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Bufford Pusser's .41 Magnum?
- Thread starter Farmer17
- Start date
The 1973 movie was my first R-rated movie of my young life. Thanks cousin Earl-Glen! 
I actually got to shake Pusser's hand when I was about 15 or so. It was 1974, a year after the movie. Ray Blanton offered him the Hwy Commissioners job if Pusser campaigned for him.
This was about a year after the movie & I've read that Pusser was pretty much broke. The movie was a huge hit, so no doubt Hollywierd screwed him on money.
So Blanton's convoy rolled into Donelson Plaza in Nashville, TN. A charity auction was going on, Kiwana's or some such under a big tent.
When I got to shake hands, my just disappeared into his. I know because I looked down at it. I mean mine was just GONE!
Pusser was killed before Blanton took office, so he never got the promised job. Blanton was forced out of office before the end of his term & later served in prison for selling pardons.
In college in the early 1990s, I had a TN History class by a liberal yankee female professor. So I did my term paper on Pusser just to irritate her. It worked.
I made two trips to McNairy Co. The first one I interviewed several citizens in McNairy, including the newspaper publisher. He claimed he owned one of Pusser's guns as well.
The second trip I interviewed Pusser's daughter, Dwana (sp?). She was working as a radio DJ at a Savanah radio station. She told me she had "no doubt" her dad was killed. She also said she hadn't spoken or heard from her brother since high school. No clue where he is or if he changed his name or what. Sad.
She had another brief flame of publicity when the Rock version of the movie came out. At some point she passed away, I don't recall when. She had opened a restaurant before she passed, I know that. No clue what happened to her kids, I think she had two? Pusser was probably ancient history to them, much like Elvis' grandkids.
I also interviewed former Davidson Co Sheriff Fate Thomas. In Nashville, the Sheriff runs the jail, nothing more. But Thomas built a political machine, a power behind the politicians, if you will. You didn't run for office w/o his blessing & expect to win, IOW. His Sure Shot Rabbit dinner was THE place for politicians to attend for decades. It was always sold out too.
I asked him how a sleepy, small backwater county in TN became so notorious? He said it was the halfway point from Chicago to the Gulf. He said the Mob guys would use it to take a break, relax, spend the night, sometimes two before heading back in either direction. I guess they provided the seed money & contacts & it grew from there to include some local good ole boys?
I don't know how much of a ******** he was or wasn't, as I wasn't there to say. He was a former Marine, so there's a better than even chance he could be if he wanted to be.
May he RIP.
ETA: I have shaken the hands of Buford Pusser, G. Gordon Liddy (signed my Garand stock!), Roy Jinks, Bill Jordan, Massad Ayoob, Uncle Les Baer, Jim Scouten & Col. Robert K. Brown.
My small claim to fame.
I actually got to shake Pusser's hand when I was about 15 or so. It was 1974, a year after the movie. Ray Blanton offered him the Hwy Commissioners job if Pusser campaigned for him.
This was about a year after the movie & I've read that Pusser was pretty much broke. The movie was a huge hit, so no doubt Hollywierd screwed him on money.
So Blanton's convoy rolled into Donelson Plaza in Nashville, TN. A charity auction was going on, Kiwana's or some such under a big tent.
When I got to shake hands, my just disappeared into his. I know because I looked down at it. I mean mine was just GONE!
Pusser was killed before Blanton took office, so he never got the promised job. Blanton was forced out of office before the end of his term & later served in prison for selling pardons.
In college in the early 1990s, I had a TN History class by a liberal yankee female professor. So I did my term paper on Pusser just to irritate her. It worked.
I made two trips to McNairy Co. The first one I interviewed several citizens in McNairy, including the newspaper publisher. He claimed he owned one of Pusser's guns as well.
The second trip I interviewed Pusser's daughter, Dwana (sp?). She was working as a radio DJ at a Savanah radio station. She told me she had "no doubt" her dad was killed. She also said she hadn't spoken or heard from her brother since high school. No clue where he is or if he changed his name or what. Sad.
She had another brief flame of publicity when the Rock version of the movie came out. At some point she passed away, I don't recall when. She had opened a restaurant before she passed, I know that. No clue what happened to her kids, I think she had two? Pusser was probably ancient history to them, much like Elvis' grandkids.
I also interviewed former Davidson Co Sheriff Fate Thomas. In Nashville, the Sheriff runs the jail, nothing more. But Thomas built a political machine, a power behind the politicians, if you will. You didn't run for office w/o his blessing & expect to win, IOW. His Sure Shot Rabbit dinner was THE place for politicians to attend for decades. It was always sold out too.
I asked him how a sleepy, small backwater county in TN became so notorious? He said it was the halfway point from Chicago to the Gulf. He said the Mob guys would use it to take a break, relax, spend the night, sometimes two before heading back in either direction. I guess they provided the seed money & contacts & it grew from there to include some local good ole boys?
I don't know how much of a ******** he was or wasn't, as I wasn't there to say. He was a former Marine, so there's a better than even chance he could be if he wanted to be.
May he RIP.
ETA: I have shaken the hands of Buford Pusser, G. Gordon Liddy (signed my Garand stock!), Roy Jinks, Bill Jordan, Massad Ayoob, Uncle Les Baer, Jim Scouten & Col. Robert K. Brown.
My small claim to fame.
Last edited:
The person you are quoting hasn't been here since 5-15-2017.
Did you rag on him about the ticket?
Dogsoldier hasn't been here since 01-26-2019.
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
I was wondering why a 15-year-old thread was opened?
SGT ROCK 11B
Member
Having Colt Pythons were no surprise to me.
That was quite a status symbol for Lawmen and I use to carry a six inch Python along with a Detective Special as BUG.
I thought I read that it was filmed in Chester County too? I am from Tennessee.
Seriously, another bump for Buford? HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!
