car.
It's maintaining county
property that's important.
(shouting)
- Get out there!
Come on. Let's go!
Come on!
(shouting)
- Come on, boy!
(shouting)
- That's it. Come on.
Watch that turn!
(shouting)
- Come on now!
Come on!
(shouting)
(audience applauding)
- Congratulations, Mike, on first place.
(audience applauding)
- All right.
Hey, how 'bout that?
(audience applauding)
(dramatic music)
(shouting)
- Gettin' choosy, ain't ya?
I was messing with you when you was a kid.
- Well, treasure the memory,
because that's all you got!
- No, Charlie.
No.
Charlie, now look.
We can do this all day long.
- I ain't doin' nothin' wrong, Buford.
You know Carrie Todd, what she is.
- Yeah!
She's a taxpayer, just the same as you.
- Well, she's a-
- Now Charlie, you got a bad mouth.
- OK.
OK. But ask her what she's
doin' comin' around here an hour
before opening asking me to let her in.
What else does she want?
- I wanted to buy some groceries!
I was told I wasn't welcome here in town,
so I come early to stay
out of people's way.
- Buy your lousy groceries someplace else!
(dramatic music)
- Sorry 'bout that.
- There are other stores.
It's just Charlie used to give
me credit when I was broke.
Guess maybe I had more assets then.
- Seemed to me he was pretty
anxious to reopen the account.
- Well, anyway, it's not your problem.
Thanks for everything, Buford.
- Carrie.
Why don't you try Harvey
Kettleman out on South Grove?
He's a friend of mine.
I get my things there.
I'll give him a call.
It'll be OK.
OK?
- OK.
(somber music)
- Well, that's it.
- But that's harassment.
- Trust me.
- The law isn't supposed to be partisan,
not if it's gonna work at all.
- Did you learn that at
that police academy, Til?
- Look, Buford, I know you don't believe
in goin' by the book but I do.
It's the only way.
- Even if it doesn't get the job done.
- Well, there's no easy answer to that.
- Well, welcome to the club, boy.
All right.
Starting today, we enforce
the law to the letter.
- Just for Danny Boy Mitchell?
- Everybody.
Most everybody.
McNairy County.
- We're gonna have some unhappy taxpayers.
- You know something, Til.
You may just be right.
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- Hey Buford, you got a problem, man?
- Just you, Danny Boy.
Can I see your driver's license, please?
- Why for?
- I'm gonna ask you just one more time.
Can I see your driver's license, please?
- You're holdin' me up, Buford. I gotta-
- Get outta the truck!
Put your hands on the
roof and spread 'em. Move!
- You ain't go no right.
- Section 913 state police code
authorizes a physical search
for weapons of any known
criminal or associates
thereof if there exists probable cause.
A misdemeanor witnessed
by an arresting officer
constitutes such a probable cause.
All right, Danny Boy.
You're clean.
- Misdemeanor? I ain't done nothin'.
- Violation of Article 1173-7, dated 1907.
- 1907? Are you out of your gourd, Buford?
- Every motor-driven vehicle operating
within the city limits
of Selmer, Tennessee,
must be preceded by a man walking
and carrying a red flag.
- (laughing) All right, Buford.
I'll go along with your fun and games.
Now, you write out the
ticket. And I'll be on my way.
- Danny Boy, I don't see
no man with a red flag.
And until I do, this vehicle's
gonna stay right where it is.
- Look, I got beer and
ice cream in the back.
It's gonna melt all over the street.
- I can't do nothing about that.
- Yeah, I got it. Until
somebody's got a red flag?
Monks, you go get me a red flag.
- Huh? Where?
- I don't know. You just find one.
Move it!
- Carryin' a passenger in the
back of a commercial truck
is a violation of safety regulations.
That's an overloaded vehicle.
Carrying perishable commodities
without a commercial license.
- Buford, what is it
you think you're doin'?
- Well, I'm just doin'
my sworn duty, Danny Boy.
What's this?
- Hey, come on, Buford.
That stuff's gotta stay cold.
I got beer and ice cream back there.
- Do you have a permit for transporting
dangerous chemicals
through McNairy County?
- They ain't no dangerous chemicals.
That's just. OK, Buford.
I haven't got a permit.
You happy?
- Beer and ice cream, huh?
It's kinda hot today, Danny Boy.
You know what you ought to do?
You oughta rotate these kegs.
Make sure they all stay cool.
- Ah, no!
Buford!
(laughing)
(shouting)
- Some mess, isn't it?
Well, that's illegal dumping.
(shouting)
- Littering a public place.
(shouting)
(laughing)
(shouting)
- Can I go now?
- Why sure.
(dramatic music)
- Under N, 36.
Under N, 36.
Under O, 70.
Number 70, under O.
Under B, 14.
Number 14, under B.
Under I, 27.
Number 27, under I.
Again under B, number 3.
Number 3, under B.
- Slow down!
- Under I, 19.
Number 19, under I. Under B, number 5.
Number 5, under B. Sheriff
Pusser, how nice to see you.
The cards are $0.25 and
the grand prize is $435.
- Yeah. I'm sorry, Amelia.
I'm here on business.
- I'm sure it can wait until
after we've had one winner!
- Good afternoon, ladies.
Uh, you're all under arrest.
- What?
- You're all under arrest.
City ordinance 1158-6 prohibits gamblin'
within the city limits of Selmer.
Now, you will each be cited individually
and you'll be released
on your own recognizance.
Thank you.
- Buford, if this is some
sort of joke, it isn't funny!
The Ladies League has held weekly bingo
games to raise funds for years.
- And breaking the law
all that time, Amelia.
- You can't do this!
- Well, I gotta give one to all of you.
- Well, you can't.
We've been doing this for 20 years.
You can't give a person a
ticket after they're 65.
- Oh no! You can't.
(shouting)
- Well, we'll just see what Judge Marlowe
has to say about this!
(shouting)
(gavel banging)
- Silence!
Sheriff Pusser, would you please explain
to me what you're doing?
- I'm just enforcing the law, ma'am.
- This is a clear case of
police harassment of my client.
(gavel banging)
- Police harassment is a
serious charge, Sheriff.
- Yes ma'am.
But issuing citations
for violations of the law
is not harassment.
- Your Honor, citations for violation
of obsolete, unenforced laws?
(gavel banging)
- Sheriff Pusser, did you, my car
has been tagged, in my own
parking space assigned to me.
- Yes ma'am, Your Honor.
- Why?
- Well, Section 213, Paragraph 11B,
County ordinance dated February 4 of 1888.
All carriages parked
outside the courthouse
must be tethered to hitch rails.
- My car?
- Well, as a matter of fact, ma'am,
I didn't find one of those carriages
out there properly hitched.
So I gave 'em all tickets.
- Buford, these are automobiles,
not horse-drawn vehicles.
- Well, I'm sorry ma'am, uh, Your Honor.
But Statute 1411, dated
February 13 of 1906,
officially defines all motor vehicles
as horseless carriages.
- I see, Sheriff Pusser.
And, uh, why are you suddenly so concerned
about the enforcement of our antique laws?
- Every one of those laws
remains on the books.
And I'm sworn to enforce
the laws, all of 'em,
against everyone.
And that is not police harassment.
(shouting)
(gavel banging)
- This court finds the
charge of police harassment
to be unfounded.
It is dismissed.
An appearance date is
printed on your citations.
Under law you must appear
at that time and date.
(gavel banging)
(shouting)
- This hearing is dismissed.
(dramatic music)
- Now you tell me something.
This man Buford can ride my
tail from here on, burnin' me
for every two-bit law I bust,
hasslin' me every place I go?
- Well, I wouldn't say that, Danny.
- Well, what would you say, Mull?
I pay you a lot of money
to keep guys like Buford off my back.
- I know that, Danny. But-
- You mean that's it?
You mean there ain't nothin'
you can do about Buford at all?
- Well, legally, I-
- I'll tell you something, Roger.
Nobody gonna get away with hasslin' me.
- Danny, you can't.
Danny! There's nothing
I can do to protect ya!
(dramatic music)
- Knowing you, Buford, you're not doing
all this just for fun and games.
- No ma'am, uh, Your Honor.
- Hearing's over and done.
We're friends?
- Well, I certainly hope so, Sabrina.
- You're after Mitchell?
- Any way I can get him.
Tell me, Sabrina, where do you stand?
- Where I belong, administering
the law, good, bad,
or otherwise, to the best of my ability.
- Well, that makes two of us.
(dramatic music)
- I'm sorry I couldn't
get to you any sooner
to warn you what Buford was gonna do.
- Hey, twerp.
My knowing about it
wouldn't have stopped him.
- You kissin' me like that
just makes me go weak all over.
- We're gonna have to do
something about that, huh?
- Anything you say, you know that.
- Anything, huh?
- Look, I'm riskin' a lot
just being seen with you.
- OK, OK.
Poor little rich girl.
