Bootleg Zapruders?

[Pat Speer]

I recently picked up former CBS producer Leslie Midgley's memoirs. He has a couple of chapters about the creation of CBS' Warren Report special, and its 4-part re-investigation in 67 where Humes lied his butt off. Anyhow, Midgley says they tried to get access to the Zapruder film but Life said no-way, and so they were forced to supply bootleg copies of the Zapruder film to their experts, including Luis Alvarez, to study. Since this was years before Life had the film copied to supply to the trial of Clay Shaw, and long before Groden was to get his copy, the thought occurred: who had the film in 67?

Maybe one of the alterationists on this forum knows the answer.

While it's possible Midgley merely remembered things wrong, my immediate instinct is to suspect CBS received a copy from the FBI or Secret Service, and that Midgley lied about this because he knew how it would look. Is anyone aware of any private collectors who had the film in 67?

[David G. Healy]

I recently picked up former CBS producer Leslie Midgley's memoirs. He has a couple of chapters about the creation of CBS' Warren Report special, and its 4-part re-investigation in 67 where Humes lied his butt off. Anyhow, Midgley says they tried to get access to the Zapruder film but Life said no-way, and so they were forced to supply bootleg copies of the Zapruder film to their experts, including Luis Alvarez, to study. Since this was years before Life had the film copied to supply to the trial of Clay Shaw, and long before Groden was to get his copy, the thought occurred: who had the film in 67?

Might want to check Moe Weitzman's testimony HSCA/AARB. He owned the NYC film company that LIFE sent the 8mm Z-film for 35mm blowup -- The Zavada report goes into some detail, letters back and forth are in the addendums. Groden got access to a 35mm blowup print at Moe's lab while a lab techie. His new career was launched. Can't remember when LIFE sent the film to Moe, who knows how many copies were made.

Rumor has it a well known researcher made an attempt to purchase the Z-film from LIFE, I think before 1970, it was screened on a lightbox at LIFE's Los Angeles offices, LIFE rep's hovering nearby --

Maybe one of the alterationists on this forum knows the answer.

While it's possible Midgley merely remembered things wrong, my immediate instinct is to suspect CBS received a copy from the FBI or Secret Service, and that Midgley lied about this because he knew how it would look. Is anyone aware of any private collectors who had the film in 67?

Private? No, but Z-film optical prints or early generation version of same were duplicated in NYC by a film printing house for the FBI -- very soon after the assassination, almost immediately I suspect..

see:

http://www.mte.com/nysmpte/meetings/sum0004.htm.

about 2/3rds of the way down the article the following appears, evidently this Hall guy participates in and with Roland Zavada during the 4/8/2000 NYC SMPTE conference... The title of the conference was Film Forensics and the Zapruder Film -- transcripts are no longer available, at least that's what I was told.

<quote on>

A long question and answer session included an anecdote related by Everett Hall who, in 1963, was president of Cine Magnetics Film Laboratory. He recalled that three FBI men visited his laboratory and requested that a copy of a single 8mm film of the Kennedy motorcade be duplicated. A 16mm printing machine was modified to accept the 8mm film, which was prepared with appropriate leaders and threaded up or the printing machine.

<quote off>

Just trying to determine how many Z-film prints were out there before 1970 is neigh on impossible. In whose hands they were in? That question is off the charts...

Edited May 24, 2005 by David G. Healy

[Pat Speer]

Thanks, David. I do find its wide-spread availability in the sixties to everyone but the American public a wee bit suspicious. You don't suppose Hoover and Clyde showed it at parties, do ya?

[Robin Unger]

Thanks, David.  I do find its wide-spread availability in the sixties to everyone but the American public a wee bit suspicious.  You don't suppose Hoover and Clyde showed it at parties, do ya?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Mr. Phillip Chamberlain's manuscript depicting events related to the handling and processing of the Zapruder films by Kodak in 1963. Original was written in the late 1970s. Cover note stipulates that he added footnote revisions following June 1997 discussions with Zavada and Blair.

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Zavada/zat1-13.pdf

Memorandum, letter Zapruder to Jackson 11/25/63, confirming he took the 8mm film of the Assassination and had it processed

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Zavada/zat1-1b.pdf

Continued here:

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Zavada/zat-1.htm

[David G. Healy]

Mr. Phillip Chamberlain's manuscript depicting events related to the handling and processing of the Zapruder films by Kodak in 1963. Original was written in the late 1970s. Cover note stipulates that he added footnote revisions following June 1997 discussions with Zavada and Blair.

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Zavada/zat1-13.pdf

you know, this guy Chamberlin when queried during Zavada's look see into the Zapruder film, wasn't sure how many optical prints were made/processed Nov 22nd '63, he seemed confident two was the number. Evidently he saw the light when interviewed or reinterviwed by 6th floor museum folk(s) he concluded it was three optical prints. I've been reviewing the Zavada report of late, I think it was in the annexes somewhere. I'll find the cite.

Just more conflicts surrounding the Zapruder film -- reminds me of Zapruder's business partner, he comments, as he recalled at one time: AND he wasn't sure, but, one film was given to LIFE immediately after the deal was struck on Saturday, the other (again, he wasn't sure) went to LIFE on Monday or Tuesday.

Memorandum, letter Zapruder to Jackson 11/25/63, confirming he took the 8mm film of the Assassination and had it processed

[...]

[David G. Healy]

Pat Speer wrote:

Thanks, David. I do find its wide-spread availability in the sixties to everyone but the American public a wee bit suspicious. You don't suppose Hoover and Clyde showed it at parties, do ya?

you know Pat, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if a copy of the film found it's way out west during J Edna's yearly horse racing junket - evidently he and of course a close CLOSE friend were housed at that notorious SoCal golf and resort enclave owned by the mob - the very same mob he, Hoover was sure didn't exist...

Hey Pat, while I've got you here - my apologies for getting off on the wrong foot with you, I made comments I shouldn't of made and apologize for same....

David Healy

[Pat Speer]

Hey Pat, while I've got you here - my apologies for getting off on the wrong foot with you, I made comments I shouldn't of made and apologize for same....

David Healy

[/b]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Apologies accepted. I tend to make blunt statements sometimes where I disregard the theories of others without considering that they have put as much time or more than myself into studying the assassination. We should be able to disagree and still be friendly. Which brings up the question: whatever happened to Mel Layton? I thought he was gonna be our resident lone-nutter...

[Robin Unger]

you know, this guy Chamberlin when queried during Zavada's look see into the Zapruder film, wasn't sure how many optical prints were made/processed Nov 22nd '63, he seemed confident two was the number. Evidently he saw the light when interviewed or reinterviwed by 6th floor museum folk(s) he concluded it was three optical prints. I've been reviewing the Zavada report of late, I think it was in the annexes somewhere. I'll find the cite.

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/Marsh/Zavada/Zavada_Report.html