The Zapruder Film Provenance

[Paul Rigby]

In this clip of CBS' Four Days in November below, Dan Rather describes at 5:25, CBS having had the film briefly at the time, but could not broadcast it for legal reasons. Assuming that would have been on Monday the 25th and the "legal reasons" would have been Zapruder's contract with Life...

Will,

I am as yet unable to verify the following, but I nevertheless pass it on for two reasons. First, the researcher concerned is reputable; and, second, because it dovetails neatly with an alternative history of the early days of the Z fake, one which matches contemporaneous evidence, and answers some otherwise perplexing questions about that history.

According to the aforementioned researcher, he has a kinescope of Rather on CBS TV on the evening of November 25. The available description of that Rather appearance is unlike anything to be found in either of the two readily available transcripts of Rather's descriptions of the Z fake on November 25.

The researcher states that Rather mentioned nothing whatever about "legal reasons" preventing him from showing the first version of the Z fake. To the contrary, Rather showed most of the film, describing the scene as it ran, up to the point of the head shot. At which point Rather looked into the camera and explained: "This is too gruesome for you to see so I just have to describe what is happening. There is a gunshot. John Kennedy is struck in the back of the head and thrown violently forward.”

If true - and I stress the "if" for the very good reason I haven't yet seen the kinescope in question - then the Rather narrative contained within Four Days in November is a retrospective fiction: The film, as a film, was not yet owned by Time-Life on the evening of November 25.

Paul

[Will Emaus]

In this clip of CBS' Four Days in November below, Dan Rather describes at 5:25, CBS having had the film briefly at the time, but could not broadcast it for legal reasons. Assuming that would have been on Monday the 25th and the "legal reasons" would have been Zapruder's contract with Life...

Will,

I am as yet unable to verify the following, but I nevertheless pass it on for two reasons. First, the researcher concerned is reputable; and, second, because it dovetails neatly with an alternative history of the early days of the Z fake, one which matches contemporaneous evidence, and answers some otherwise perplexing questions about that history.

According to the aforementioned researcher, he has a kinescope of Rather on CBS TV on the evening of November 25. The available description of that Rather appearance is unlike anything to be found in either of the two readily available transcripts of Rather's descriptions of the Z fake on November 25.

The researcher states that Rather mentioned nothing whatever about "legal reasons" preventing him from showing the first version of the Z fake. To the contrary, Rather showed most of the film, describing the scene as it ran, up to the point of the head shot. At which point Rather looked into the camera and explained: "This is too gruesome for you to see so I just have to describe what is happening. There is a gunshot. John Kennedy is struck in the back of the head and thrown violently forward.”

If true - and I stress the "if" for the very good reason I haven't yet seen the kinescope in question - then the Rather narrative contained within Four Days in November is a retrospective fiction: The film, as a film, was not yet owned by Time-Life on the evening of November 25.

Paul

Really? Wow, what a find that would be Paul!

[Will Emaus]

If true - and I stress the "if" for the very good reason I haven't yet seen the kinescope in question - then the Rather narrative contained within Four Days in November is a retrospective fiction: The film, as a film, was not yet owned by Time-Life on the evening of November 25.

Paul

Thinking about it, didn't Life's original print agreement preclude any showing of the film for 7 days, starting on the 23rd?

[Paul Rigby]

Thinking about it, didn't Life's original print agreement preclude any showing of the film for 7 days, starting on the 23rd?

I'm pretty sure all the various elements of the Zap/Time-Life agreements, the above included, were retrospectively "tweaked" to conform to the agreed lie we are today familiar with. Lifton's Pig on a Leash, full of prudent and productive scepticism in general, is richly suggestive on this subject.

Paul

[Will Emaus]

Thinking about it, didn't Life's original print agreement preclude any showing of the film for 7 days, starting on the 23rd?

I'm pretty sure all the various elements of the Zap/Time-Life agreements, the above included, were retrospectively "tweaked" to conform to the agreed lie we are today familiar with. Lifton's Pig on a Leash, full of prudent and productive scepticism in general, is richly suggestive on this subject.

