12 Things You Learn Rewatching The Man With The Golden Gun
5. J.W. Pepper Is A...Democrat!?
Because he wasn't annoying enough the last time, Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James) makes an insanely contrived appearance in The Man with the Golden Gun, conveniently vacationing in Bangkok with his wife just as Bond is passing through.
As infuriating as Pepper is to watch here also, he delivers one eyebrow-raising line of dialogue that at least makes him vaguely more interesting. When his wife, Maybelle, inquires about buying some wooden elephants from a street vendor, Pepper quips, "We're Democrats, Maybelle."
It's not quite clear exactly what Pepper's getting at here, but him claiming to be a Democrat without a hint of sarcasm is just...insane. Considering the rotten attitude he shows to foreigners in both this movie (calling the Bangkok cops "pointy-heads") and Live and Let Die, it's not exactly easy to believe this boorish southern hick would ever vote for the Dems.
So, Pepper just got ever-so-slightly more likeable, even if this might also make him the most irritating Democrat in existence.