Customer Reviews

Murder in Coweta County

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This movie is amazingly good. Originally made for television in 1982, this film is based on the true story of a brutal murder that took place in Georgia in 1948. The production is beautifully directed and shot, and the sets, props, and vehicles look very authentic; above all else the acting is superb from the entire cast.

Playing against his stereotype is Andy Griffith as John Wallace, the "King" of Merriwether County, Georgia. Wallace is a brutal man with an iron grip on the community. The pivotal murder is cleverly staged, but Wallace's fundamental error is to become embroiled in a car chase that takes him into Coweta County, where the murder actually occurs.

In Coweta County the Sheriff is Lamar Potts, portrayed with strength and nuance by Johnny Cash, who refuses to be intimidated by Wallace. The investigation process and courtroom scenes are particularly well done. The climax occurs when Wallace takes the stand in his own defense with an unreal account of the killing.

Particularly noteworthy are the scenes with the psychic, who I knew I recognized, but couldn't put my finger on until the very end of the movie due to the excellent makeup (and acting). The surprise for me was that the psychic was none other than June Carter Cash, who shines in her role. The chilling portrayal by Griffith is amazing, and is visually stunning at the end as his head is shaved and he is strapped to the electric chair. (It's also a visual wake up call to see Johnny Cash in a color other than black.) The entire supporting cast is particularly good.

This is a very powerful movie, not corny or over dramatized: the story and acting are as powerful as any other crime drama I have ever seen. This movie is relatively obscure, but it is worth searching for.

I could not recommend this film more highly.

This is a well done made-for-tv movie from the early 80's. The movie is faithful to the source material, namely a book of the same name. The story is a true tale of a man who was the king of a county in rural Georgia in the latee 1940's. The trial aspect of the film raises the question of whether a man can be tried for capital murder without a body. True, this is not bizarre in today's world but it was 50 years ago.

The performances of both Andy Griffith and Johnny Cash are fun to watch. Andy Griffith plays against form as the amoral and ruthless John Wallace. No Andy Taylor and Opie here. Johnny Cash puts in a fine performance as Sheriff Lamar Potts, the hero of the story. Look for Earl Hindman, Wilson of "Home Improvement", to step out from behind the fence.

I actually grew up and live in Coweta County, Georgia, so I am familiar with this famous local story. I saw this movie on TV when I was young, and when I saw it available on DVD, I had to have it. I was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as I remembered, but I was wrong. Very good writing, directing, acting, and music. It's a made-for-TV movie, so don't expect a big-budget blockbuster, but for what it is, it is a very well-done movie. Highly recommended.

PAINSTAKINGLY RESEARCHED, EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN, TRULY RIVETING ! - "CAN'T PUT IT DOWN UNTIL IT REACHES
THE "JUSTICE WILL BE DONE CLIMAX"! JOHNNY CASH AND ANDY GRIFFITH WERE THE STARS OF THE "MADE FOR TV MOVIE" BASED ON THIS BOOK. THEY ARE TWO OUTSTANDING ARTISTS BUT THIS ADAPTATION CANNOT "HOLD A CANDLE" TO THE REAL LIFE EVENTS AS NARRATED BY
MS BARNES' THOROUGH RESEARCH AND INTERVIEWS WITH MOST OF THE LIVING PERSONS INVOLVED IN THE "MURDER IN COWETA COUNTY. SHE HAS PENNED A DEFINITE TRIBUTE TO DEDICATED SHERIFF LAMAR POTTS WHO WAS DETERMINED TO SEE JUSTICE DONE!

A "MUST READ" FOR ANY TRUE CRIME STORY FAN!

PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT A RATING OF "FIVE STARS" IS NOT ENOUGH!

I saw this movie on TV when it first came out and really popped for the casting of Johnny Cash and especially Andy Griffith as a 'real' evil character. After years of seeing him as the wholesome good guy Andy Taylor it was great to see Andy's acting range and he hit it out of the park. I understand that this movie was based on a true story and a book with the same title. I never read the book and had no knowledge of the story before I saw the movie. I pulled the movie out the other day and watched it and I must say that it totally holds up. The casting is perfect and the director really takes you back to the period with all the cars, the wardrobe and the look of the film.