Daddy owns half of McNairy County.
- Sometimes I think you're just using me,
me workin' at the
sheriff's office and all.
You love me?
- What kind of question is that?
- I wanna know.
- I love ya.
Any way you want it to be.
- I love you too.
- Yeah?
Care to prove it?
- Haven't I?
I do everything you say.
- Everything?
- Everything.
I'm gonna settle with Buford Pusser.
You wanna help me do that little thing?
- I don't know.
What do you want me to do?
- You make up your mind, baby. Me or him?
- Danny, you know it-
(dramatic music)
- Your carriage, Princess.
How you doin', kids?
- Gee, Daddy. I'm glad
you picked us up today.
Didn't want to miss
the "Edge of Darkness."
- What's so special about
today's "Edge of Darkness"?
- Well, Annie shot Mr. Roper.
And Joe Young, the district
attorney who loves her,
has to prosecute her, even though it's
breaking his heart to do it.
- How we doin'?
- Some we's are doing
better than the other we.
- Flunked my algebra test.
Big deal. I'll make it up.
- Famous last words.
- Oh.
We doing so well on our spellin' that we
can afford to talk there, Princess?
- Like the man said, I'll make it up.
- Well, if that's a promise, I just
might spring for a couple
of triple dippers, huh?
- I don't know. Coach
says sugar makes pimples.
- And Jenny Cooper doesn't
make out with pimply boys.
- Shut up, Dwana.
- Don't talk to your
sister that way, Mike.
Shut up, Dwana.
(dramatic music)
Get down on the floor.
Get down on the floor!
Get down. Cover your heads!
(dramatic music)
(gunshots firing)
Mike, Dwana, you all right?
All right. Now, stay down 'til I get back.
Stay down there.
(dramatic music)
Mike, you all right?
- Yeah, just, just shook up real good.
But nothin's broken.
- All right.
Come on out.
Come on.
It's all right.
All right.
- I'm fine, Daddy.
Remind me to take the bus home next time.
- OK.
- Who was that, Pop?
- That was an unhappy tax payer, I reckon.
- I understand how you feel!
You've gotta understand!
As long as those laws are
on the books, technically
there's nothin' I can do!
- And in the meantime?
(shouting)
- Excuse me.
- Buford, what happened?
- All right.
I know a lot of you folks
are unhappy with me.
I don't like bearing down
on ya the way I have.
But I have to do it.
The only way I've been able to figure out
to get to a man that needs
to be brought to justice.
I'm asking all of you to go along
with what I'm trying to do.
I'm asking all of you to trust me.
Please trust me.
I brought my car here with
me to show you that what
I'm trying to do seems to be workin'.
Seems to be workin'.
The man that I'm after worried enough
he tried to kill me today.
And my kids, Dwana and Mike,
they were in the car with me.
- Well, I don't think that our
complaints matter that much.
This meetin' is adjourned.
- Buford.
- Miles.
I started this.
I'm gonna finish it.
- You OK?
- Yeah.
- Mike and Dwana were
in the car with him too.
They're OK.
- Only Mad Dog would
do something like that.
- Buford, this car's
gonna take some fixin'.
You better take Til's car and
he can use the backup unit.
- All right, Obra. Where is he?
- He's at the lake.
- Til, Til, you get this
wreck down to the shop.
I got somethin' to do.
- Sheriff!
When you settle this, I want in on it.
- Might not be by the book, Til.
- To hell with the book.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, what say, Buford?
Think you could beat me?
- Your boys didn't get
the job done, Mitchell.
My kids were with me in that car.
- You know me better than that, Buford.
We may have our differences.
But they ain't all that heavy.
I don't pick on a man's family.
- You're a liar.
You ain't got the guts
to take me on yourself.
- (laughing) I always wondered
if I could take you, Buford.
(dramatic music)
- Get up. You ain't through.
Come on. Get up!
Come on.
- Stop it!
Stop it, Buford. That's enough!
That's it, Buford, stop.
- That's enough for now Danny Boy.
(dramatic music)
- See you later, Grandpa.
- Bye.
(horn honking)
- Hey there, Pop.
- Hey, Buford.
- Finally fixin' that old thing, huh?
- Well, I'll get it figured
out sooner or later.
Say, uh, Mike and Dwana
told me what happened today.
You were lucky they didn't get hurt.
You know, that could happen again.
- I don't think so, Pa. Hope not.
- Yeah. But you can't be sure, Buford.
- I wish I could be.
I came out to pick up some clothes.
I'm gonna spend a few days in town.
Should make things better out here.
- Buford, maybe it's time-
- Oh, you don't have to say it.
- Well, maybe it has to be said, Buford.
I mean, it could happen again.
- Pa, it happened.
And I'm doing my best to make
sure it never happens again.
Talking about it ain't
gonna change anything.
- All right, son.
(dramatic music)
(dog barking)
- Place is really shaping up, Carrie.
(dog barking)
- Quiet, Amelia.
- I suppose if it was
a male, you woulda called him Buford, huh?
- So what brings you out
here this time, Sheriff.
You got more marching orders for me?
- No.
Can I get myself a drink of water?
- Well, so much for having
a dog for protection.
- That's good water.
- Just so good that you had
drive 10 miles out here just
to get another drink of it, huh?
- No.
- Got somethin' on your mind?
- You might say so.
Any luck with the nursin' job?
- Well, it seems there's no
great demand for ex-con nurses.
- Sorry.
- Look, you done me a favor gettin'
Harvey Kettleman to give me credit.
But if you got any funny idea-
- You might consider it funny at that.
- Let's hear it.
- Lloyd Tatum is having a dance tonight.
- Oh. So I heard.
But I haven't gotten my invitation yet.
- Well, now you have.
- What'd you say?
- I'm asking you to the dance.
- Mmm, you mean with you?
- If you'll do me the honor, ma'am.
- Well, if you're not funnin' then you're
crazy, because you know what you'd
be lettin' yourself in for?
- I know the kind of guts it takes
to try to do what you're doing.
And I know it'll take guts
to go to that dance tonight.
Well, I, I admire what
you're trying to do.
And if you'd like to go to that
dance with me tonight, well,
I'd be proud to take ya.
- I won't go, Buford.
- I don't blame ya. If I
were you, I'd be scared too.
- I'm not scared of anything.
- Good. I'll pick up at 7:30.
(banjo music)
- Here's the nursery.
Bottles and formula in
the steamer on the stove.
Honey, what is it, Ruthie?
- We want to watch the
square dancing inside.
- Yes. Just go and do it.
And stay out of the way.
(banjo music)
- You all sure do look
like you're having a good time.
I'm glad. Good to see you.
Will you all excuse me?
So glad you made it, Judge Marlowe.
- Just Sabrina tonight.
Oh, this looks like such fun.
- Fun's the word.
Evenin', Buford.
- Lloyd.
- Carrie.
- You remember Lloyd Tatum.
- How are you, Lloyd?
- Fine. I'm just fine.
Carrie Todd, Sabrina Marlowe.
- I'm delighted to meet you, Carrie.
- My pleasure.
- Nice to see you, Sabrina.
Excuse us.
- Thanks, Sabrina.
- See, there's nothing to it.
- I'm still scared, Buford.
Sure you want to go through with this?
- Absolutely sure.
Let's finish this dance, all right?
Two-step is the only dance
in the world I can do,
and none too good at that.
(bnajo music)
See, I told ya.
Hi, Jenny. How's it going?
- Amelia?
- Freddy, I just want you to stop.
Just a minute.
- Damn it.
- Carrie.
Carrie.
Carrie!
Look. Runnin' away isn't
gonna change anything.
- I'm leavin', Buford.
- No you're not!
You're gonna give me time
to make this thing work.
- It won't work.
- Do I get a chance to try?
Look. I'll be back in a minute.
Will you wait?
- If that's the way you want it.
- All right.
(banjo music)
(audience applauding)
- Hey, there's that big daddy of yours.
- Hey.
- Nice to see you, Buford.
- There she is.
Hey.
Do I get to dance with
my princess tonight, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
- Good.
- I miss you not being at home, Daddy.
- I know. I missed you too, sweetheart.
Look at these two slicked-up dudes, huh?
- How 'bout that, huh?
- I'm coming in to see my girlfriend.
- I thought your card was filled.
- Supposedly.
- Yeah. Let's go.
- Get in there. Shake a leg, sport.
