Mr. Mike's Couch Time Movie Review: I just watched a budget DVD version of this picture. All the curse words but not the "N" words were all edited out. This is easily the worst piece of film that Lee Marvin has ever been associated with. In fact, it's the worst piece of film HOKE HOWELL has ever been associated with! At least Howell can tell his grand-kids that Linda Evans played his wife in a movie....(Hello, get me casting....) The entire plot of the film is edited out of this version. Did they make a TV cut to capitalize on the mini-series Roots? Maybe that explains this. I can't believe that an airline movie print exists either of this monstrosity.
Lots of familiar faces for stereotyped celluloid of the Old South: Cameron Mitchell, David Huddleston (if you guessed the corrupt Mayor give yourself 5 points!), Howell. But some of the oddest casting ever: Richard Burton co-stars with Marvin, as a left-leaning liberal, peace-loving friend to all races (at least all the women of all the races.) Early on, he's in the sack with Luciana, the local policewoman. There's an implied relationship (this is 1974) with Lola Falana. And after (unbelievably) trying to persuade a hippie clergyman to seduce the recently raped Linda Evans (?), Burton has to dirty his hands with this one too. I mention Falana. She's very good in this movie. As is (drumroll) OJ Simpson, Simpson plays (in this version) just a guy whose fed up with the Klan. Maybe in the complete version, it's Simpson who turns out to be the undercover FBI agent, since Marvin, the Sheriff, repeatedly catches Simpson only to let him go. Who knows? Who cares. The soundtrack is not to be missed either (insert sarcasm here) Memorable scenes: the Klan funeral interrupted by sniper fire, a high-speed herse chase, and 2 car explosions. Then there's the comedic (?) fight scene between Mitchell and Richard Burton and Richard Burton's stand-in.
I just love bad film making. And this didn't disappoint. The Klansman gets 3 potatoes one for Richard Burton's stand-in, one for Richard Burton's on-again, off-again southern (?) accent, one for Richard Burton's on-again, off-again limp
