Klansman (1974)

A local Sheriff tries to keep the peace as racial strife hits his small Alabama town as tensions boil over when a black man is accused of raping a white woman.

Director:

Terence Young

Writers:

William Bradford Huie (novel), Millard Kaufman (screenplay)

Stars:

Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, Cameron Mitchell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lee Marvin	...	Sheriff Track Bascomb
Richard Burton	...	Breck Stancill
Cameron Mitchell	...	Butt Cutt Cates
O.J. Simpson	...	Garth
Lola Falana	...	Loretta Sykes
David Huddleston	...	Mayor Hardy Riddle
Luciana Paluzzi	...	Trixie
Linda Evans	...	Nancy Poteet
Ed Call	...	Shaneyfelt
John Alderson	...	Vernon Hodo
John Pearce	...	Taggart
David Ladd	...	Flagg
Vic Perrin	...	Hector
Spence Wil-Dee	...	Willy Washington
Wendell Wellman	...	Alan Bascomb

Storyline

A small southern town has just been rocked by a tragedy: a young woman has been violently raped. The white town fathers immediately declare that the attacker had to be black, and place the blame on Garth, a young black man. Assuming that the men in white sheets aren't intent on holding a fair and impartial trial, Garth takes to the woods as the Klansmen lynching party hunts him down.

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Plot Keywords:

alabama | sheriff | castration | interracial rape | african american | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to scenic Atoka County. Pop 10,000. Cross burnings. Rape. Murder. Arson. Its a great place to live...... if THEY let you.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 October 1974 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Klansman

Filming Locations:

Oroville, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlanta Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min 104 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Samuel Fuller submitted a screenplay that was almost completely different from what was filmed. Among other things, the Lee Marvin character was not a sheriff, but a KKK leader whose racist viewpoint is completely changed around. However, Paramount got nervous about the provocative nature of the screenplay and ordered it rewritten, infuriating Fuller (who left the project because of this) and Marvin (who wanted out but had already signed a contract.)

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Connections

Featured in Century of Black Cinema (2003)

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Soundtracks

The Good Christian People
by Mack Rice and Bettye Crutcher
Sung by The Staple Singers

User Reviews

Despite the obvious ..........................

Despite the obvious political incorrectness, the movie bombs in many other ways. Parts of the script appear to have been written at various times, with absolutely no sense of scenes relating to each other. While Lee Marvin has played the gruff sheriff role enough times to walk through his lines, Richard Burton stumbles and bumbles between Southern and British accents throughout. O.J. Simpson hides in trees and snipes at anything in a white robe and hood. Linda Evans, Lola Falana, and Cameron Mitchell, round out the embarrassed looking cast. What you are left with are racial stereotypes on parade, in a truly forgettable film. - MERK