♪ Do an allemande left
with your left hand ♪
♪ And come on back and promenade ♪
♪ Hey, promenade is two by two ♪
♪ Take that pretty girl home with you ♪
♪ The promenade, hey,
promenade is two by two ♪
♪ Take the lady back home with you ♪
♪ Well, now, get on home, you rascal you ♪
♪ Now when you're home, well ♪
♪ Joe and Angie gonna make a little ring ♪
♪ Ring, ring, circle to the left ♪
♪ Hey, circle to the
left and around you go ♪
♪ Just circle to the left ♪
♪ Hey, break it all up ♪
♪ Yo, pass over to that partner ♪
♪ Left that corner for the right ♪
♪ Well, partner left,
you got an allemande ♪
♪ And then sweep in in a backwards star ♪
♪ Now back along now, but not too far ♪
♪ Slip the clutch to an allemande
left with your left hand ♪
♪ And come on back a
right and left grand ♪
♪ Little grand, little
right, and left you go ♪
♪ Just find a girl and promenade ♪
♪ Promenade go two by two ♪
♪ Take that pretty girl home with you ♪
♪ Well, right back home,
that's what you do ♪
♪ Ladies center then back to the bar ♪
♪ And the men to the middle,
make a right hand star ♪
♪ Hey star by the right
♪ ♪ And around you go ♪
♪ Now back to the left
but don't you be slow ♪
♪ Well, take old partner,
with an arm around ♪
♪ Star promenade but don't slow down ♪
♪ Now the inside out, the outside in ♪
♪ Gents back up ♪ ♪ Put the ladies in ♪
♪ You gonna form that star
with the pretty points in ♪
♪ Star promenade and around you go ♪
♪ Now hurry home to break that thing ♪
♪ Swing that gal one time around ♪
- Lucy!
Lucy, what's the matter?
- Honey, she's choking!
- Don't you touch her!
- You all right?
Huh?
Yes, you are.
That hurt a lot, doesn't it?
- Good thing you were here, Carrie.
Where'd you learn how to do that?
- Well, you learn a lot in prison.
- A chicken bone!
- You all right, Lucy?
Carrie, don't go. Please!
I want to thank you.
Damn it. I'm sorry.
- OK. We got a lot of dancing to do.
Now let's get at it, huh?
- Dance with her, Daddy.
- You wanna take this
up where we left it off?
Was it the twp-step?
(banjo music)
- Hey, Coker. You there?
- I read you, Til.
- It's quiet.
Everybody's at the barn dance.
Wish I was.
- A policeman's lot is not a happy one.
- You just don't say.
(sinister music)
(banjo music)
(audience applauding)
(upbeat music)
- Buford, there's a call for
you up at the main house.
Obra couldn't raise you on the radio.
There's been a shootin'
out in the lumber yard.
- Any more details?
- Unh- uh.
- Pa, you feel like taking a ride?
We'll be back in a little bit.
(dramatic music)
501 to base.
501 to base. Over.
Come in. Over.
Well, my radio's dead.
- Trouble?
- I don't know.
Debbie, get on up to Lloyd Tatum's place
and get Obra on the phone.
Tell him I need Grady
and Til to back me up
at the lumber yard.
All right?
- All right.
(dramatic music)
- Pa, I know I told Debbie just
get Grady and Til to back me up fast!
- All right. Yeah.
You gotta get me through
to Til and Grady fast!
(ominous music)
- Buford!
(gunshots firing)
- You got him!
I seen him take it, Danny Boy.
- Monks.
(dramatic music)
- You got him, Danny Boy.
You hit him.
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
- Move it!
I want to get him!
You go 'round the other side.
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
(dramatic music)
- Bunker, you see anything?
- Nothing. I ain't seen nothing.
- Well, either he lost his
firepower or he's playing
possum, 'cause there ain't
nothing coming back at us.
I want him.
You get in there.
Monks, you go 'round the other side.
Ruby, you follow me.
(dramatic music)
- Sit right there, Pusser.
Get them hands up where I can see 'em.
Hey Danny, I got him!
(gunshots firing)
(dramatic music)
- Grady's coming?
- Yeah. He's on his way.
- Let's go!
(siren wailing)
(dramatic music)
(gunshots firing)
(screaming)
- I'm gettin' outta here.
(dramatic music)
- Monks, come back here!
(dramatic music)
- Pusser!
(clicks)
(logs rumbling)
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- OK, I got him!
- Buford, you all right?
- Yeah.
I'm OK, Daddy.
Let me get this thing finished.
You read him his rights, Til?
- You knew this was a set-up, didn't you?
- Yeah. It was the same person that tipped
off old Danny Boy before.
I'm taking your car, Grady!
- OK!
- You clean up this mess now, hear?
Why'd you do it, Debbie?
- Why what do you, what do you mean?
- It was you who tipped off Danny
about that raid on his disco.
You set me up tonight.
I just wonder why you did it.
- Where's Danny?
- He's dead, Debbie.
- (crying) No.
That's not true.
It's not true.
I loved him.
That's why I did it.
Can you understand that?
(crying)
- I'm going home, Obra.
- Buford, there's one
thing I don't understand.
You knew it was a set-up.
Why'd you just walk into Danny Boy's trap?
- Did you ever hunt quail?
Well, Obra, you gotta, you gotta flush
'em before you can shoot 'em.
(dramatic music)
- Buford hire a new girl yet?
- Shh. Not yet.
You gotta see the one that's in there now.
- I sure hope I get the job, Sheriff,
even though I can't type or anything.
'Scuse me.
- She the one, Sheriff?
- Boy, she'd be good.
- I don't know, fellas.
You know, hiring a girl that looks
like that to work in a county office.
- Oh, come on, Buford.
Give the girl a chance.
You can't hold her looks against her.
(laughing)
(bright music)
♪ No ordinary gentleman ♪
♪ With many scars upon his back ♪
♪ He lives the only way he can ♪
♪ To prove the courage we all lack ♪
♪ He has to care ♪
♪ While we don't dare ♪
♪ If we could follow
the dream he follows ♪
♪ Then through it all be walking tall ♪
- The wrong kind of people
have had their say for too long.
And I want to remind them that
somewhere in this world there
is a little law and order
left, to let them know
in the only way their kind
understands that they can't
bribe or threaten their way,
and that they will damn well pay
dearly for every crime they commit.
♪ No ordinary gentleman ♪
♪ With many scars upon his back ♪
♪ He lives the only way he can ♪
♪ To prove the courage we all lack ♪
♪ He has to care ♪
♪ While we don't dare ♪
♪ He will not bow ♪
♪ He will not kneel ♪
♪ Or say the things he doesn't feel ♪
♪ If we could follow
the dream he follows ♪
♪ Then through it all be walking tall ♪
- 501, this is 502.
- I'll take this.
That sounds like Grady.
- All right.
- Hang in there now.
- Come on, let's go, girl.
Let's go, pretty girl.
Yeah. That's it.
Let's go, pretty girl.
Take him out up there. Go
on up that little rise.
- Buford, this is Grady.
I gotta chase a-goin'.
Do you read me, Sheriff?
Come in, 501.
- Yeah. I read you, Grady. What you got?
- I've got a souped up
van with a load of kids.
They're drunker than a bunch of hoot owls
and they're goin' like a bat.
- Where are you, Grady?
- I am north on Highway 19,
approximately 10 miles
south of the junction
of County Road 103.
- How fast you reckon
that bat's travelin', huh?
- At least 100.
It's that Mick Rodgers again.
- 504. Sheriff, I'm on Duly Road.
I can cut in right behind him.
I can take him easy.
- That's a negative, Til.
Don't try it.
All right. Now listen up, both of ya.
Stay behind that van.
Keep your lights and sirens
going, but don't close in.
I repeat, don't close in.
Now you hear me?
- I read you, Buford.
- Sheriff, I can take that van.
- But you won't, Til.
Now, if Mick crashes that van, we're
going to have a world of trouble.
I'll cut him off at the junction of 103.
Out.
I got to go now.
See you all later.
- All right.
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- Oh, god.
Come on, Mick.
Come on.
You all right?
- (laughing) Buford!
- You're all right.
Come on.
Anybody hurt back here, Grady?
All right now.
Come on. Wake up.
That's it. All right.
Easy now, easy.
- I got him, Buford.
OK. That's it. Come on.
- I think they're all right, Grady.
Come on, girl.
Wake up now.
Come on.
Grady, get an ambulance out here fast!
Go on! Move it, man!
- I came over as soon as I heard, Buford.
- Sorry to interrupt your lunch, Debbie.
I need you to take down statements
from the kids, those that can talk.
- I heard.
Terrible thing.
- It's bad, Buford.
- Bad liquor?
- Yeah. Re-distilled alcohol.
It's always risky.`
And this time, mountain moon's bad enough.
But this is pure poison.
- How 'bout the kids?
- Two dead.
Mick and Jody are OK. They'll recover.
- How about the other two girls?
- They're blind.
- Any chance they'll recover their sight?
- Not much.
- Damn!
Can I talk to Mick now?
- Sure. He can go home any time now.
- Don't hassle me, Buford.
- Oh, now Mick, you know
what's happened here.
And you know who's to blame.
- Beats me about it.
- Where'd you get the liquor, boy?
- You think I'm some kinda fink?
- I think you're a stupid fool.
Where'd you get that whiskey?
- I don't remember.
You can get that stuff any place.