Paul

Well hopefully what he's found is from the 25th, any possible legalities would be for CBS to worry about...

[William Kelly]

1) Who suggested to Abe Zapruder that he should do something he’s never done before and buy an 8mm home movie projector and film the president? Why did he do it?

I'm not sure that any of this is correct. I believe Zapruder either bought or was given his Bell and Howell camera. He or the family may have had the projector for some time.

2) After the film was developed at Kodak and three copies made at Jameson, where did they go? The A-1 Original stayed with Zapruder; B-1 Copy went to Life; B-2 Copy and B-3 Copy went to Secret Service. Who at Life and Who at SS physically took possession of the copies and where did they go with them? The SS agent should have filed a report on this. Is there such a report?

Dick Stolley took possession of the original on Saturday morning. Stolley said it was "couriered" to Chicago. I don't know if Stolley drove to Love Field and put it on an airplane. He might have asked Patsy Swank, his stringer in Dallas who found Zapruder for him, to do that. Or he might have done it through a courier service. I just don't know. Max Phillips took possession of two secret service copies Friday night and executed a receipt. I believe Phillips has even testified about this. Others might know. Stolley has spoken often about this and executed an oral history for the Sixth Floor Museum. What has never been looked into is what happened to the original after it reached Roy Rowan and the LIFE team at Donnelly Printing. We know LIFE used a Chicago photo lab to make black and white dupes for their use as they were assembling the next issue. Those dupes still exist and are in the Sixth Floor Museum.

3) If the Provenance – Chain of Custody was not broken, then we should be able to connect the dots and follow the film to where we know it was – Life Chicago; NPIC DC. Which copies went where, and who took them there?

Yes. No one has ever looked into the path the film took in Chicago. It would be very interesting to interview the people who actually worked with it in Chicago. What they did with it? When it was copied into dupe black and white? Etc. There is a whole field of investigation here that has never been touched. Somebody ought to do it.

4) If one set of still photos from the Z-film frames were used to make briefing boards with Dino Brugioni, and that set used to brief CIA director McCone, who was briefed with the other boards and who did the briefing?

Good question! I don't know the answer.

5) After Life purchased all the rights (on Saturday?) and obtained the A-1 Original, what did they do with it?

LIFE purchased only print rights on Saturday morning. See above where I explain that the original was flown to the Donnelly Printing Company in Chicago. Roy Rowan was there on a crash basis putting together the next week's issue.

6) How did the original get the two splices in it, who did it and how or

why did that happen, twice?

My understanding is that this happened in Chicago when they were rushing to put out the next week's issue. The film broke and some idiot lost a couple frames and then spliced it.

7) If there are frames missing from the original because of the splices, are the missing frames in the B-1,2,3 copies?

Yes, the socalled "missing frames" are in the copies. When a controversy developed in 1966 concerning the missing frames, LIFE used their copy to produce frames 208-211 and released those frames to news organizations and to me. I published them.

8) If the frames missing from the A-1 Original are in the copies, then the intersprocket images in the original frames are still missing? Or were they picked up from the editing room floor and are still in existence?

No. They're missing.

9) Was there ever a point after Life took possession of the A-1 Original when all four of the films came together again at the same place?

Not that I know of. The Secret Service used their copies to crank out additional copies for other agencies and themselves. Herb Orth took the original to Washington in early 1964 at the request of the Warren Commission but he would have left LIFE's other copy in New York. Hence, I don't think the original and the three copies ever were in the same place and the same time after two copies left Zapruder's possession and were give to Max Phillips on the night of the 22nd.

10) If the Original A-1 Z-film was put through an optical printer and tampered with then the film in optical printer would now be at the NARA A-2, and since it wasn’t filmed with Zapruder’s camera, but the optical printer’s camera, it should be compared with the two other films known to have been filmed in Zapruder’s camera and differences should be apparent, just as each gun barrel makes different marks on a bullet and each manual typewriter exhibits unique traits. Has this comparison been made? If not, why not?

Not that I know of. I'll let folks who know more about photography speak to this question.

[David G. Healy]

...

