A Small Town in Texas
As Poke Jackson (Timothy Bottoms) waits for a bus at a gas station, following his release from a five-year prison term for marijuana possession, local Buford Tyler (Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.) pulls up…
A Small Town in Texas
As Poke Jackson (Timothy Bottoms) waits for a bus at a gas station, following his release from a five-year prison term for marijuana possession, local Buford Tyler (Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.) pulls up in his dilapidated pickup truck, gets out and fires his pistol at the vehicle. Poke offers Buford a drink from his whiskey bottle, and in exchange, Buford offers Poke a shot at his truck. The bus arrives and the men part company. The next morning, Sheriff Duke Calley (Bo Hopkins) meets Poke at the bus depot. Poke assures Duke that he will soon be leaving for California, although he has not forgiven the sheriff for framing him. Duke warns Poke that he will be under close scrutiny. While Poke visits Boogie (Art Hingle), his close friend and auto mechanic, a junk dealer named Cleotus (Hank Rolike) stops by and greets Poke warmly, but when Poke mentions his former girl friend, Mary Lee Carter (Susan George), Cleotus hurries to leave. Poke invites Boogie to a bar to celebrate his freedom, and after several drinks, Poke calls Mary Lee and asks about their son, Kevin (Mark Silva), whom he has never met. Though she is uncomfortable speaking with Poke, Mary Lee promises to see him at the fairgrounds the next day for the town barbecue. However, her new boyfriend, Sheriff Duke, warns her to avoid Poke, or she may face serious consequences. Learning that Mary Lee is sleeping with Duke, Poke leaves the bar and climbs through Mary Lee's bedroom window to confront her, but their anger quickly dissipates and they make love. In the morning, Poke meets Kevin and offers the family a new life in California. Meanwhile, Duke arrives at the mansion of C. J. Crane (Morgan Woodward), the county political boss. Duke has been assigned to guard congressional candidate Jesus Mendez (Santos Reyes), who is scheduled to speak at the barbecue. Later, after Mendez delivers his speech, Duke escorts him to the parking lot, but the candidate is shot and killed by a uniformed police officer. Duke shoots and kills the assassin, then removes an envelope from the body and hides it in a trashcan, unaware that Poke is watching from a distance. As a crowd gathers at the scene, C. J. Crane publicly berates Duke for his incompetence, but Duke is unfazed until he looks into the crowd and receives a knowing look from Poke. Later, when Duke returns to the fairgrounds, he finds only the envelope in the trashcan, and assumes that Poke has the contents. Duke radios his deputy, Lenny (John Karlen), ordering him to arrest Poke for possession of marijuana. Meanwhile, Poke shows Boogie the $25,000 that Duke removed from the assassin's body. Poke and Boogie rush to repair a car so that Poke can leave town with his family before Duke finds him. At the Crane estate, C. J. holds Duke responsible for the missing assassination money and demands its return. When Lenny appears at the garage searching for Poke, Boogie stalls the deputy, which allows Poke to escape on his motorcycle, initiating a police chase. Poke eludes the overzealous deputies, resulting in several car wrecks, one in which a deputy is burned to death. With no other refuge available, Poke asks Cleotus for help. Cleotus agrees, even though he is putting himself in great danger. Meanwhile, Duke's search for Poke begins with Mary Lee, who is unaware of her boyfriend's whereabouts, and defies the sheriff's threats of violence and arrest. Duke and Lenny meet at the garage, where they try to intimidate Boogie with vandalism and threats of physical violence. When Boogie offers no information, Duke takes him to the police station. Early the next morning, Poke and Cleotus are awakened by the sound of Boogie collapsing outside the door. After he is brought inside, Boogie names Duke as his assailant and dies. Poke swears vengeance on Duke, but Cleotus urges him to think rationally. Sometime later, Cleotus