SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Merolliv I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Luecarou What begins as a feel-good-human-interest story turns into a mystery, then a tragedy, and ultimately an outrage.

kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS**** Things really start to heat up in Attoka County Alabama when a group of civil rights activists lead by former native Chicago's Loretta Sykes,Lola Falana,in attempting to get the blacks in town to register to vote in the upcoming election. The already explosive situation couldn't get any worse when local woman Nancy Poteet, Linda Evens, is attacked and raped in her car by an unknown and what looked like, in the dark, black masked assailant. With the local population up in arms and thirsting for blood it's up to the town sheriff former Klansman and now middle of the road, in getting the black vote, Track Bascomb, Lee Marvin, to keep the peace and prevent any more bloodshed. As things turn out local angry black man Garth, O.J Simpson,has other ideas and starts a one man war against the Klan polarizing the white and black population in town even farther.In all this violence there's Attoka's royal blooded, his family goes back eight generations, and only white liberal Breck Stancill, Richard Burton, who's really pushing the envelope in allowing local backs to live on his property rent free who's live in girlfriend just happens to be the just assaulted Nancy Poteet. With the voter march about to start Garth takes out, with a sniper rifle, one of the local Klansman that has the rest of the Klan in retaliation kidnap and rape Loretta making it look like a black, not Klansman, did it! Sheriff Bascomb in trying to keep the lid on all this violence and prevent it from blowing a major fuse is forced to confront the entire Klan, that he was once a member of, from burning the hated Stancill, in being against his liberal views, house down together with him and all the black homeless persons living there!****SPOILERS**** Flaming final with Sheriff Bascomb together with Stancill holding off scores of Klansman who are attacking Stancill's home or better yet bunker who's bulky Klan outfits and hoods covering their eyes make them easy targets. Despite doing everything possible to prevent it there's nothing that Sheriff Bascomb could do to keep the Klan on a leash or in line that by the end of the movie had almost the entire Attoka County up in flames with him as well as Stancill and dozens of residences, black and white, never living to see the light of the next day.P.S It was reported that both Lee Marvin and Richard Burton were so drunk during the filming of the movie that years later when they ran into each other at a party they couldn't remember being in it! In fact Richard Burton got so drunk while making the movie "The Klansman" that he was hospitalized for over a month so he can dry out and continue acting in it. Marvin seemed to be able to hold his booze or liquor far better then Burton who reportedly guzzled down as much as three bottles of vodka a day during filming. Burton was so smashed that in many scenes in the film like in the fight with Klansman Butt Cut Cates, Cameron Mitchell, was having great difficulty or even unable to stand on his feet and had to be filmed most of the time either laying in bed of sitting on a couch!

artpf 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.Exploitation flick with two big stars and a murderer. Filmed like a TV movie. The titles claim this was made in Technicolor, but the copy I saw had already faded to red, so it wasn't preserved in Technicolor. In fact, it was also rather blurry and I thin it was transferred from a video tape.Richard Burton allegedly drank so much alcohol during the making of this film that many of his scenes had to be shot with him seated or lying down, due to his inability to stand. In some scenes, he appears to slur his words or speak incoherently! Now that's worth the price of admission! When he's walking he looks like the Frankenstein monster! This is one of those movies that really needs to be seen to be appreciated. You will not be able to take your eyes off Burton. And OJ? Well let's just say he learned from this movie that knives are more quiet than guns.

wes-connors When a White woman is raped in a small Alabama town, well-coiffed Cameron Mitchell (as Butt Cutt Cates) and "The Klansman" think a Black man did the dirty deed. Go figure. Alcohol-drenched sheriff Lee Marvin (as Track Bascomb) investigates the crime. He holds his liquor better than co-star Richard Burton (as Breck Stancill), who doesn't always appear to know where he is or what he's doing. He's alert enough to notice the beautiful women hanging around. Many people think O.J. Simpson (as Garth) is the guilty party. Go figure. You ought to consider watching this movie with your eyes shut and the sound off.* The Klansman (10/25/74) Terence Young ~ Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, O.J. Simpson, Cameron Mitchell

dbborroughs Infamous film starring Richard Burton and Lee Marvin about the rape of a white woman in small southern town. Its decided that the person responsible is a black man played by OJ Simpson. They go after him with an unbridled zeal while Richard Burton (with a bum leg that comes and goes depending upon the shot) and Lee Marvin try to keep the peace. This film came to my attention in one of the Medved's worst film anthologies. I don't know if I would consider it a worst film of all time, however I will say that its one of the most wrong headed. Its the sort of message movie that Hollywood did in the 1960's and which deteriorated quickly into movie of the week on TV. This is a movie of the week with an "A" movie cast. I think this might have worked but the cast doesn't work on any level. Its often as simply as the wrong casting of Welshman Richard Burton as a Southerner. At other times its incredibly silly as it tries to sell us on the evils of racism with David Huddleston as the Mayor of the town and lead Klansman a role that he played for laughs as Olson Johnson in Blazing Saddles the same year (and elsewhere any other times). I admire the film trying to take on an evil straight on but its just all wrong. Its a turkey, yes but not one of the worst films of all time.