I grew up - white - in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and was a teenager in town when these events happened, in 1964. The film is based on a true story, and here the story is portrayed much more accurately than in the highly-popular "Mississippi Burning" (also based, more loosely, on these events). If anything is missing in this TV movie, it's that the brutality was worse than portrayed here. If anything is misleading, it's that J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI were generally not this noble in their fighting civil rights hate crimes. The acting is also good (though the accents are not on-target; noticeable to a local). If you want to know more about this history, read the gripping books "Three Lives for Mississippi" and "Witness in Philadelphia."
Add a Review
-
footsperry15 February 2004
-
emenon11 August 2006I first saw this in August 1977. I would like to see it again. I do have Mississippi Burning, however this movie tells more like it happened. Someone reading I hope you have clout to have it released to DVD or VHS. It's a great Educational movie, about the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's. I'm a fan of Black history. Four Little girls maybe on DVD in your Walmart store. I have seen it as well. The Black people were treated horrible in Mississippi and Alabama. It was all for white supremacy white power. In many places, there were restroom facilities for whites and coloreds. Also drinking fountains. This movie was about giving black people the right to vote. Every American should exercise that right. No matter what race creed or ethnic group. The episode of Dragnet about Donald L. Chapman was about hate. He had a swastika, German helmets, military guns. He had a car wreck and shot the victim of the other vehicle, because he was black. He planted a bomb in an Elementary school, because it was going to be integrated. Sgt. Friday told him he's a Psycho and they are a minority too. Ku Klux Klan, was setting themselves up as the law. They wore those white sheets and hoods, to do their dirty work at night. I encourage everyone to see this movie. It gives the exact facts of history and how it happened.
-
dgraylouis-115 July 2006This movie was made for television in an era where most persons were entertained by movie, not critical of them. It was the first movie of the attempt of the FBI to get into the inter-circle of the American based terror group. The story line is the first story of the 1964 slaying of he civil rights worker in Philadelphia, Mississippi (NOT; MISSISSIPPI BURNING). It indeed, was was more accurate that Mississipi Burning. I lived in Memphis, and I was scared when I saw this movie. We were able to understand the FBI agents also work and live in the same community with people with twisted ideas. We were also able to understand how one or two twisted persons can ruin a community with fear and intimidation: terror
-
splittgerber212 May 2006I am pleased that IMDb will include me in the credits as an actor in this special of Quinn-Martin. I played the RED NECK with the scene in front of the Federal Building when I grab Wayne Rodgers and start the conversation with: "Your n' Fbi feller ain't ya!" He responds: "yes sir, what can I do for you?". My response (and I'll not bore you with all of it) but starts: "You kin catch them Klan up Sayville way and give em sum taste of what they been handing Nigras...etc When this was filmed in front of the San Marcos, Tx Post Office (Federal Bldg) people watching applauded!!! It was MY scene. Mr. Rodgers as I walk aways says: "Thank You very Much"...I added a line: 'TWO BIT BUNCH OF WHITE TRASH" (meaning Klu Klux Klan) and the nice Director of the film LEFT IT IN...Thanks for reading this....Tommy
-
elskootero3 October 2005I've seen this Docu-drama at LEAST 12 times in the past 20 years or so, and enjoy it more with each succeeding viewing, and I'd love to see it on DVD! Hollyweird, are you listening? The acting is superb, especially the actor who portrays the young agent that is married. Look for a young Dabney Coleman too: He's great as well. And some of the brainless quotes by the Klan members are priceless, like the one where an interview is being conducted of a crowd of people and one clown says "We're being invaded by prostitutes and Jews", but he delivers the line so calmly and softly that he could be telling the interviewer that he likes Betty Crocker cake mix over Duncan Hines! It's really funny the way it's done. And when the FBI man is talking to a Klan leader and says, "If my wife gets one more call from one of your Klukkers, there's going to be trouble", or something like that, I crack up. All in all, it's a great film, flaws and all, and I will buy it the minute it comes out on DVD!
-
I've seen this movies several times, and was able to locate a pirated copy, not to take anything out of anyone's pocket, but I get so sick and tired of waiting for Hollyweird to get films onto DVD! A classic line is when, just after the 3 civil rights workers go missing, some redneck clown is asked by a reporter his feelings, and he looks right at the camera and in a "Cletus" kind of voice says "90 Percent of the world's problems is cause by the negroes and the jews. thank you!" Most TV aired versions cut this clown out, so get a VHS or DVD boot, it's hysterical!!! And IMDb, GROW UP! The "N" word is there, you can't avoid it! Quit hiding it, and thereby legitimize it's use to hurt people. It's a WORD!!!!!That's all - Just a word. Your requirements are antiquated, at times.
-
yortsnave14 August 2000This movie, almost long enough to be a mini-series, is an excellent police-procedural drama filmed in a quasi-documentary style. The crime actually happened, but I don't know enough history to say how true-to-life the movie really is. The cast is first-rate. Highly recommended.
-
wkozak22120 September 2015I really like this film. This series was great. Too bad the history channel stopped the series. Thisfiilm was very well done. I liked all the actors. They did a very good job telling the story. I also liked the voice overs.it helps to move the story along. I was smart enough to tape this movie and the other movies in the series. I have seen the other movie telling this story and this is much better. I believe you do not need big name stars to tell a well done job. I believe that if you are telling an intricate story you need to take your time and not compress it. That is why I really enjoyed this series. It took its time to tell this story, the brinks robbery and the Sam sheppard case. I disagree with the reviewer who gave it 2 stars. How old are they? This is way above other movies about this event.
-
This is much better than Mississippi Burning. This is a true story about the three civil rights workers who were murdered. Now what makes it interesting is, the FBI is interviewing Witnesses.
As they interview the witnesses, it's told in flashbacks. So one witness will say well we drove right and did this. So it's filmed in a flashback. But then the next witness says no we drove left. And that is filmed in a flashback.
So the FBI is trying to figure out who's telling the truth. So in a way it's a whodunit. I haven't seen this in years but I remember it being very very interesting.
I sure would like Quinn Martin to release some of his better stuff on DVDs in a Blu-ray. It would make a fascinating viewing. -
B.B.-215 February 2004Despite a great cast and a terrific book as source material, this movie is simply dreadful. The writing is flat, the characters muted, the direction stilted. Worse, like Mississippi Burning, the role of the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi is virtually ignored. Some day, someone will make a great movie about the murders of J. E. Chaney, Mickey, Schwerner and Andy Goodman. This isn't it.
-
arachnophobia-124 December 2001This movie was the first account of the murder of the three civil rights workers I had seen and I found it fascinating. It was long but I appreciated it's thoroughness. I understand there was a legal problem in using the real names of the people involved but the events were very real indeed. Good performances all around.