arrives at the Carter home in his truck, with Poke hidden in the back. Cleotus instigates a conversation with deputies Lenny and Junior, who are assigned to guard the house. Poke slips into the house and explains Duke's part in the Mendez assassination to Mary Lee, showing her the money as proof. While Lenny calls to Mary Lee from the front door, Poke and his family sneak out the back and escape in Lenny's police car. Duke follows in the ensuing police chase, which ends with Poke driving into a pond. While Duke and Lenny drive Poke's family to the police station, Poke tells Lenny about Duke's theft of the assassination money. Duke stops the car near a wooded area and orders Lenny to stay with Mary Lee and Kevin, while he takes the handcuffed Poke into the woods. After retrieving the $25,000, Duke beats Poke, stopping briefly to remove the handcuffs, so he can claim the beating was self-defense. When Lenny intervenes, Duke turns on him, allowing Poke to subdue the sheriff. After taking the money and both of the officers' guns, Poke leaves the lawmen in the woods, then throws the weapons away as he drives off with his family in the police car. When Duke and Lenny return to the police station, C. J. Crane is waiting in Duke's office. Crane is disappointed in Duke and declares the sheriff's career over unless he recovers the money from Poke. Duke orders Lenny to issue an all-points bulletin, describing Poke as armed and dangerous, even though Lenny knows that Poke is unarmed. Poke and his family abandon the police car and walk to the small farm of Bull Parker (George 'Buck' Flower), former bootlegging partner of Poke's late father. Bull offers to drive them out of state in his pickup truck, which has been customized for the evasion of law enforcement. A chase is initiated when Bull runs a police roadblock. With the help of a high-powered engine and a valve that releases oil onto the road, Bull's truck eludes the police, leaving several wrecks in its wake. Following a sharp turn, Bull falls from the truck, but tells Poke to continue the chase without him. The only remaining police car is driven by Duke, who tries to run the truck off a steep mountain road, but instead finds himself airborne as he goes over a cliff. After Duke's car sinks into the river below, Poke takes Mary Lee and Kevin back into town, where he hopes to clear his name.
A Small Town in Texas
Action,Adventure,Crime
Film Details
As Poke Jackson (Timothy Bottoms) waits for a bus at a gas station, following his release from a five-year prison term for marijuana possession, local Buford Tyler (Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.) pulls up in his dilapidated pickup truck, gets out and fires his pistol at the vehicle. Poke offers Buford a drink from his whiskey bottle, and in exchange, Buford offers Poke a shot at his truck. The bus arrives and the men part company.
The next morning, Sheriff Duke Calley (Bo Hopkins) meets Poke at the bus depot. Poke assures Duke that he will soon be leaving for California, although he has not forgiven the sheriff for framing him. Duke warns Poke that he will be under close scrutiny.
While Poke visits Boogie (Art Hingle), his close friend and auto mechanic, a junk dealer named Cleotus (Hank Rolike) stops by and greets Poke warmly, but when Poke mentions his former girl friend, Mary Lee Carter (Susan George), Cleotus hurries to leave. Poke invites Boogie to a bar to celebrate his freedom, and after several drinks, Poke calls Mary Lee and asks about their son, Kevin (Mark Silva), whom he has never met. Though she is uncomfortable speaking with Poke, Mary Lee promises to see him at the fairgrounds the next day for the town barbecue.
However, her new boyfriend, Sheriff Duke, warns her to avoid Poke, or she may face serious consequences. Learning that Mary Lee is sleeping with Duke, Poke leaves the bar and climbs through Mary Lee's bedroom window to confront her, but their anger quickly dissipates and they make love. In the morning, Poke meets Kevin and offers the family a new life in California.
Meanwhile, Duke arrives at the mansion of C. J. Crane (Morgan Woodward), the county political boss.