I'm not sure that any of this is correct. I believe Zapruder either bought or was given his Bell and Howell camera. He or the family may have had the projector for some time.

2) After the film was developed at Kodak and three copies made at Jameson, where did they go? The A-1 Original stayed with Zapruder; B-1 Copy went to Life; B-2 Copy and B-3 Copy went to Secret Service. Who at Life and Who at SS physically took possession of the copies and where did they go with them? The SS agent should have filed a report on this. Is there such a report?

...

from the Hollywood 7 thread...

There's also that Dallas KODAK lab *pesky* issue. That being, the phantom film process control #0184 date 11-22-1963... Let's see, the in-camera alleged Zapruder film process (developing) number was #0183, the 3 dupes made from same were numbered #0185, #0186, #0187..... so what happened to #0184?

Possibly another un-split 8mm Zapruder film 1st generation copy floating around? Would that (#0184) scenario would fit somewhere in the Zapruder film, NPIC, chain of custody fiasco?

[Paul Rigby]

Rather showed most of the film, describing the scene as it ran, up to the point of the head shot. At which point Rather looked into the camera and explained: "This is too gruesome for you to see so I just have to describe what is happening. There is a gunshot. John Kennedy is struck in the back of the head and thrown violently forward.”

That word "gruesome" again:

“By Tuesday, numerous pictures, both still and movie, were being offered to news media. At least one television station was besieged with protests after it had shown scenes of the President’s motorcade at the moment of the shooting. Many viewers considered them to be too gruesome.”

Rick Freedman, “Pictures of Assassination Fall to Amateurs on Street,” Editor & Publisher, November 30, 1963, p. 67

[William Kelly]

...

I'm not sure that any of this is correct. I believe Zapruder either bought or was given his Bell and Howell camera. He or the family may have had the projector for some time.

2) After the film was developed at Kodak and three copies made at Jameson, where did they go? The A-1 Original stayed with Zapruder; B-1 Copy went to Life; B-2 Copy and B-3 Copy went to Secret Service. Who at Life and Who at SS physically took possession of the copies and where did they go with them? The SS agent should have filed a report on this. Is there such a report?

...

from the Hollywood 7 thread...

There's also that Dallas KODAK lab *pesky* issue. That being, the phantom film process control #0184 date 11-22-1963... Let's see, the in-camera alleged Zapruder film process (developing) number was #0183, the 3 dupes made from same were numbered #0185, #0186, #0187..... so what happened to #0184?

Possibly another un-split 8mm Zapruder film 1st generation copy floating around? Would that (#0184) scenario would fit somewhere in the Zapruder film, NPIC, chain of custody fiasco?

Yes, David,

Determining what that film was of and what became of it certainly is an answerable question.

I want to know the identity of the Secret Sevice agent who physicallyl took possession of the Z-film(s) from Zapruder, who was he?

BK

[William Kelly]

The Official Zapruder Film Time Line

(Thanks Gary)

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:Y-ymFePtKNoJ:www.jfk.org/go/collections/about/zapruder-film-chronology+www.jfk.org/go/collections/about/zapruder-film-chronology+-&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

(Times are approximate, unless noted with an *)

November 22, 1963

12:25 p.m.

As tens of thousands of people greeted President Kennedy in downtown Dallas, Abraham Zapruder filmed two of his employees waiting near a grassy knoll just a block from Jennifer Juniors, Zapruder's clothing company. Receptionist Marilyn Sitzman waved to the camera as payroll clerk Beatrice Hester sat with her husband, Charles, on a nearby bench. "Mr. Z" then climbed atop a concrete abutment and waited. Sitzman supported him in case Zapruder became dizzy. He stood 65 feet from the center of Elm Street.

12:30 p.m.*

Zapruder filmed the Kennedy limousine after it turned onto Elm Street and captured the entire assassination—the only photographer to do so. He used a Bell & Howell Model 414PD Zoomatic Director Series camera with a Varamat 9-27mm f1.8 zoom lens, set for full close-up. Its 8mm Kodachrome II color film moved through the camera at an average speed of 18.3 frames per second, as determined by later tests.