I recommend this movie to anybody who likes good movies and good story telling.

MURDER IN COWETA COUNTY (1982)
directed by Gary Nelson
approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

This is a classic made for TV movie starring Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. It is based on the book with the same title, which in turn was based on a true story of murder and justice in western Georgia.

Andy Griffith plays John Wallace, owner of a huge section of land that is nicknamed "The Kingdom". He is a ruthless boss, but presents himself to the public as a friendly Christian. His power is so great that he exerts influence of the entirety of Meriweather County (where the Kingdom is located). A disagreement with one of his workers ultimately leads to the event described in the movie's title. Had the killing occurred in Meriweather, Wallace would certainly get away clean. Coweta County, on the other hand is outside of Wallace's sphere of influence, and happens to be the jurisdiction of a Sheriff named Lamar Potts.

Potts is played by country music star Johnny Cash. He is a no-nonsense man with a history of seeking justice in every case presented to him. He believes that no man - even a man as wealthy and powerful as John Wallace - is above the law. When Sheriff Potts takes on the case, Wallace's people do everything in their power to evade and obstruct the investigation. We are left to wonder whether anybody will be held accountable for the murder, with the climax coming in the movie's trial sequence.

This movie is excellent. Andy Griffith is great as a villain, definitely a contrast to his two best-known television roles. Johnny Cash is also cast very well. I would actually count it as one of my favorite TV movies of all time!

I have always liked Johnny Cash but never realized how good an actor he could be. He was outstanding in this movie.

I'm resorting to this forum to briefly review three super Andy Griffith TV movies, especially for Andy Griffith fans. These movies are NOT yet available on either VHS or DVD as far as I can discover.... but you might catch them on TV if you're lucky. They are: "The Girl in the Empty Grave" (1977); "Deadly Game" (a.k.a., "It's Deadly," 1977), and; "Winter Kill" (1974).

All three of these films are "cosy murders" where Andy Griffith plays a small-town California police chief/sheriff -- they all sort of manifest the general flavor of his TV series but are just a little more serious. In the first two films, he plays police chief Abel Marsh and in the latter he plays Sheriff Sam McNeill.

The supporting cast includes timeless characters, (some are just a little goofy), reminiscent of the TV series. The locations are spectacular in a little resort town in the mountains of Northern California. The sets are also very good.

In "The Girl in the Empty Grave," police chief Abel Marsh tries to track down a girl who was supposedly killed in a car wreck but who has been seen driving through his tiny resort town once her parents have been murdered.

In "Deadly Game," the U.S. Military creates a chemical spill when one of their trucks overturns... murder ensues and police chief Abel Marsh ATTEMPTS to investigate but runs into problems. It's a nice folksy mystery for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

In "Winter Kill" Sheriff Sam McNeill works to solve the mystery of a sniper in his little ski resort town. A young Nick Nolte appears in the supporting cast!

If you enjoyed The Andy Griffith Show, or "Murder in Coweta County," don't miss these three fun films. Hopefully, the copyright owners will reduce them to DVD very soon but there's a chance that if you scan the TV Guide, you can catch them on television.

Please comment if this information was helpful to you -- I'd like to enter more posts like this one on films not yet available if it helps out viewers and fans.

Gripping historical tale from the deep South from players who grew up in the South during this period. I especially enjoyed the chance to see June Carter Cash act, whom I had not seen since she was star of the Grand Ole Opry. This movie is one of my favorite.

I had seen this movie over 10 years ago and it was one of the best dramatic performances that Andy Griffin had done. I had searched for this movie for some time and then I found it on Amazon. You have to see Andy in something other than Mattlock and Mayberry RFD. Johnny Cash gave a dynamic performance also. Watch the movie and then read the book.

Great movie to watch alone or with someone.