 The earlier Klan had not worn the white costumes or burned crosses; these were aspects introduced in on which the film was based.When the film was shown in Atlanta in December of that year, Simmons and his new klansmen paraded to the theater in robes and pointed hoods—many on robed horses—just like in the movie.These mass parades would become another hallmark of the new Klan that had not existed in the original Reconstruction-era organization.