- All right, Mick. All right.
That's all you got to say?
- Yes, sir. Can I go now?
- Oh, now wait a minute.
Wait a minute, Mick.
Don't you want to see
your friends first, huh?
- No. I'll see them later.
- No, Mick. You're gonna see them now.
(somber music)
Now say goodbye to 'em, Mick.
They were friends of yours.
(dramatic music)
- Buford, I can't.
(crying)
- If the man that sold you
that poison liquor isn't found
and stopped, there's gonna be more
kids stretched out just like these.
- All we wanted to do
was to have a little fun.
- I know that. I know.
Where'd you get the liquor, boy?
- (crying) Uh, we got it at Danny's disco.
- All right. All right.
All right. You can go now.
- I'll type this up for you Buford.
- It won't stand up in court, Sheriff.
Obtained under duress.
- You want statements
from the other kids, huh?
- Later.
- Are you coming back to the office?
- I said later!
- What's he do?
- Bust up Danny Boy Mitchell's, I reckon.
- He can't do that.
- Well, you just go tell him that, Til.
- Sheriff!
Legally, there's nothing we can do.
(upbeat music)
- Danny.
What?
Yeah, yeah. I'm here.
All right. I appreciate it.
I'll call you later.
Hey, forget it, Bunker.
Get rid of that hooch and do it now.
- Toby, get rid of this stuff.
You know where to stash all the stuff.
- I mean take it away and dump it.
I mean it!
- All of it?
- Yeah. Some kids got a
bad bottle last night.
- Look, Danny Boy. This
bootleg don't run true.
This batch might be OK.
- And it may not be.
And we ain't takin' any more
chances than we have to.
Now you dump it at all.
- Toby, you heard?
We're getting rid of it.
- Ruby, you help haul all this
stuff outta here with Bunker.
Toby and Monks, you get
the liquor out from inside.
We about to have company.
(upbeat music)
- Hey, I paid for that whiskey.
- Forget it, kid.
- Settle down there, everybody.
Hey, turn off that thing, hear?
Now listen up, everybody.
They law's gonna pay us a little visit.
- Aw.
- Now, it don't make no difference.
The only thing is that we
can't have any booze in here
for a while.
- Aw.
- But we gonna make it all up to ya.
You can all relax, 'cause
the beer's on the house.
- Yeah!
(audience applauding)
(dramatic music)
- If it isn't Mr. Pusser himself.
Mr. Pusser himself.
(upbeat music)
- Hey, no need to run off, kids.
Sheriff's just paying us a friendly visit,
isn't that right, Buford?
(glass shattering)
(screaming)
(glass shattering)
- Well, take it easy, huh?
- One kid's dead. Two
kids blinded for life.
(glass shattering)
'Cause of poison, ratgut hooch.
This place stinks of it!
- Now, Buford, you can't
take a smell to court.
And there ain't nobody in here under 18.
Now why don't you forget it, you and me
have a drink for old time's sake.
- No!
- I don't want no trouble here!
(glass shattering)
- Come on.
(glass shattering)
- Buford, you make it awful
hard for an old friend
to stay friendly.
(glass shattering)
(shouting)
- Grady, you two came in
just a little bit too early.
All right, take 'em in.
Take 'em in and book 'em.
- What's the charge?
- Bootlegging, manslaughter,
spittin' on the sidewalk.
I don't care!
Just book 'em!
- Move! Come on!
- You know, you're wasting time, Buford.
You ain't got nothin' on me.
- All right. Put a chain on
this place and lock it up too.
- Danny Boy's right, Buford.
Taking him this way isn't
gonna get the job done.
- You just lock it up.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, Roger man, I'm glad to see you.
- Don't say anything, Danny.
You been given your rights?
- I ain't been given
nothin' but a hard time.
- Sheriff, my name's Mull.
And I have here a bail release
signed by Judge Marlowe.
- No hard feelings, Buford.
- All right. Turn him loose.
- That's how you learn, Sheriff.
You just can't go around
smashing up private businesses
and roughin' up innocent people.
- All right. Now you get
outta here, Lawyer Mull.
And you take this garbage with you.
- You can't talk to me like-
- Shut up, Roger. Let it go.
Some other time, Buford.
- It's best we get back
on the road, Sheriff.
(somber music)
- Mr. Conway.
- Well.
Well, good afternoon, Miles.
I wonder what could bring you here.
- Buford, what in the devil
do you think you're doing?
- Sometimes I wonder myself.
- It isn't funny.
Arrestin' citizens without a warrant,
breaking up legitimate business premises,
and you didn't even read 'em their rights.
Now Buford, as the county
prosecutor, if I told you once,
I told you 100 times, you cannot take
the law into your own hands.
- You know those kids, Miles?
Do you know 'em?
Did you ever watch them growing up?
Huh?
- You best save that for the judge.
There's gonna be a hearing into
what you done in 30 minutes.
You be there.
(dramatic music)
- In a free and democratic society,
elected officials are
sworn to uphold the law.
And vigilante justice has no place-
- I must protest
counsel's choice of words.
- That's enough.
This isn't a trial.
I'll remind you both it
is a preliminary hearing
and nothing more.
- Yes, Your Honor.
But I only wish to point out-
(gavel banging)
- Prosecutor, are you
prepared to present charges
against Mr. Mitcheel at this time?
- No, Your Honor.
Unfortunately Sheriff Pusser
acted somewhat hastily.
- Hastily?
Destruction of private property,
illegal arrest and detention-
(gavel banging)
- Sheriff Pusser, the court
will hear your explanation now.
- Mick Rodgers named Mitchell as the man
that had sold him poison bootleg.
- I object.
Unsubstantiated hearsay is not admissible
evidence in a court of law.
- Mr. Mull, if you don't keep quiet,
I'll have you removed from this court.
Go on, Sheriff.
- Well, when I got to Mitchell's place,
it stank of rotgut hooch.
But he'd been tipped off by somebody.
They had gotten rid of the
stuff before I arrived.
- And you damaged Mr.
Mitchell's place of business
and placed him under arrest.
Does that sum it up?
- Well, all it leaves
out is two dead boys,
two girls blinded for life.
- The law makes no provisions
for acting upon unproven
assumptions based upon hearsay.
You have made an illegal
search and arrest.
If you'd acted properly
by obtaining a warrant,
then and only then would physical evidence
be admitted in court.
You leave me no choice
but to find no evidence
to support probable cause
and to dismiss this case.
Your actions may entitle Mr.
Mitchell to legal redress
from the County of McNairy.
- Forget it, Your Honor.
Buford just went off half-cocked.
We all do that now and then.
(gavel banging)
- This hearing is dismissed.
- Hope this teaches you a lesson, Buford.
- Yeah. Well, you can
count on that, Miles.
- Sheriff Pusser.
Buford, we've been
friends for a long time.
I try to understand your
motivation, your need
to help others, to act
against injustice and crime
in your own way.
But each time you make
it more difficult for me.
- Well, Sabrina, I'm sorry if you think
I'm taking advantage of our friendship.
But men like Mitchell are
walking around free, killin'
kids and getting away with it
'cause the law protects 'em.
- It's your fault Danny Mitchell
walked out of here a free man.
The law protects everyone equally
when it's properly applied!
Buford, you must learn to respect it.
And that means enforcing it to
the letter and nothing more.
I'm sorry, Buford.
But if you appear before this court
again under similar circumstances,
I warn you now the
consequences will be severe.
Your problem, Buford, is that you place
your emotions above your common sense.
- Do you ever wonder,
Sabrina, if you don't
do the same thing with your law books?
(dramatic music)
- How you doing today?
- Buford?
Buford Pusser.
- Well, good morning, Amelia.
How are ya?
- I'm fine.
Which is more than I can say
for the affairs of Selmer.
- Well, right now I'm inclined
to agree with you, Amelia.
- It isn't funny, Buford.
And we demand that it be stopped now.
- Amelia, supposin'
you come into my office
and we'll find out what's
botherin' you, all right?
- That's exactly what we intend to do.
- I'm sure.
- This ain't funny, Obra.
All right, Amelia. What's the problem?
- Carrie Todd.
That's a problem.
- It is? Well, what's she done?
- That woman was released
from the State Penitentiary
after serving seven years
for killing her pimp.
Now she's back, profaning the house of God
with her presence,
walking the streets unashamed,
forcing decent women
to step aside to avoid meetin' her.
- All right, Amelia.
She's gone to church.
She's been seen on the streets of Selmer.
Is that all?
- Isn't that enough?
She has not right walking these-
- Carrie Todd has served her
time in the penitentiary.
Now, she has every right in the world
to do just exactly as she pleases.
- She has not.
The County prosecutor tells that there's
a law against people like her.
- What law? Amelia.
- I've got it right here.
County ordinance Section
301, paragraph 93B,
October 12, 1878.
"That women of ill repute shall remain
below the deadline of South River Street."
