89-year-old Joe Don Baker, famously known for his rugged Texas persona and playing characters with a criminal or law enforcement background, such as Sheriff Buford Pusser in the surprise box office sensation “Walking Tall”, passed away on May 7th, according to his family.
Initially, Baker gained widespread recognition in 1972 with his role as the shrewd businessman brother of an aging Arizona rodeo rider (Steve McQueen) in Sam Peckinpah’s movie “Junior Bonner” (1972). Later on, he played a cruel mob assassin named Molly in Don Siegel’s film “Charley Varrick” (1973), which featured Walter Matthau as the lead actor.
As a gamer, I’ve often found myself switching roles between the villain and the hero, much like actor Richard Kiley-Baker did in James Bond films. In 1987’s “The Living Daylights”, he portrayed the menacing arms dealer Brad Whitaker, a character as cold as an arctic night. But then, in the 1995 and ’97 movies, “GoldenEye” and “Tomorrow Never Dies”, he transformed into Jack Wade, a CIA agent who fought alongside Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, making me think of those times when I switch from playing the antagonist to the protagonist in my favorite video games.
In the film “Walking Tall” (1973), the character Baker, modeled after a genuine sheriff who eradicated crime in his Tennessee hometown, endures a string of assaults; handles his court cases personally and emerges victorious; is elected as sheriff; witnesses his spouse’s tragic demise; and uses clubs crafted from oak trees to mete out justice against ruthless gamblers and moonshiners.
During the early 1970s, many people seemed to desire retribution against Nixon and his Watergate associates, as Baker expressed in an interview from the mid-1990s. His movie struck a chord with everyone who wished they could punish the wrongdoers but lacked the power or would face consequences if they did so. However, Buford managed to execute it successfully.
Originally produced by Bing Crosby Productions, the movie “Walking Tall” was released independently and later distributed by Cinerama Releasing Corp. It turned out to be a massive financial triumph, earning approximately $40 million (equivalent to $622 million today), on a modest production budget of around $500,000 (equivalent to $3.6 million today).
In a 1974 conversation with The New York Times, director Phil Karlson attributed the success of his intense, violent film, Walking Tall, to its ability to satisfy “an underlying desire for a character on screen who is strong, dominant, and whom audiences can admire and aspire to.
In August 1974, the authentic Pusser consented to play a role in a sequel of “Walking Tall”, but tragically he was involved in a fatal car accident just hours later. Subsequently, Bo Svenson stepped into the limelight for the cinematic continuations that were released in 1975 and 1977 (and eventually on an NBC television series). Meanwhile, Baker and Karlson joined forces once more to create another vigilante story set in Tennessee titled “Framed”, which was released in 1975.
The actor then portrayed a violent cop once again in Mitchell, also released in 1975.
Baker was born on February 12th, 1936, in the town of Groesbeck, Texas. Tragically, his mother Edna passed away when he was just 12 years old, leaving him to be brought up by an aunt. As a student at Groesbeck High School, Baker admired Doak Walker, a star halfback at Southern Methodist University who went on to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 1948.
As a senior, Baker embarked on his initial acting journey at North Texas State College in Denton. Following his graduation with a business degree in 1958 and a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, he shifted to New York City, where he was admitted into The Actors Studio.
In 1963 and ’64, Baker was featured in Actors Studio performances of the plays “Marathon ’33” and “Blues for Mister Charlie“. These productions were opposite Julie Harris, with James Baldwin as the playwright and Burgess Meredith serving as the director.
He arrived in Los Angeles and eventually broke into the movie industry, landing roles on “Honey West”, “Bonanza”, and “Gunsmoke”, as well as appearing in the films “Cool Hand Luke” (1967) and “The Guns of the Magnificent Seven” (1969).
Prior to teaming up with Robert Duvall and Karen Black, Baker, along with Tom Skerritt, portrayed the sons of Karl Malden in Blake Edwards’ 1971 film “Wild Rovers.” Together, they then went on to dismantle a criminal organization in the movie “The Outfit” (1973).
In 1985, Baker played the role of a tough CIA operative named Darius Jedburgh in the six-hour BBC miniseries titled “Edge of Darkness,” which was directed by Martin Campbell. He expressed that he could have continued with this type of role for a significant period or even throughout his career and still found happiness.
As a devoted admirer looking back, I can share that, although I was nominated for a BAFTA award, I found myself outshone by my fellow actor, the esteemed Ben Peck, in the best actor category. Fast-forwarding a decade, I once more crossed paths with Baker on the set of GoldenEye.
Back in the late ’70s, I was starring as a sheriff turned NYPD detective on the NBC series “Eischied.” Fast forward to 1985, I took on the role of a crooked cop in the movie “Fletch.” Then, when Carroll O’Connor had to step down due to heart surgery, I filled in as the chief of police on “In the Heat of the Night” for NBC in 1989.
In the movie “The Natural” (1984), Baker swung a large bat like Babe Ruth, and he also starred in other films such as “Leonard Part 6” (1987), “Cape Fear” (1991), “Reality Bites” (1994), “The Grass Harp” (1995), “Mars Attacks!”, “Joe Dirt” (both in 2001), “The Dukes of Hazzard” (2005), and “Mud” (2012).
From 1969 up until their divorce in 1980, he was wedded to Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres. Afterward, relatives of his can still be found in Groesbeck. A funeral service to commemorate his life will take place on Tuesday in Mission Hills, California.
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2025-05-15 14:25