Obsessed with True Crime discussion
Movies/TV / Podcasts Archive
>
Cross Of Fire
date
newest »
newest »
Fishface wrote: "Linky: https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Fire/dp/...This made-for-TV movie is based on the true story of the kidnapping and g..."
Dang, this is why I would rather read the book then waste book money on a movie. Typical Hollywood!
This made-for-TV movie is based on the true story of the kidnapping and grisly rape-murder of Madge Oberholtzer (played by Mel Harris) by D.C. Stephenson (played by John Heard). There are a couple of credibility gaps in here; they make it seem as if Oberholtzer killed herself but Stephenson got convicted for murder anyway -- it did not happen that way! -- and they also changed her relationship with the prosecutor, making him into her lost love instead of a total stranger rightly disgusted by what Stephenson did to her. And -- this being a made-for-TV deal -- you would never know the extent of Madge's horrible injuries from watching this film.
On the other hand, it does give a pretty good thumbnail sketch of Stephenson's rise to power within the KKK -- this part was very accurate -- and the scope of his frightening ambition. Seeing the way poor Madge and the young prosecutor took him down was a glory to behold.