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.
Review of The Klansman
The Klansman
(1974)
Silly TV movie of the week on the big screen is unintentionally funny
26 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers