By Lee Pfeiffer
This superior 1983 TV movie was released on DVD without fanfare by a low-budget label in 2001. The bargain-priced DVD sold out quickly and has been out of print for years. It now commands over $100 for a sealed copy on Amazon.
The film is an outstanding drama made during the heyday of great TV movies. Perhaps because there were so many great ones during this era, Murder in Coweta County didn't get much attention at the time, though it did win very good reviews. The story is based on a true-life crime book of the same name. It centers on a rural county in Georgia known as "The Kingdom" because it was controlled by local crime boss John Wallace (Andy Griffith). Wallace's outward persona is one of a folksy, kind-hearted local businessman. He openly gives money to the downtrodden and conspicuously donates generous sums to the church. In reality, he is a brutal crime kingpin who rules with an iron hand. When a sharecrop defies him, Wallace and his goons pursue him in a car chase, catch the man and beat him to death in front of witnesses. The problem for Wallace is that the crime takes place in the neighboring county- Coweta- where straight-as-an-arrow local sheriff Lamar Potts (Johnny Cash) ensures that nobody is above the law. To the astonishment of the locals, Potts and his deputies initiate an in-depth investigation of Wallace- who predictably reacts with charm and professes his innocence, even as he personally oversees the burning of the body. If there's no body found, there's no way a murder allegation can be proven- or so he thinks.
Murder in Coweta County is a thoroughly engrossing drama highlighted by the powerhouse off-beat casting of Cash and Griffith. Cash dabbled in acting periodically but never fully capitalized on his considerable screen presence. He's the perfect stalwart hero. (His wife June Carter Cash also gives a terrific performance a local backwoods soothsayer.) Griffith became such an iconic comedy star in the 1960s that many people forgot that he gave one of the great screen performances of all time as a despicable hayseed singer in Elia Kazan's brilliant drama A Face in the Crowd. He calls upon many of the same aspects of his unforgettable turn as Lonesome Rhodes to make John Wallace a truly larger-than-life villain.
The film is expertly directed by Gary Nelson who builds suspense right up to the riveting final scene which is telegraphed by the poorly designed DVD sleeve which shows Griffith being strapped into the electric chair! (Thus earning this a place in our DVD Sleeve Hall of Shame). Special praise must also be extended to production designer Stuart Wurtzel,who perfectly captures the look and feel of rural Georgia in the late 1940s.
Murder in Coweta County deserved more attention than it received back in 1983- and it certainly deserves to be readily available on DVD today.