Zapruder continued filmed after the shooting, which took less than 10 seconds. He and Sitzman jumped down and walked into the shelter of a nearby pergola as the Hesters crouched on the grass. Zapruder and Sitzman soon became separated.

12:40 p.m.

Reporter Harry McCormick of the Dallas Morning News, having raced from the Dallas Trade Mart where Kennedy was headed, noticed Zapruder in Dealey Plaza and learned what happened. Zapruder would speak only with federal investigators, so McCormick said he would contact Forrest Sorrels, the head of the Dallas Secret Service office, for him.

12:45 p.m.

Dallas Times Herald reporter Darwin Payne ran to nearby Dealey Plaza after getting word of the shooting. He heard of Zapruder and his film from two of his employees (probably Sitzman and Hester) standing outside the Texas School Book Depository. Payne then went to Zapruder's office across the street for an interview.

12:50 p.m.

Payne interviewed Zapruder and tried to get publication rights for the newspaper.

1:15 p.m.

McCormick arrived with Sorrels and headed to Zapruder's office. When Payne objected to the competing reporter's exclusive presence, McCormick and Payne were ejected. Zapruder offered to get Sorrels a copy of his film.

1:45 p.m.

Zapruder, his business partner, Erwin Schwartz, and McCormick and Sorrels departed for the nearby Dallas Morning News to develop the film. Payne was left behind.

2:00 p.m.

Since the Dallas Morning News had no film-processing capability, the foursome walked next door to Dallas' ABC network affiliate, WFAA-TV (which was co-owned with the Dallas Morning News).

2:20 p.m.

WFAA assistant news director and chief photographer Bert Shipp called Kodak, asking them to process the 8mm color film, since the station had only 16mm black-and-white film equipment.

2:31 p.m.*

Zapruder appeared live on ABC and WFAA with WFAA's program director, Jay Watson, while Schwartz stood nearby holding the camera with the film.

2:40 p.m.

Zapruder, Schwartz, and Sorrels, riding in a Dallas police car, arrived at the Kodak lab near Dallas Love Field about the time Air Force One took off for Washington with Kennedy's body.

4:00 p.m.

Kodak personnel, using a special viewer, watched the film once to determine if the processing was correct. Kodak manager Phil Chamberlain then declined to show it again for fear of accidental damage.

4:30 p.m.

Since Kodak had no facilities to make copies, Zapruder and Schwartz drove to Jamieson Films in Dallas to have prints made for investigators. Only three rolls of film were available at either Kodak or Jamieson.

6:00 p.m.

Zapruder and Schwartz returned to Kodak to have the prints processed and made available for projection.

10:00 p.m.

Schwartz and Zapruder delivered two prints to Sorrels. Sorrels asked them to take one to the Dallas Naval Air Station in nearby Grand Prairie, where a jet was immediately dispatched to take the print to FBI investigators in Washington, D.C.

11:00 p.m.

Life magazine's Pacific Bureau editor, Richard Stolley, who immediately flew from Los Angeles to Dallas after hearing of the assassination, reached Zapruder at his home by phone and arranged to meet in his office at 9:00 a.m. the next day.

November 23, 1963

8:00 a.m.

Stolley arrived at Zapruder's office an hour early and waited.

9:00 a.m.

Zapruder screened the film for Secret Service agents, then met with Stolley and agreed to sell only print rights of the film to Life. He expressed concern that the film not be exploited. Stolley left with the original film, which was couriered to Life's editorial office and printing center in Chicago (Zapruder kept the remaining print). Life personnel examined the film to decide which frames to publish. At some point, they accidentally damaged the original film in two places, and six frames were removed, leaving visible splice marks.

November 24, 1963

A second color home movie, made by Charles Bronson—from one block away and showing the fatal shot to Kennedy—was dropped off at Kodak with a note that the film included the assassination. FBI agents watched the film with Bronson the next afternoon but found nothing of importance to their investigation.

