Skip to main content
Crime Cult Classic

Violence and vengeance grip an Alabama town as the Klan asserts its deadly will.

THE KLANSMAN

Welcome to scenic Atoka County

1974 · 1h 52m · R · Crime / Drama / Thriller · IMDB TMDB

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.

5,471 FilmsIn The Vault
Vault UpdatedDaily
Curated ByHumans
No AlgorithmBullsh*t
Quick Answer
What is The Klansman about?

The Klansman is a 1974 American crime drama thriller directed by Terence Young about racial tensions that erupt in a small Southern town after a black man is accused of assaulting a white woman.

Synopsis

In a small town in the South, Sheriff Track Bascomb breaks up a crowd of black and white men molesting a black woman. He visits Breck Stancill, a local land owner who is politically liberal.

White woman Nancy Poteet is sexually assaulted and beaten by a black man. Sheriff Track Bascomb tries to find the guilty party while Ku Klux Klan members – including Bascomb's deputy, Butt Cutt Cates – take matters into their own hands.

Members of the Klan – not wearing their uniform – approach a bar frequented by blacks. They chase after two men, one of whom is Garth. Garth escapes but his associate is captured, castrated and shot by the Klan.

Loretta Sykes, a black woman who grew up in the town, returns home. She is approached by members of the civil rights movement. They try to get Breck Stancill involved.

Nancy Poteet's husband leaves her and she finds herself an outcast in the town. She is befriended by Stancill.

Garth dresses up as a Klansman and kills one of the vigilante gang who killed his friend. At a funeral for the dead man, held by the Klan, Garth shoots another Klansman from a tree. 
Details & Specs
Director
Terence Young
Writers
Millard Kaufman, Samuel Fuller, William Bradford Huie
Release
1974
Runtime
1h 52m
Country
United States of America
Language
English
Also Known As
Verflucht und Verkommen

Why Cult

Blaxploitation vs. Hixploitation

The film blends two cult subgenres, setting racial tensions and Southern grit on a collision course.

Star-Powered Casting

Richard Burton and Lee Marvin headline as a progressive landowner and embattled sheriff in a town on the brink.

Raw Klan Conflict

A brutal depiction of the Ku Klux Klan’s violent grip, where justice and vengeance blur into chaos.

Gritty 1970s Thriller

Released in 1974, the film leans into a rough-edged, R-rated take on crime and social unrest.

Trailer

Questions from the Vault

What is The Klansman about? +

The Klansman is about a sheriff's attempt to keep order during explosive racial violence in a small Alabama town after a black man is accused of raping a white woman.

When was The Klansman released? +

The Klansman was released in 1974.

Who directed The Klansman? +

The Klansman was directed by Terence Young.

How long is The Klansman? +

The Klansman has a runtime of 112 minutes.

What genre is The Klansman? +

The Klansman is a crime, drama, and thriller film.

Where can I watch The Klansman? +

You can watch The Klansman on SassyFlix.