The Late Great Joe Don Baker

Joe Don Baker, who starred in Walking Tall (1973) and appeared in three James Bond movies, died on May 7 at the age of 89.

Joe Don Baker was born on February 12 1936 in Groesbeck, Texas. His mother died when he was 12 years old and he was subsequently raised by an aunt. He played football in high school. He attended North Texas State College in Denton on a football scholarship. It was in his senior year that he had his first acting experience, playing a small role in a play. He graduated with a business degree in 1958 and then served two years in the United States Army. After he was discharged, Joe Don Baker studied acting at The Actor's Studio. He appeared on Broadway in their productions Marathon '66 in 1963 and Blue for Mister Charlie in 1964.

In the mid-Sixties Joe Don Baker moved to Los Angeles. It was in 1965 that he made his television debut in an episode of Honey West. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in Cool Hand Luke in 1967. In the Sixties he guest starred on the shows Iron Horse, Judd for the Defense, The Felony Squad, Bonanza, The Outsider, Gunsmoke, Lancer, The Big Valley, Mod Squad, Bracken's World, The F.B.I., and The Most Dangerous Game. He appeared in the movies Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Adam at Six A.M. (1970).

In 1972 Joe Don Baker had what may be called his breakthrough role in Junior Bonner, playing the title character's younger brother, entrepreneur Curly. In 1973 he played Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. The movie proved to be a hit and produced two sequels in which Bo Svenson played Sheriff Pusser. Durin the Seventies he also appeared in the movies Wild Rovers (1971), Welcome Home Soldier Boys (1971), The Valachi Papers (1972), Charley Varrick (1973), The Outfit (1973), Golden Needles (1974), Framed (1975), Mitchell (1975), Checkered Flag or Crash (1977), The Shadow of Chikara (1977), Speedtrap (1977), and The Pack (1977).  On television he played the lead in the short-lived show Eischied. He guest starred on the shows The High Chaparral, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, Doc Elliot, and The Streets of San Francisco.

In the Eighties Joe Don Baker played the villain Brad Whitaker in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights (1987). He appeared in the movies Wacko (1982), Joysticks (1983), The Natural (1984), Final Justice (1984), Fletch (1985), Getting Even (1986), The Killing Time (1987), Leonard Part 6 (1987), Criminal Law (1988),  and The Children (1990). On television he played Tom Dugan in four episodes of the show In the Heat of the Night. He guest starred on Screen Two.

In the Nineties Joe Don Baker played Senator Joe McCarthy in the HBO TV movie Citizen Cohn. He appeared in the mini-series George Wallace (playing Big Jim Folsom) and Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke. He played James Bond's CIA contact Jack Wade in the movies GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).  He appeared in the movies Cape Fear (1991), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Ring of Steel (1994), Reality Bites (1994), Felony (1994), The Underneath (1995),  Panther (1995), Congo (1995),  The Grass Harp (1995), and Mars Attacks! (1996).

In the Naughts Joe Don Baker guest starred on the show The Cleaner. He appeared in the movies Vegas, City of Dreams (2001), The Commission (2003), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), and Strange Wilderness (2008). In 2012 he appeared in the movie Mud.

I think it will be safe to say that Joe Don Baker will always be best remembered as Sheriff Pusser in Walking Tall and Jack Wade in The Living Daylights and Tomorrow Never Dies. He was impressive as Sheriff Pusser, the honest but at times brutal lawman. And as Jack Wade, the wise-cracking, down-to earth CIA contact for 007,  he was one of the best things about The Living Daylights and Tomorrow Never Dies. While he may be best remembered for these roles, Joe Don Baker played a large variety of characters throughout his career. Indeed, he played historical figures more than once, including hit man Mad Dog Coll in The Valachi Papers,  the blustering Senator Joe McCarthy in Citizen Cohn and Alabama politician Big Jim Folsom.  In Junior Bonner, Curly Bonner was a very different character from those for which Joe Don Baker was best known, a business-oriented real estate developer. Although best known for his work in film, Joe Don Baker gave good performances on television as well. He was the primary villain in the pilot for the TV show Lancer, "The High Riders," Day Pardee. On episodes of In the Heat of the Night he played Tom Dugan, who substitutes for Chief Gillespie. Joe Don Baker was extremely talented and could play many different roles.