With so much disorderly conduct happening in movies sometimes you need a good sheriff to come in and settle things down. On the other hand, sometimes the sheriffs can be the cause of all of the unrest in the first place. Today’s Phenomenal 5 looks at a wide assortment of movie sheriffs. Whether in westerns or modern day, good movie sheriffs had added a lot to films over the years. Now with so many to consider I wouldn’t call this the definitive list. But there is no doubt in my mind that these five movie sheriffs are nothing short of phenomenal.
#5 – Sheriff Brackett (“Halloween”)
Sheriff Brackett had a pretty easy gig. Haddonfield was a pretty quite little town in Illinois. With the exception of a horrible murder of a teenaged girl by her 6-year brother fifteen years ago, the town has been quite and peaceful. Boy does that change when Michael Myers (now 21) comes back to town. At first Sheriff Brackett thinks that Michael’s return is a hoax. Afterall it is Halloween. But one murder after another proves the validity of the terror and soon Brackett is in over his head. He scrambles from one crime scene to another trying to understand the gravity of the situation as well as how to control it. He’s a fun ingredient to this horror classic.
#4 – Little Bill Daggett (“Unforgiven”)
Remember when I said that sometimes the sheriff could be part of the problem? That was definitely the case with Little Bill in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar winning western “Unforgiven”. Little Bill was a former gunfighter so he knows how to sling lead. He has a strict ‘no guns allowed’ policy in his town and if you break that policy you can expect the beatdown of your life. While this may seem like a case of good intentions gone bad, Little Bill later shows that he isn’t the true beacon of law and order that a town really needs. Gene Hackman won an Oscar for his portrayal of Little Bill and you would be hard pressed to find someone who will say he didn’t deserve it.
#3 – Sheriff Bart (“Blazing Saddles”)
It’s another western but a much different one. The Mel Brooks comedy “Blazing Saddles” would never be made today, but thank goodness we can still look back on it and enjoy all of its great satire and head-on craziness. One of the best parts was Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart. He was simply a pawn put in as the sheriff of a small town in order to push the buttons of the racist townsfolk. But Sheriff Bart is a lot smarter than some think. In fact, he’s almost always the most intelligent person in the scene. Little plays the role with the perfect measurement of sincerity and sarcasm and he fits perfectly into this great Mel Brooks concoction.
#2 – Sheriff Buford T. Justice (“Smokey and the Bandit”)
There weren’t a lot of high expectations for “Smokey and the Bandit” when it was first conceived. Then the biggest box office draw at the time (Burt Reynolds) signed on and expectations changed. But I don’t think anyone expected that the supporting character Sheriff Buford T. Justice would drive in and steal the entire movie. The late great Jackie Gleason was given complete creative liberties to invent and add-lib which helped make the character insanely funny. Buford T. Justice was an imbecile, but he was also too arrogant to ever recognize it. That set the table for a number of hilarious encounters as he chases Bandit across a host of Southern states.
#1 – Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (“No Country for Old Men”)
Tommy Lee Jones has had a number of great movie roles throughout his career. For me this is his best. It is almost like novelist Cormac McCarthy wrote this wonderful character with Jones in mind. The Coen brothers didn’t miss the opportunity to pass up this fine seasoned actor who plays one of my favorite sheriffs. Ed Tom is ready to retire especially in light of the changing landscape of law enforcement and the new waves of violent crime. He constantly ponders the shocking ways of the new violent world while coming face-to-face with it after seeing the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong. In a movie featuring so many fascinating characters, Sheriff Bell may be the most fascinating. That’s why he tops this list.
So what do you think? These are my top movie sheriffs. Who did I leave off? Who would you include? Please take time to share your thoughts below.
keithandthemovies.com 
Buffurd Phaser, Waking Tall. Muli Achmed Mohammed Rasuli, sherif of the Riff, is Marshall Wyatt Earp out of bound, because if he’s not, Kurt Russel in Tombstone.
I thought about Russell but they were Marshals right? I at first had Brody from Jaws but then remembered he was a police chief.
I second Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp!
I think he was a marshal. Otherwise he would have been very much considered. Great character.
I feel like Marge from Fargo should get a mention!! She was the highlight of that movie for me – Jenna
Oh she is awesome. The only thing was she wasn’t actually a sheriff. I think she was a police chief. Technically it’s the same thing but I stuck real close to the sheriff title. But look for her and I possible future list? 😉
Greetings, Keith! I’ve just nominated you for a ABC Award (awesome blog content), because I genuinely enjoy reading your posts.
I totally understand that these awards are not for everyone (and you may already have it), but should you choose to accept it, here’s the link to your nomination:
http://le0pard13.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/the-abcs-of-a-blog-award/
Thanks.
Oh man that’s very, very kind. I really appreciate your consideration and I even more appreciate how often you visit and how you support the site with your retweets. I can’t tell you how much that means to me and encourages me.
Keith, Like your list, but I would add John Wayne in Rio Bravo or twenty others 😉
John Wayne could almost have his own list couldn’t he? 😀
I can’t help but smile when I hear mention of Sheriff Buford T. Justice.
“What we are dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law.”
YES!!!! Sooo many great lines from him. I have the same reaction whenever I hear his name or see his expressions. Him and Junior…what a pair.
Very nicely done. When I saw the title of this post Sherrifs Bart, Bell, & Justice are precisely who came to mind and you got them all.
Awesome! Great minds think alike? 😉
I quite liked Stallone’s Freddy Heflin in Cop Land, the sherrif in a town of cops. But no Sherrif in the cinema history could get better than Ed Bell. He’s truly the most fascinating sherrif I’ve ever seen
Yes!!! 100% agree. Bell stood out to me and the performance from Jones was perfect. He’s such a big part of why that movie works so well.
I couldn’t get enough of Tommy Lee Jones in No Country For Old Men. What a great character! Nice list overall!
Thanks! I’m with you. Jones is so perfectly cast. He’s a perfect fit.
A Phenomenal 5 Sheriffs list would indeed not be complete without Tommy Lee Jones! So relieved to see him on here, and at #1 no less!
I didn’t notice until now, but not a single John Wayne character is on here! I’m not sure if you have seen any of his films (shamefully i Haven’t) but it seems like he’s gotta have one or two great turns, even as obvious a choice as he might seem.
Good stuff Keith.
Thanks man. I have seen many of John Wayne’s pictures and I have to say I’m not his biggest fan. My favorites are his early Calvary films. Those are sooo good.
Oh, I also considered Woody from Toy Story! LOL
haha! wow i can’t believe I didnt even consider him. he’s a great choice too. “Somebody’s poisoned the water hole!”
LOL! He would have been a great addition for diversity. I should have included him.
Really great to see Gene Hackman make your top 5. That character in Unforgiven is one of his best roles.
Oh I agree with you. He is so good and a big reason why I like the movie.
Pingback: » Movie Review – Robin Hood: Men In Tights Fernby Films
Now although I approve each sheriff on that list especially The Sheriff Ed Tom played by Tommy Lee Jones…. My favorite – although it’s a TV Series – is Sheriff Walt Longmire…. and another favourite Sheriff in the MOVIES besides LeeJones would have to be Texas Sheriff in Hell or High Water played by Jeff Bridges …. he also plays a phenomenal Old Western Marshall in True Grit.
100% agree. Bridges in HOHW was superb. I’m not sure but I think I did this list before I saw that movie otherwise he would probably be on it.