Walking Tall Part II
Part 2 opens with Buford Pusser's two main deputies, Obra Eaker (Robert DoQui) and Grady Coker (Bruce Glover), as well as Buford's father and some of the town's citizens all wondering if Buford will seek re-election. Obra and Grady both state that there is no way Buford resigns until he either convicts or kills everyone who was involved in the ambush that led to his wife Pauline's death (in the previous movie). Buford's mother (Lurene Tuttle) and his children visit Buford who is still in the hospital recovering from plastic surgery that was needed to restore his face. Buford's mother asks him about re-election and confesses that she wishes he would retire. "There ain't no shame in quitting, Buford," she tells him. To which he replies, "I know , Mama."Buford is re-elected and his first order of business is to bust up a still operating on the banks of the river. Buford and his deputies surprise the moonshiners and round them all up, except for Pinky Dobson (Luke Askew) who gets away in a boat. Mob boss John Witter (Logan Ramsey) is angry when Dobson brings Ray Henry (John Davis Chandler) to a meeting at his mansion. Witter makes Ray Henry wait in another room while he and Dobson talk about what to do about Buford. Witter grumbles about how Buford has cost him a lot of money by shutting down his prostitution and gambling operations. He puts pressure on Dobson to take Buford out. Dobson promises he will.Dobson goes to a race to talk to a driver named Stud Pardee (Richard Jaeckel) about helping him to get rid of Buford. Pardee strips two of Buford's lug bolts on his Impala and then entices Buford into a high-speed car chase. Buford's wheel does come off during the chase but he survives unhurt. Meanwhile, the only participant in the ambush that Buford recognized from police photos turns up with a bullet in his head. Witter brings in a beautiful woman named Marganne Stilson (Angel Tompkins) to win Buford's confidence and eventually kill him. "Take a week," he tells Stilson. "Take two weeks. Just don't press to hard or he'll be on to you. This man is no dummy."An investigation reveals that the only blue and white Camaro in the county is owned by Stud Pardee. Buford gets a warrant, tracks down Pardee and proceeds to destroy his prized car while looking for contrabands. After tearing apart the door panels, having Obra cut open his tires which costs $300 a piece and knocking out all the windows, Buford finds a pint of whiskey under Pardee's seat. Buford offers Pardee a drink. Pardees declines. Buford tells him, "You look like you could use a drink." Pardee takes the bottle and tries to drink it all down. Buford stops him, telling him, "I need the rest of this for evidence." Pardee tells Buford, "You know you have a hell of a lot of enemies around here." Buford informs Pardee that his car is impounded and will be sold at an auction.Next Buford busts up a still operation that uses the Falcon Baptist Church as a cover. One of the moonshiners takes off running when accosted by Buford and his squad. Buford chases the man through the woods eventually catching him. The man asks Buford why he is has time to bother "us poor blacks" Buford tells him, "Same as everyone else." To which the man replies, "Same as that big horse ranch on the hill?" He says Buford looks the other way because A.C. Hand (Archie Grinalds) is a friend of his father's. Buford tells Obra to swear out a warrant for A. C. Hand because "I don't want there to be any misunderstanding from anyone." Buford raids Hand's place and tells him he's going to be facing time in the penitentiary. Buford's father (Noah Beery, Jr.) is understandably upset. A.C. Hand is his oldest and dearest friend "since before I ever even went to school." Buford reminds his father that he is after the man at the top because he "destroyed my family."While Obra is in the middle of telling Buford that his uncle spotted a "new cooking operation down on the Hatchie River," Marganne Stilson, posing as a graduate student from Ole Miss, tries to get Buford to show her around. Buford declines because he is in the middle of something important. Stilson says she will hold Buford to his promise to show her around at a later date. Witter himself makes advances at Stilson but she quickly informs him that he cannot afford her. Buford is informed that the fancy speed-boat has been spotted again, coming into McNairy County. Buford sets up a "sting" operation, but as he is leaving his house he discovers a bomb planted under his hood by Ray Henry. Buford radios Obra and Grady to tell that that he has a "little mechanical problem." He reminds them that it is "the man in the boat that you are after." Grady inadvertently trips an alarm wire while the deputies are moving in on the still and Pinky Dobson again escapes in his speed-boat.Buford had made a secret deal with a local car dealer named Floyd Tate to get a new undercover police car every four to six weeks. Tate calls one day to tell Buford his new car is ready. Buford lets Obra talk him into going to exchange the cars for him. Since it's his day off, Obra explained, it wouldn't cost the county anything. Buford is hesitant at first, but Obra finally convinces him. Obra is driving 100 mph in Buford's car when he discovers the brakes are out, and the steering has been tampered with. Obra dies in a head-on collision. At the funeral, Buford tells Obra's parents that Obra died in his place because his car had been tampered with.Buford makes a deal with Sheriff Tanner (Red West) in Alcorn County, Mississippi to finally nail Pardee. Buford offers to show Stilson around. They get in Buford's car. Stilson claims to have left a map with all the places she is interested in seeing in the cottage she has rented by the lake. Buford says no problem and offers to take her there. Two snipers are waiting for him in a boat. Stilson suggests a picnic. Buford says it may be a little chilly for a picnic. Buford and Stilson go inside her cottage where Buford informs her that there is no student registered at Ole Miss named Stilson. He makes her go back outside with him and frightens off the snipers before telling Stilson to let Dobson know that he is wise to their plans.The Sheriff Tanner pursues Pardee back across the state line. Buford takes up the chase. Pardee is driving his new Corvette convertible. Pardee manages to go around a road-block set up by the deputies but later crashes and his trapped in his overturned car. Buford gets Pardee to confess that it was Pinky Dobson who paid him. Buford helps free Pardee before his car explodes. Dobson once again flees in his boat when his still is raided. This time, however, they are ready for him. Mr. Pusser has supervised a blockade of logs strung across the river. Buford tells Dobson to surrender. Dobson ignores him and ultimately is up-ended when he hits the barricade.Ray Henry purchases a machine gun and 1,000 rounds of ammo. Buford learns from an FBI agent that Ray Henry was Dobson's cell-mate for three-and-a-half years and that they were both seen in the vicinity the night Buford and his wife were ambushed. Dobson is in the hospital but escapes with the help of his girlfriend, Ruby Ann(Brooke Mills). Buford and an FBI agent pursue Dobson and Ruby Ann in an off-road car chase. Buford shoots Dobson. Ruby Ann tells Buford where Ray Henry is and when Dobson tells her to shut up, she says she is not afraid of Witter like Dobson and Ray Henry both are.Buford and his men go to the boarding-house where Ray Henry is living. Buford is wounded but kills Ray Henry. As he is getting into an ambulance, Buford asks Grady if he remembers a man from Nashville shaking his hand right after he was elected sheriff. Grady asks, "What man?" Buford answers "A fat man, named Witter - I almost forgot about him"... which sets the stage up for Walking Tall: The Final Chapter.
revenge, murder, violence