spoiler shock yet true story of the horror that befall the alabama or georgia border town of phenix when it be take over by a gang of organize hoodlum who turn it into the sin city of the south . with crime skyrocketing and no one to turn to a group of concern citizen get well respect phenix lawyer albert patterson and john mcintire and to run for the office of state district attorney . with the criminal element of phenix do everything and from intimidation to outright murder and to keep the voter form get patterson the nomination he still win with the other 86 county of the state and not include phenix russell county and give him the nod by just over 1 and 000 vote . terrify in what patterson would do when he take office head of the phenix mob rett tanner and edward andrew and have a hit put out on him . patterson be gun down while drive to his office but his killer be spot by ellie rhodes and kathryn grant and who soon becomes and through an informer in patterson office and tanner next person in line to be target for murder . what tanner and co. do not expect be that the late albert patterson son john and richard kiley and get the news from ellie about his dad murder before his boy could shut her up . that major miscalculation on tanner part will end up put an end to both his criminal organization as well a his freedom . powerful documentary style crime movie with the actual person involve in the event give some 15 minute and at the start of the film and to tell their story . this despite the fact that they be still in danger of be murder by the tanner mob that be still at large at the time their interview be film . finish what his brave dad start john patterson single handedly bring the story of phenix city to the front page of both the state and national newspaper give tanner the very negative publicity that he try so hard to avoid . with the now alabama national guard flood into phenix city the blood thirsty and gutless and in not willing to stand up to people with gun in their hand and tanner mob evaporate from sight like a morning mist after the sunlight hit it . and with john patterson now take the place of his murdered dad a the state of alabama new attorney general you can be sure that the patterson mob have see it last day of push people around as well a murder them . the only thing that they will see now in the future be the gray prison wall and bar that will be their home sweet home for the rest of their rotten and miserable life . very probably the most graphically violent movie to come out of hollywood up to that time the phenix city story do not pull any punch in show how a group of lawless and powerful criminal can turn a quite american city into living hell for everyone in it . no one be spear from these ruthless gangster who do not even think twice when it come to murder even woman and child if that what it take to keep them in power . a for the phenix city police departmentn they have well thing to do then enforce the law that they be swear and pay to uphold . they be out have coffee and donut while their city be be burn to the ground by the gangster like tanner who have them in their hip pocket .