Duke has been assigned to guard congressional candidate Jesus Mendez (Santos Reyes), who is scheduled to speak at the barbecue. Later, after Mendez delivers his speech, Duke escorts him to the parking lot, but the candidate is shot and killed by a uniformed police officer. Duke shoots and kills the assassin, then removes an envelope from the body and hides it in a trashcan, unaware that Poke is watching from a distance.
As a crowd gathers at the scene, C. J. Crane publicly berates Duke for his incompetence, but Duke is unfazed until he looks into the crowd and receives a knowing look from Poke.
Later, when Duke returns to the fairgrounds, he finds only the envelope in the trashcan, and assumes that Poke has the contents. Duke radios his deputy, Lenny (John Karlen), ordering him to arrest Poke for possession of marijuana. Meanwhile, Poke shows Boogie the $25,000 that Duke removed from the assassin's body.
Poke and Boogie rush to repair a car so that Poke can leave town with his family before Duke finds him. At the Crane estate, C. J.
holds Duke responsible for the missing assassination money and demands its return. When Lenny appears at the garage searching for Poke, Boogie stalls the deputy, which allows Poke to escape on his motorcycle, initiating a police chase. Poke eludes the overzealous deputies, resulting in several car wrecks, one in which a deputy is burned to death.
With no other refuge available, Poke asks Cleotus for help. Cleotus agrees, even though he is putting himself in great danger. Meanwhile, Duke's search for Poke begins with Mary Lee, who is unaware of her boyfriend's whereabouts, and defies the sheriff's threats of violence and arrest.
Duke and Lenny meet at the garage, where they try to intimidate Boogie with vandalism and threats of physical violence. When Boogie offers no information, Duke takes him to the police station. Early the next morning, Poke and Cleotus are awakened by the sound of Boogie collapsing outside the door.
After he is brought inside, Boogie names Duke as his assailant and dies. Poke swears vengeance on Duke, but Cleotus urges him to think rationally. Sometime later, Cleotus arrives at the Carter home in his truck, with Poke hidden in the back.
Cleotus instigates a conversation with deputies Lenny and Junior, who are assigned to guard the house. Poke slips into the house and explains Duke's part in the Mendez assassination to Mary Lee, showing her the money as proof. While Lenny calls to Mary Lee from the front door, Poke and his family sneak out the back and escape in Lenny's police car.
Duke follows in the ensuing police chase, which ends with Poke driving into a pond. While Duke and Lenny drive Poke's family to the police station, Poke tells Lenny about Duke's theft of the assassination money. Duke stops the car near a wooded area and orders Lenny to stay with Mary Lee and Kevin, while he takes the handcuffed Poke into the woods.
After retrieving the $25,000, Duke beats Poke, stopping briefly to remove the handcuffs, so he can claim the beating was self-defense. When Lenny intervenes, Duke turns on him, allowing Poke to subdue the sheriff. After taking the money and both of the officers' guns, Poke leaves the lawmen in the woods, then throws the weapons away as he drives off with his family in the police car.
When Duke and Lenny return to the police station, C. J. Crane is waiting in Duke's office.
Crane is disappointed in Duke and declares the sheriff's career over unless he recovers the money from Poke. Duke orders Lenny to issue an all-points bulletin, describing Poke as armed and dangerous, even though Lenny knows that Poke is unarmed. Poke and his family abandon the police car and walk to the small farm of Bull Parker (George 'Buck' Flower), former bootlegging partner of Poke's late father.
Bull offers to drive them out of state in his pickup truck, which has been customized for the evasion of law enforcement. A chase is initiated when Bull runs a police roadblock. With the help of a high-powered engine and a valve that releases oil onto the road, Bull's truck eludes the police, leaving several wrecks in its wake.
Following a sharp turn, Bull falls from the truck, but tells Poke to continue the chase without him. The only remaining police car is driven by Duke, who tries to run the truck off a steep mountain road, but instead finds himself airborne as he goes over a cliff. After Duke's car sinks into the river below, Poke takes Mary Lee and Kevin back into town, where he hopes to clear his name..