- Amelia that old deadline blue
law was passed 100 years ago
when Selmer was just a
frontier timber town.
- I don't care when it was passed.
It's the law.
And we demand that it be enforced.
- Hey, it's Buford.
There's a law on the books.
It's an old deadline blue law.
You know about it?
Mrs. Biggins has been to see
you this morning too, eh?
Yeah.
OK.
- Now will you do something about it?
- Yes, Amelia. Yes.
I'll talk to Carrie Todd.
- Now? Today?
- Yes, Amelia. Today.
- Well, good.
Thank you, Sheriff.
Come on, ladies.
We've done our duty.
- First time I've had the book thrown
at me in some time, Buford.
- Lloyd, do you ever feel strangled
by the law you're trying to serve?
- Oh, every lawyer has.
That's why my office walls are dented
with hard-thrown law books too.
Only consolation is
we'd be a lot worse off
without laws, messed up as they may be.
- Sometimes I wonder about that.
- From what I hear, you
don't let little things
like, uh, legalities bother you much.
- You heard about Danny Boy, huh?
- Yeah. Funny thing.
I always sort of liked him.
I understand you did too.
- Then everything changed.
Lloyd, how many laws you reckon there are?
- Thousands.
Too many.
Some of those old laws should've
been repealed years ago.
- All those crazy old
laws, they still valid?
- You want my legal opinion, Buford?
Cost you money.
- Well, bill the County.
How 'bout it?
- You serious?
- Yeah.
- I suppose they are.
No. I know they are.
See technically, any law,
statute, or ordinance,
legally adopted and not
amended, repealed, or revoked,
is enforceable.
- You just brought a little
light to a very dismal day.
- Look, Buford. What I said is true.
Some of those old laws would
still stand up in court,
I suppose.
But most of them wouldn't.
If you try to use those against somebody,
well, that could be construed
as police harassment.
- Harassment.
You pick on one man,
that's harassment, right?
- Yeah. I understand
Judge Marlowe warned you.
- Against taking the law
into my own hands, Lloyd.
I got no intention of doing that.
- Oh. I'm glad to hear that, Buford.
Look, why don't you take a little break?
You had your lunch yet?
- Well, look, let's make it
another time, all right, Lloyd?
I got some reading I want to do here.
- I hope you know what
you're doing, Buford?
Hey look I'm counting on seeing you
at the dance Saturday night.
Be a lot of, uh, food,
drink, music, and dancing.
It's the kind of get together
we don't have much anymore.
And don't come alone.
- All right. I'll try to make it, Lloyd.
Hey, listen. Thanks very much!
- Yeah.
- Oh yeah.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, Buford!
Y'all come back and see
us sometime, you hear?
(laughing)
- Sure, Danny Boy.
(dramatic music)
- Carrie. Long time.
- What's chewin' on you, Sheriff?
- You know, when I was a kid, my folks
used to say the Todd place had the best
water in McNairy County.
- Yeah?
Well, help yourself.
At least the water hasn't gone to ruin,
which is more than I can
say for everything else.
Ow!
- Easy. Easy now. Let me
try it. Let me try it.
Come on. Get down.
Take a rest.
What brings you back to
McNairy County, Carrie?
I mean, you must have known
it was going to be tough.
You musta known there were gonna be
some people that were gonna resent you.
- Well, I was born here,
you know. I grew up here.
My folks are dead and gone.
I got nothin' else, no place to go.
I did my time, you know.
I got a right to pick up the
pieces for myself if I can.
- Sure you have.
You have.
But it, uh, depends upon
the way you do it, you know.
- Oh, I get it.
Mm-hmm.
Somebody's worried I'm
going to be the way I was.
Well, I got news for you, Sheriff.
There is no future in the business
for a tired lady of the evening.
- Carrie, it's gonna be tough.
Your place needs a lot of work.
Did they, uh, they teach you a trade?
- Five years nursin'
in the prison hospital.
- You gonna try to find some
work like that here in Selmer?
- Thinkin' 'bout it.
- I wish you luck.
Thanks for the water.
- Thanks for the help.
- Any time.
- Is that it?
- Carrie, you know Amelia Biggins?
Do me a favor, will ya?
Stay outta her way for a while, huh?
- Amelia, huh? I knew it.
I figured she and her holier
than thou Ladies League
would raise Cain about my
showing up in church on Sunday.
She's real big in church.
And church throws a lot of
weight around McNairy County.
- So does its boss.
Nice talkin' to ya, Carrie.
Good luck.
(dramatic music)
- 502, this is base. Grady?
Just got a complaint.
Farm out on Old Field Road.
- 501, Debbie.
I know where that is. Tell
Grady I'll meet him there.
(chickens gobbling)
(horn honking)
- Yes sir.
I'm Buford Pusser from
the sheriff's office.
- Blue line to come in here
spinnin' and a-turnin'.
- Well, what's the nature
of your complaint, sir?
- Well, I sure enough did complain.
Now look, my name is Diedric F. Jones.
Well, at least it's to
where I thought it was.
And I saw this little piece
of paper it said Diedric.
You know how you spell that?
Capital D-I-E-D-R-I-C.
Wouldn't you know it?
Not some little old H.
- Yeah.
What, what exactly is
your complaint, Mr. Jones?
- My name is Diedric F. Jones.
And I been snuckered.
- You've been snuckered?
- Look here, Sheriff,
are you a might deaf?
- What is your complaint,
please, Mr. Jones?
- Well, I told you I been snuckered.
I see you're gonna come in here.
And you're gonna sheriff around.
And you're gonna find that old cup.
It's gonna be Deke Miller
who's snuckering on his folk.
(siren wailing)
You gonna do something
'bout that, Sheriff?
- Yes sir, Mr. Junker. I tell
you. You just stay right here.
We're gonna take care
of this. Now don't move.
Stay right here.
Grady, I haven't got an idea in the world
what this man is talking about.
I want you to go over
there and talk to him.
All right?
- OK.
Yes sir. Can I help you?
- Well, I told Sheriff
here that Deke Miller,
he come in here.
He snuckered me. And look
what happened to my chickens.
- Just a minute. OK?
- What did he say?
- Well, it's just as plain
as the nose on your face.
- What's just as plain
as the nose on my face?
- He's been snuckered.
- Oh, he's been snuckered?
- Yeah.
- Snuckered?
- Yeah.
- Well, I see.
I'll tell you what, Grady.
Why don't you go over there
and you unsnucker him, all right?
I'll meet you back at the office.
- This here your truck?
- Yep.
- This here your chickens?
- Yep.
- Do you have any help?
- Nope.
- Well, let's get 'em picked up.
(dramatic music)
(horn honking)
- Well, you'll never
guess what Mike's doing.
He's shaving!
Isn't that a scream!
- Would you prefer him with a beard?
- Two whiskers and some
peach fuzz make a beard?
You gotta see him!
- That's it now. You
work that lather in good.
You see boy, that'll lubricate the skin
and soften up them tough,
wiry whiskers of yours.
Yeah.
- This ain't a free show.
I don't need an audience.
- Don't say ain't.
- Get away!
Sorry, Dad.
- Uh, he just thought he needed to shave
for a special occasion.
No. No.
Wait a minute. You ain't gonna
gouge nobody with that, boy.
You see, you've got to
take it gently like this.
And then just a smooth, slow easy scrape
down there like that, huh?
Yeah. That's it.
Uh-huh. It's all right.
We got the styptic right handy here.
- We can always get some
stitches if you need 'em.
- Watch your mouth, boy.
I remember you nicked
yourself a time or two, huh?
- Tell me, Mike, are you
shaving just to be shaving,
or you got something on for tonight?
- He's got a thing on with Jenny Cooper.
- Dwana!
- Well, he has.
Gonna take her to Lloyd Tatum's
barn dance Saturday night.
Gonna be a hay ride.
And he's countin' on messing
with Jenny in the hay.
- Dwana!
Here's what I tell ya.
The way that girl talks sometimes-
- Hey, Mom. How you doin'?
- You mean you're home for
dinner? It's not even cold yet.
- I try.
- Well, I'm glad. It's on the table.
Come and get it. Carl.
- Yeah.
We'll be right along, Mother, soon
as we stanch this flow of blood here.
- Ah.
You got a little, that's
good. That's just fine.
Yeah.
- Wet that thing and put
it on that nick there, boy.
You get lucky, you'll get cut
up worse than that Saturday
night on that hayride.
(dramatic music)
- Oh.
Oh.
Princess wants to be seated too.
All right.
- You just act like that
all the time, Dwana?
Carl, say grace.
- Heavenly Father, we ask
you to bless this food to us
and thank you for the
blessing and happiness
that you showed us in the past.
Amen.
- Amen.
- Terrible thing about
what happened, Buford.
Are you sure Danny Mitchell
was involved in that?
He seems like such a nice boy.
And he used to be a friend of yours.
- He's not he way you
used to know him, Mom.
