The San Francisco call., 1908-11-03
By Walter Anthony

The terrors of black supremacy; the
horrors that follow on unbridled, brut-
fish passion; the fundamental inferiority
OF the black race-but recently African
savages-to the white race which has
longer endured civilization, and the
hideousness Of intermarriage of black
and white. are some of the monstrously
obvious truths which The Clansman,
81 the Van Ness. puts itself TO the
trouble to exploit It is not so much
q play as it is a crowd-like dramatic
ing the civil war. There is no char
acterization worthy the name. but many
persons There are men and women
and horses. en- masse and en- masque-
masQue.
There is little girl, l3 years old.
unspeak kably treated by a negro officer.
There is his confession before the
masked faces Of the Ku KluX Klan.
under the hypnotic eye Of the little
child's father There is also a negro
lieutenant governor Of South Carolina,
who attacks a fair daughter Of the
north, and there are lynching bees and
other things which may have happened
in the unhappy south after the war
but which have no business in play
Even a newspaper softens its account
OF some of the things that transpire
in police courts and jsils and other
places set aside for criminals.
II The Ciansman" were interesting
or intrinsicalIy exciting its excuse for
existence might be discerned through
the smoke Of the enterprising press
agents who advance the show. Its
main appeal is derived from the same
spirit which would make a vaudeville
performance q momentary success if il
should consist Of nothing but national
airs and the pictures Of our heroes
Everybody applauds. Naturally Fine
sentiments are symboliZed there There
IS ample chance TO shout and 1t makes
US feel patriotically virtuous and fine
It would be a shame TO take the money
and call that sort Of entertainment q
vaudeville performance. Likewise 1t Is
pitiful TO make q play out Of those
and sectional sentiments. In The
Clansman" there is little else Of worth
There is a story. however, which
will not burden you with the relating
II is in THE Leopard's Spots" and
The Clansman," by Thomas Dixon Jr
The era involved is that Immediately
after the civil war, when the negroes
abetted by carpet baggers and adven-
turers from the north, assumed the
CCnITCl OF Ine SOfSILAlcuL anu Q4Q I'll
nan1able things. This reign of terror
brought the secret clan which did much
good and then degenerated.
II you feel that you want TO hate the
fellow that blacks your shoes, OF
brushes your clothes, or serves you
your dinner, then THE Clansman" may
bring JUNCTION to your needlessly per
furbed soul II you feel that you hate
him enough already, and that you
wouldn't let him marry your daughter
or take your wife to the theater and
sit in box with her. then you'll find
the ethics OF The Clansman" super
fuously fouted. But go If you think
that you'd like TO applaud some actor
when he says, Rather than see e
niger marry my sister I'd kill her
Summarily The Clansman" is brutal
rneretricious and, generally speaking
tedious, except when the "nigger" con.
fesses his horrible guilt, and then it is
sickening.
There are not many in the long cas-
that deserve special notice. Maudt
Dursnd is easily the best in her com
edy work as Eve the old fashioned
nanny. She is ample and unctious. NJ
]. Jordan as the radical leader is good
in a bad role. Charles Elliott as tn,
negro corporal, who confesses, was
harrowingly realistic in his one scene
and the rest of the cast it is needles.
to mention. Many Of them did the bes
they could