Cross of Fire

The two-part TV movie Cross of Fire is set in the 1920s, when the Ku Klux Klan was at the height of its political power in Indiana. Part One, originally telecast November 5, 1989, details the resurgence of the Klan (which had been created during the Reconstruction era) under the leadership of David "Steve" Stephenson (John Heard). Cloaking himself in the twin veils of patriotism and morality, Stephenson rails against such "deviates" as blacks, Jews and Catholics, gaining political clout and financial kickbacks as his "invisible empire" grows. Part two of Cross of Fire, telecast November 6, traces the fall of Stephenson -- not because his followers have wised up, but because of a 1925 rape and murder charge.