- I saw him just last week.
I was in shopping, had
my bag of groceries.
And he came up nice as you
please, said he remembered me.
Took the groceries from
me, opened the car door.
You sure he's responsible for
what happened to those kids?
- Well, he, uh, hasn't been convicted.
But yeah.
- What about Carrie Todd?
She's paid her price for the
mistakes she made and has
the right to whatever happiness she
can find in this cold, cruel world.
- Carrie Todd?
That isn't the-
- The scarlet woman who shot her-
- Dwana, where'd you
hear about Carrie Todd?
- It's all over school.
Miss Socum's daughter Ruthie
told everybody Amelia Biggins'
gonna run Carrie Todd out of town,
and that she's not fit to
associate with decent people.
- Dwana.
- But I think Miss Biggins
is just an old fuddy-duddy.
- Dwana.
- Sounds like too much late
afternoon soap opera TV to me.
- Don't you watch the soaps, Pa?
- Oh, I'm not mature enough for that, son.
- If there aren't any cowboys
on, Grandpa doesn't watch TV.
(gentle music)
- Hey, Buford.
Want a cooler?
- Oh, yeah. Thanks.
- Nice night, huh?
- Yeah.
Kinda warm.
You know, Pa, I hope
things are OK out here.
I, I'm sorry I don't get to
spend as much time with you
as I'd like.
- Oh, now, we're all right.
All right.
Something's on your mind.
You bothered because you can't do anything
about this Danny Boy Mitchell, eh?
- Oh, I'm gonna do something
about Danny Boy Mitchell.
You know, Pa, men like Mitchell, they
use the law to hide behind.
They use the law to protect themselves.
Well, maybe I can use it too.
Maybe I can use the law to
build a fire under Mr. Mitchell.
Smoke him out.
Make him so hot he'll do something stupid,
something he can't cover up.
- Like maybe try to kill you.
(dramatic music)
- Well, if it comes to that.
Pa, this is something I got to do.
People need somebody to
stand up for 'em, somebody
to face up to men like
Mitchell on even terms.
(dramatic music)
- Somebody else to take
the risks for 'em, right?
- Yeah.
Yeah, that's it.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm just fooling myself.
Maybe I'm just trying to
justify what I'm gonna do.
Makes no difference, Pa.
I got to do it.
- All right. Let's go.
Go get 'em, Tiger.
What do you say, huh?
Huh?
Hey, how you doing, George?
Kinda warm today, isn't it?
Hey, you gonna ride today?
(audience applauding)
- Mornin'.
- Oh, mornin', Sheriff.
- I thought Grady was
checking up here this morning.
- Oh, yeah. He is.
But I'm not on duty for another hour.
So I just thought I'd-
- Guess what I just did.
- Huh?
I don't know.
- I just washed my car.
- You did.
Yeah.
- Well, you know how it is,
Til, with county taxpayers.
You know, they like to be sure
that their equipment is being
taken care of with all that tax money.
- Yes sir.
- And you know, there's a
question of image, you know.
We are police officers and so forth.
- I'll wash the car, Buford.
- Well, I think that's a great idea.
I'm glad you took my little hint.
- Hint?
- You all have a nice day now.
- You too.
Why's a dirty car bad?
- Well, it's not just,
it's not a dirty car.
It's maintaining county
property that's important.
(shouting)
- Get out there!
Come on. Let's go!
Come on!
(shouting)
- Come on, boy!
(shouting)
- That's it. Come on.
Watch that turn!
(shouting)
- Come on now!
Come on!
(shouting)
(audience applauding)
- Congratulations, Mike, on first place.
(audience applauding)
- All right.
Hey, how 'bout that?
(audience applauding)
(dramatic music)
(shouting)
- Gettin' choosy, ain't ya?
I was messing with you when you was a kid.
- Well, treasure the memory,
because that's all you got!
- No, Charlie.
No.
Charlie, now look.
We can do this all day long.
- I ain't doin' nothin' wrong, Buford.
You know Carrie Todd, what she is.
- Yeah!
She's a taxpayer, just the same as you.
- Well, she's a-
- Now Charlie, you got a bad mouth.
- OK.
OK. But ask her what she's
doin' comin' around here an hour
before opening asking me to let her in.
What else does she want?
- I wanted to buy some groceries!
I was told I wasn't welcome here in town,
so I come early to stay
out of people's way.
- Buy your lousy groceries someplace else!
(dramatic music)
- Sorry 'bout that.
- There are other stores.
It's just Charlie used to give
me credit when I was broke.
Guess maybe I had more assets then.
- Seemed to me he was pretty
anxious to reopen the account.
- Well, anyway, it's not your problem.
Thanks for everything, Buford.
- Carrie.
Why don't you try Harvey
Kettleman out on South Grove?
He's a friend of mine.
I get my things there.
I'll give him a call.
It'll be OK.
OK?
- OK.
(somber music)
- Well, that's it.
- But that's harassment.
- Trust me.
- The law isn't supposed to be partisan,
not if it's gonna work at all.
- Did you learn that at
that police academy, Til?
- Look, Buford, I know you don't believe
in goin' by the book but I do.
It's the only way.
- Even if it doesn't get the job done.
- Well, there's no easy answer to that.
- Well, welcome to the club, boy.
All right.
Starting today, we enforce
the law to the letter.
- Just for Danny Boy Mitchell?
- Everybody.
Most everybody.
McNairy County.
- We're gonna have some unhappy taxpayers.
- You know something, Til.
You may just be right.
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- Hey Buford, you got a problem, man?
- Just you, Danny Boy.
Can I see your driver's license, please?
- Why for?
- I'm gonna ask you just one more time.
Can I see your driver's license, please?
- You're holdin' me up, Buford. I gotta-
- Get outta the truck!
Put your hands on the
roof and spread 'em. Move!
- You ain't go no right.
- Section 913 state police code
authorizes a physical search
for weapons of any known
criminal or associates
thereof if there exists probable cause.
A misdemeanor witnessed
by an arresting officer
constitutes such a probable cause.
All right, Danny Boy.
You're clean.
- Misdemeanor? I ain't done nothin'.
- Violation of Article 1173-7, dated 1907.
- 1907? Are you out of your gourd, Buford?
- Every motor-driven vehicle operating
within the city limits
of Selmer, Tennessee,
must be preceded by a man walking
and carrying a red flag.
- (laughing) All right, Buford.
I'll go along with your fun and games.
Now, you write out the
ticket. And I'll be on my way.
- Danny Boy, I don't see
no man with a red flag.
And until I do, this vehicle's
gonna stay right where it is.
- Look, I got beer and
ice cream in the back.
It's gonna melt all over the street.
- I can't do nothing about that.
- Yeah, I got it. Until
somebody's got a red flag?
Monks, you go get me a red flag.
- Huh? Where?
- I don't know. You just find one.
Move it!
- Carryin' a passenger in the
back of a commercial truck
is a violation of safety regulations.
That's an overloaded vehicle.
Carrying perishable commodities
without a commercial license.
- Buford, what is it
you think you're doin'?
- Well, I'm just doin'
my sworn duty, Danny Boy.
What's this?
- Hey, come on, Buford.
That stuff's gotta stay cold.
I got beer and ice cream back there.
- Do you have a permit for transporting
dangerous chemicals
through McNairy County?
- They ain't no dangerous chemicals.
That's just. OK, Buford.
I haven't got a permit.
You happy?
- Beer and ice cream, huh?
It's kinda hot today, Danny Boy.
You know what you ought to do?
You oughta rotate these kegs.
Make sure they all stay cool.
- Ah, no!
Buford!
(laughing)
(shouting)
- Some mess, isn't it?
Well, that's illegal dumping.
(shouting)
- Littering a public place.
(shouting)
(laughing)
(shouting)
- Can I go now?
- Why sure.
(dramatic music)
- Under N, 36.
Under N, 36.
Under O, 70.
Number 70, under O.
Under B, 14.
Number 14, under B.
Under I, 27.
Number 27, under I.
Again under B, number 3.
Number 3, under B.
- Slow down!
- Under I, 19.
Number 19, under I. Under B, number 5.
Number 5, under B. Sheriff
Pusser, how nice to see you.
The cards are $0.25 and
the grand prize is $435.
- Yeah. I'm sorry, Amelia.
I'm here on business.
- I'm sure it can wait until
after we've had one winner!
- Good afternoon, ladies.
Uh, you're all under arrest.
- What?
- You're all under arrest.
City ordinance 1158-6 prohibits gamblin'
within the city limits of Selmer.
Now, you will each be cited individually
and you'll be released
on your own recognizance.
Thank you.
- Buford, if this is some
sort of joke, it isn't funny!
The Ladies League has held weekly bingo
games to raise funds for years.
- And breaking the law
all that time, Amelia.
- You can't do this!
- Well, I gotta give one to all of you.
- Well, you can't.
