<P> The song inspired a 1981 television movie of the same name , directed by Dick Lowry , who also directed all but the last of The Gambler television movie saga pentalogy . Set in small - town Georgia during the onset of America 's involvement in World War II , the film 's plot stayed true to the song 's lyrics and starred Rogers as Tommy 's uncle , Reverend Matthew Spencer ( the singer of the song ) , Fredric Lehne as the troubled Tommy Spencer , Largo Woodruff as Tommy 's girlfriend Becky , and William Schreiner as James Joseph `` Jimmy Joe '' Gatlin ( one of Tommy 's nemeses and a rival for Becky ; Jimmy Joe publicly states that Becky is ' his girl ' despite the fact that Becky never has felt the same way towards him and has repeatedly told him so . That rejection ( to which he is in total denial ) , along with the fact that Becky and Tommy started dating and became engaged while he and his brother Luke were away at basic training , would serve as motive for Jimmy Joe and his brothers to assault Becky three days before she and Tommy would be getting married . ) . The movie added several characters not mentioned in the song , including Car - Wash ( Noble Willingham ) , a friend of the Spencer family ; Violet ( Ana Alicia ) , a local girl who also loved Tommy ; and Lem Gatlin ( Joe Dorsey ) , the equally - nemesis father of the Gatlin boys ( brothers Jimmy Joe , Paul , and Luke ) . </P>
<P> The song inspired a 1981 television movie of the same name , directed by Dick Lowry , who also directed all but the last of The Gambler television movie saga pentalogy . Set in small - town Georgia during the onset of America 's involvement in World War II , the film 's plot stayed true to the song 's lyrics and starred Rogers as Tommy 's uncle , Reverend Matthew Spencer ( the singer of the song ) , Fredric Lehne as the troubled Tommy Spencer , Largo Woodruff as Tommy 's girlfriend Becky , and William Schreiner as James Joseph `` Jimmy Joe '' Gatlin ( one of Tommy 's nemeses and a rival for Becky ; Jimmy Joe publicly states that Becky is ' his girl ' despite the fact that Becky never has felt the same way towards him and has repeatedly told him so . That rejection ( to which he is in total denial ) , along with the fact that Becky and Tommy started dating and became engaged while he and his brother Luke were away at basic training , would serve as motive for Jimmy Joe and his brothers to assault Becky three days before she and Tommy would be getting married . ) . The movie added several characters not mentioned in the song , including Car - Wash ( Noble Willingham ) , a friend of the Spencer family ; Violet ( Ana Alicia ) , a local girl who also loved Tommy ; and Lem Gatlin ( Joe Dorsey ) , the equally - nemesis father of the Gatlin boys ( brothers Jimmy Joe , Paul , and Luke ) . </P>
who played tommy in coward of the county
who played tommy in coward of the county
Fredric Lehne
Fredric Lehne