We've been doing this for 20 years.
You can't give a person a
ticket after they're 65.
- Oh no! You can't.
(shouting)
- Well, we'll just see what Judge Marlowe
has to say about this!
(shouting)
(gavel banging)
- Silence!
Sheriff Pusser, would you please explain
to me what you're doing?
- I'm just enforcing the law, ma'am.
- This is a clear case of
police harassment of my client.
(gavel banging)
- Police harassment is a
serious charge, Sheriff.
- Yes ma'am.
But issuing citations
for violations of the law
is not harassment.
- Your Honor, citations for violation
of obsolete, unenforced laws?
(gavel banging)
- Sheriff Pusser, did you, my car
has been tagged, in my own
parking space assigned to me.
- Yes ma'am, Your Honor.
- Why?
- Well, Section 213, Paragraph 11B,
County ordinance dated February 4 of 1888.
All carriages parked
outside the courthouse
must be tethered to hitch rails.
- My car?
- Well, as a matter of fact, ma'am,
I didn't find one of those carriages
out there properly hitched.
So I gave 'em all tickets.
- Buford, these are automobiles,
not horse-drawn vehicles.
- Well, I'm sorry ma'am, uh, Your Honor.
But Statute 1411, dated
February 13 of 1906,
officially defines all motor vehicles
as horseless carriages.
- I see, Sheriff Pusser.
And, uh, why are you suddenly so concerned
about the enforcement of our antique laws?
- Every one of those laws
remains on the books.
And I'm sworn to enforce
the laws, all of 'em,
against everyone.
And that is not police harassment.
(shouting)
(gavel banging)
- This court finds the
charge of police harassment
to be unfounded.
It is dismissed.
An appearance date is
printed on your citations.
Under law you must appear
at that time and date.
(gavel banging)
(shouting)
- This hearing is dismissed.
(dramatic music)
- Now you tell me something.
This man Buford can ride my
tail from here on, burnin' me
for every two-bit law I bust,
hasslin' me every place I go?
- Well, I wouldn't say that, Danny.
- Well, what would you say, Mull?
I pay you a lot of money
to keep guys like Buford off my back.
- I know that, Danny. But-
- You mean that's it?
You mean there ain't nothin'
you can do about Buford at all?
- Well, legally, I-
- I'll tell you something, Roger.
Nobody gonna get away with hasslin' me.
- Danny, you can't.
Danny! There's nothing
I can do to protect ya!
(dramatic music)
- Knowing you, Buford, you're not doing
all this just for fun and games.
- No ma'am, uh, Your Honor.
- Hearing's over and done.
We're friends?
- Well, I certainly hope so, Sabrina.
- You're after Mitchell?
- Any way I can get him.
Tell me, Sabrina, where do you stand?
- Where I belong, administering
the law, good, bad,
or otherwise, to the best of my ability.
- Well, that makes two of us.
(dramatic music)
- I'm sorry I couldn't
get to you any sooner
to warn you what Buford was gonna do.
- Hey, twerp.
My knowing about it
wouldn't have stopped him.
- You kissin' me like that
just makes me go weak all over.
- We're gonna have to do
something about that, huh?
- Anything you say, you know that.
- Anything, huh?
- Look, I'm riskin' a lot
just being seen with you.
- OK, OK.
Poor little rich girl.
Daddy owns half of McNairy County.
- Sometimes I think you're just using me,
me workin' at the
sheriff's office and all.
You love me?
- What kind of question is that?
- I wanna know.
- I love ya.
Any way you want it to be.
- I love you too.
- Yeah?
Care to prove it?
- Haven't I?
I do everything you say.
- Everything?
- Everything.
I'm gonna settle with Buford Pusser.
You wanna help me do that little thing?
- I don't know.
What do you want me to do?
- You make up your mind, baby. Me or him?
- Danny, you know it-
(dramatic music)
- Your carriage, Princess.
How you doin', kids?
- Gee, Daddy. I'm glad
you picked us up today.
Didn't want to miss
the "Edge of Darkness."
- What's so special about
today's "Edge of Darkness"?
- Well, Annie shot Mr. Roper.
And Joe Young, the district
attorney who loves her,
has to prosecute her, even though it's
breaking his heart to do it.
- How we doin'?
- Some we's are doing
better than the other we.
- Flunked my algebra test.
Big deal. I'll make it up.
- Famous last words.
- Oh.
We doing so well on our spellin' that we
can afford to talk there, Princess?
- Like the man said, I'll make it up.
- Well, if that's a promise, I just
might spring for a couple
of triple dippers, huh?
- I don't know. Coach
says sugar makes pimples.
- And Jenny Cooper doesn't
make out with pimply boys.
- Shut up, Dwana.
- Don't talk to your
sister that way, Mike.
Shut up, Dwana.
(dramatic music)
Get down on the floor.
Get down on the floor!
Get down. Cover your heads!
(dramatic music)
(gunshots firing)
Mike, Dwana, you all right?
All right. Now, stay down 'til I get back.
Stay down there.
(dramatic music)
Mike, you all right?
- Yeah, just, just shook up real good.
But nothin's broken.
- All right.
Come on out.
Come on.
It's all right.
All right.
- I'm fine, Daddy.
Remind me to take the bus home next time.
- OK.
- Who was that, Pop?
- That was an unhappy tax payer, I reckon.
- I understand how you feel!
You've gotta understand!
As long as those laws are
on the books, technically
there's nothin' I can do!
- And in the meantime?
(shouting)
- Excuse me.
- Buford, what happened?
- All right.
I know a lot of you folks
are unhappy with me.
I don't like bearing down
on ya the way I have.
But I have to do it.
The only way I've been able to figure out
to get to a man that needs
to be brought to justice.
I'm asking all of you to go along
with what I'm trying to do.
I'm asking all of you to trust me.
Please trust me.
I brought my car here with
me to show you that what
I'm trying to do seems to be workin'.
Seems to be workin'.
The man that I'm after worried enough
he tried to kill me today.
And my kids, Dwana and Mike,
they were in the car with me.
- Well, I don't think that our
complaints matter that much.
This meetin' is adjourned.
- Buford.
- Miles.
I started this.
I'm gonna finish it.
- You OK?
- Yeah.
- Mike and Dwana were
in the car with him too.
They're OK.
- Only Mad Dog would
do something like that.
- Buford, this car's
gonna take some fixin'.
You better take Til's car and
he can use the backup unit.
- All right, Obra. Where is he?
- He's at the lake.
- Til, Til, you get this
wreck down to the shop.
I got somethin' to do.
- Sheriff!
When you settle this, I want in on it.
- Might not be by the book, Til.
- To hell with the book.
(dramatic music)
- Hey, what say, Buford?
Think you could beat me?
- Your boys didn't get
the job done, Mitchell.
My kids were with me in that car.
- You know me better than that, Buford.
We may have our differences.
But they ain't all that heavy.
I don't pick on a man's family.
- You're a liar.
You ain't got the guts
to take me on yourself.
- (laughing) I always wondered
if I could take you, Buford.
(dramatic music)
- Get up. You ain't through.
Come on. Get up!
Come on.
- Stop it!
Stop it, Buford. That's enough!
That's it, Buford, stop.
- That's enough for now Danny Boy.
(dramatic music)
- See you later, Grandpa.
- Bye.
(horn honking)
- Hey there, Pop.
- Hey, Buford.
- Finally fixin' that old thing, huh?
- Well, I'll get it figured
out sooner or later.
Say, uh, Mike and Dwana
told me what happened today.
You were lucky they didn't get hurt.
You know, that could happen again.
- I don't think so, Pa. Hope not.
- Yeah. But you can't be sure, Buford.
- I wish I could be.
I came out to pick up some clothes.
I'm gonna spend a few days in town.
Should make things better out here.
- Buford, maybe it's time-
- Oh, you don't have to say it.
- Well, maybe it has to be said, Buford.
I mean, it could happen again.
- Pa, it happened.
And I'm doing my best to make
sure it never happens again.
Talking about it ain't
gonna change anything.
- All right, son.
(dramatic music)
(dog barking)
- Place is really shaping up, Carrie.
(dog barking)
- Quiet, Amelia.
- I suppose if it was
a male, you woulda called him Buford, huh?
- So what brings you out
here this time, Sheriff.
You got more marching orders for me?
- No.
Can I get myself a drink of water?
- Well, so much for having
a dog for protection.
- That's good water.
- Just so good that you had
drive 10 miles out here just
to get another drink of it, huh?
- No.
- Got somethin' on your mind?
- You might say so.
Any luck with the nursin' job?
- Well, it seems there's no
great demand for ex-con nurses.
- Sorry.
- Look, you done me a favor gettin'
Harvey Kettleman to give me credit.
But if you got any funny idea-
- You might consider it funny at that.
- Let's hear it.
- Lloyd Tatum is having a dance tonight.
- Oh. So I heard.
But I haven't gotten my invitation yet.
- Well, now you have.
- What'd you say?
- I'm asking you to the dance.
- Mmm, you mean with you?
- If you'll do me the honor, ma'am.
- Well, if you're not funnin' then you're
crazy, because you know what you'd
be lettin' yourself in for?
- I know the kind of guts it takes
to try to do what you're doing.
And I know it'll take guts
to go to that dance tonight.
Well, I, I admire what
you're trying to do.
And if you'd like to go to that
dance with me tonight, well,
I'd be proud to take ya.
- I won't go, Buford.
- I don't blame ya. If I
were you, I'd be scared too.
- I'm not scared of anything.
- Good. I'll pick up at 7:30.
(banjo music)
- Here's the nursery.
Bottles and formula in
the steamer on the stove.
Honey, what is it, Ruthie?
- We want to watch the
square dancing inside.
- Yes. Just go and do it.
And stay out of the way.
(banjo music)
- You all sure do look
like you're having a good time.
I'm glad. Good to see you.
Will you all excuse me?
So glad you made it, Judge Marlowe.
- Just Sabrina tonight.
Oh, this looks like such fun.
- Fun's the word.
Evenin', Buford.
- Lloyd.
- Carrie.
- You remember Lloyd Tatum.
- How are you, Lloyd?
- Fine. I'm just fine.
Carrie Todd, Sabrina Marlowe.
- I'm delighted to meet you, Carrie.
- My pleasure.
- Nice to see you, Sabrina.
Excuse us.
- Thanks, Sabrina.
- See, there's nothing to it.
- I'm still scared, Buford.
Sure you want to go through with this?
- Absolutely sure.
Let's finish this dance, all right?
Two-step is the only dance
in the world I can do,
and none too good at that.
(bnajo music)
See, I told ya.
Hi, Jenny. How's it going?
- Amelia?
- Freddy, I just want you to stop.
Just a minute.
- Damn it.
- Carrie.
Carrie.
Carrie!
Look. Runnin' away isn't
gonna change anything.
- I'm leavin', Buford.
- No you're not!
You're gonna give me time
to make this thing work.
- It won't work.
- Do I get a chance to try?
Look. I'll be back in a minute.
Will you wait?
- If that's the way you want it.
- All right.
(banjo music)
(audience applauding)
- Hey, there's that big daddy of yours.
- Hey.
- Nice to see you, Buford.
- There she is.
Hey.
Do I get to dance with
my princess tonight, huh?
- Mm-hmm.
- Good.
- I miss you not being at home, Daddy.
- I know. I missed you too, sweetheart.
Look at these two slicked-up dudes, huh?
- How 'bout that, huh?
- I'm coming in to see my girlfriend.
- I thought your card was filled.
- Supposedly.
- Yeah. Let's go.
- Get in there. Shake a leg, sport.
♪ Do an allemande left
with your left hand ♪
♪ And come on back and promenade ♪
♪ Hey, promenade is two by two ♪
♪ Take that pretty girl home with you ♪
♪ The promenade, hey,
promenade is two by two ♪
♪ Take the lady back home with you ♪
♪ Well, now, get on home, you rascal you ♪
♪ Now when you're home, well ♪
♪ Joe and Angie gonna make a little ring ♪
♪ Ring, ring, circle to the left ♪
♪ Hey, circle to the
left and around you go ♪
♪ Just circle to the left ♪
♪ Hey, break it all up ♪
♪ Yo, pass over to that partner ♪
♪ Left that corner for the right ♪
♪ Well, partner left,
you got an allemande ♪
♪ And then sweep in in a backwards star ♪
♪ Now back along now, but not too far ♪
♪ Slip the clutch to an allemande
left with your left hand ♪
♪ And come on back a
right and left grand ♪
♪ Little grand, little
right, and left you go ♪
♪ Just find a girl and promenade ♪
♪ Promenade go two by two ♪
♪ Take that pretty girl home with you ♪
♪ Well, right back home,
that's what you do ♪
♪ Ladies center then back to the bar ♪
♪ And the men to the middle,
make a right hand star ♪
♪ Hey star by the right
♪ ♪ And around you go ♪
♪ Now back to the left
but don't you be slow ♪
♪ Well, take old partner,
with an arm around ♪
♪ Star promenade but don't slow down ♪
♪ Now the inside out, the outside in ♪
♪ Gents back up ♪ ♪ Put the ladies in ♪
♪ You gonna form that star
with the pretty points in ♪
♪ Star promenade and around you go ♪
♪ Now hurry home to break that thing ♪
♪ Swing that gal one time around ♪
- Lucy!
Lucy, what's the matter?
- Honey, she's choking!
- Don't you touch her!
- You all right?
Huh?
Yes, you are.
That hurt a lot, doesn't it?
- Good thing you were here, Carrie.
Where'd you learn how to do that?
- Well, you learn a lot in prison.
- A chicken bone!
- You all right, Lucy?
Carrie, don't go. Please!
I want to thank you.
Damn it. I'm sorry.
- OK. We got a lot of dancing to do.
Now let's get at it, huh?
- Dance with her, Daddy.
- You wanna take this
up where we left it off?
Was it the twp-step?
(banjo music)
- Hey, Coker. You there?
- I read you, Til.
- It's quiet.
Everybody's at the barn dance.
Wish I was.
- A policeman's lot is not a happy one.
- You just don't say.
(sinister music)
(banjo music)
(audience applauding)
(upbeat music)
- Buford, there's a call for
you up at the main house.
Obra couldn't raise you on the radio.
There's been a shootin'
out in the lumber yard.
- Any more details?
- Unh- uh.
- Pa, you feel like taking a ride?
We'll be back in a little bit.
(dramatic music)
501 to base.
501 to base. Over.
Come in. Over.
Well, my radio's dead.
- Trouble?
- I don't know.
Debbie, get on up to Lloyd Tatum's place
and get Obra on the phone.
Tell him I need Grady
and Til to back me up
at the lumber yard.
All right?
- All right.
(dramatic music)
- Pa, I know I told Debbie just
get Grady and Til to back me up fast!
- All right. Yeah.
You gotta get me through
to Til and Grady fast!
(ominous music)
- Buford!
(gunshots firing)
- You got him!
I seen him take it, Danny Boy.
- Monks.
(dramatic music)
- You got him, Danny Boy.
You hit him.
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
- Move it!
I want to get him!
You go 'round the other side.
(dramatic music)
(gun fires)
(dramatic music)
- Bunker, you see anything?
- Nothing. I ain't seen nothing.
- Well, either he lost his
firepower or he's playing
possum, 'cause there ain't
nothing coming back at us.
I want him.
You get in there.
Monks, you go 'round the other side.
Ruby, you follow me.
(dramatic music)
- Sit right there, Pusser.
Get them hands up where I can see 'em.
Hey Danny, I got him!
(gunshots firing)
(dramatic music)
- Grady's coming?
- Yeah. He's on his way.
- Let's go!
(siren wailing)
(dramatic music)
(gunshots firing)
(screaming)
- I'm gettin' outta here.
(dramatic music)
- Monks, come back here!
(dramatic music)
- Pusser!
(clicks)
(logs rumbling)
(dramatic music)
(siren wailing)
- OK, I got him!
- Buford, you all right?
- Yeah.
I'm OK, Daddy.
Let me get this thing finished.
You read him his rights, Til?
- You knew this was a set-up, didn't you?
- Yeah. It was the same person that tipped
off old Danny Boy before.
I'm taking your car, Grady!
- OK!
- You clean up this mess now, hear?
Why'd you do it, Debbie?
- Why what do you, what do you mean?
- It was you who tipped off Danny
about that raid on his disco.
You set me up tonight.
I just wonder why you did it.
- Where's Danny?
- He's dead, Debbie.
- (crying) No.
That's not true.
It's not true.
I loved him.
That's why I did it.
Can you understand that?
(crying)
- I'm going home, Obra.
- Buford, there's one
thing I don't understand.
You knew it was a set-up.
Why'd you just walk into Danny Boy's trap?
- Did you ever hunt quail?
Well, Obra, you gotta, you gotta flush
'em before you can shoot 'em.
(dramatic music)
- Buford hire a new girl yet?
- Shh. Not yet.
You gotta see the one that's in there now.
- I sure hope I get the job, Sheriff,
even though I can't type or anything.
'Scuse me.
- She the one, Sheriff?
- Boy, she'd be good.
- I don't know, fellas.
You know, hiring a girl that looks
like that to work in a county office.
- Oh, come on, Buford.
Give the girl a chance.
You can't hold her looks against her.
(laughing)
(bright music)
♪ No ordinary gentleman ♪
♪ With many scars upon his back ♪
♪ He lives the only way he can ♪
♪ To prove the courage we all lack ♪
♪ He has to care ♪
♪ While we don't dare ♪
♪ If we could follow
the dream he follows ♪
♪ Then through it all be walking tall ♪