November 25, 1963

Life publisher C.D. Jackson, after viewing a copy of the Zapruder film in New York, instructed Stolley to purchase remaining television and movie rights for a price that eventually reached $150,000 plus royalties; the purchase included Zapruder's copy of the film made in Dallas the afternoon of the assassination. Zapruder donated the first $25,000 to the widow of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit, who was killed 45 minutes after the assassination when he stopped Lee Harvey Oswald in the Dallas suburb of Oak Cliff.

A third color home movie, filmed by Marie Muchmore and showing the fatal shot from a different angle, was purchased by United Press International (UPI), processed in Dallas at Kodak and flown to New York City. A description of the film's contents with several color frames was sent to UPI subscribers, and the entire film appeared the following day on WNEW-TV in New York City.

November 27, 1963

UPI and the Associated Press (AP) obtained rights from Life magazine to distribute seven frames of the Zapruder film to subscriber newspapers and magazines around the world to promote Life's new issue, which included many additional frames.

November 28, 1963

Zapruder granted a brief radio interview to Don Michel of WRAL in Anna, Illinois.

November 29, 1963

Life published 31 black-and-white frames in its quickly revamped weekly issue, then printed nine frames in color two weeks later in a special memorial edition.

December 1, 1963

A fourth color home movie, filmed by Orville Nix, of the fatal shot was processed and loaned to the FBI in Dallas. Nix sold the film to UPI in New York five days later.

December 4, 1963

The FBI borrowed Zapruder's camera for testing. On December 20, the bureau concluded, "This camera when operated at normal 'run' speed operates at 18.3 frames per second." This "clock" was later used to determine the timing of specific events as seen in the film.

January 27, 1964

Warren Commission members studied copies of the Zapruder film for a week with members of the FBI and the Secret Service.

February 25, 1964

Life showed the original film several times to Warren Commission, FBI and Secret Service personnel, and then offered to make 35mm color slides of frames 171-334, which covered what was thought to be all of the assassination.

May 23-24, 1964

The Warren Commission conducted a series of field study tests with the Zapruder camera in Dealey Plaza. Following the tests, on June 23, the camera was returned to Bell & Howell, who had offered to exchange it with Zapruder for a newer model.

October 2, 1964

Life's Warren Report issue, which came out just one week after the report's release, featured several color frames from the film, including one of the gruesome head shot. Shortly after the press run began, Life stopped the presses and replaced that frame with one that was much less graphic. Not long after resuming the press run, Life changed the new frame's caption, resulting in another costly shutdown.

November 30, 1964

The Warren Commission published 26 volumes of evidence, with black-and-white reproductions of frames 171-334, including the area between the sprocket holes not normally seen when projected. The Government Printing Office printed approximately 3,500 sets.

1964

Following the release of the Warren Report and 26 volumes of evidence, the Secret Service produced a 22-minute educational film titled, Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The film was made in cooperation with the Dallas Police Department and Chief Jesse Curry and included Secret Service special agents John Joe Howlett and Talmadge Bailey. Dallas CBS affiliate KRLD provided production facilities. The film was supervised by KRLD news director Eddie Barker, narrated by Jim Underwood and filmed by Underwood and Henk Dewit. The film included re-creations of the motorcade route, the assassin's actions immediately after the shooting and a black-and-white version of the Zapruder film copy held by the Secret Service.

November 22, 1966

Freelance New York reporter Marvin Scott interviewed Zapruder in Dallas about his film and the assassination. In 2003, Scott donated his original tapes of the interview—which include an interview with Zapruder's receptionist, Marilyn Sitzman—to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

November 25, 1966

Life magazine questioned the Warren Report, asking "Did Oswald Act Alone? A Matter of Reasonable Doubt." The black magazine cover featured all of Zapruder frame 230.

December 7, 1966

After testing the camera's average running speed, which matched the FBI's earlier measurement of 18.3 frames per second, Bell & Howell donated the Zapruder camera and carrying case to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

May 15, 1967

Time Inc., parent company of Life magazine, registered a copyright on the original Zapruder film.

June 26, 1967

Zapruder appeared in part two of the television special, CBS News Inquiry: The Warren Report, in an interview with Dallas newsman Eddie Barker filmed in Dealey Plaza.

February 1968

Life hired a New Jersey film lab, Technical Animations, to make a 35mm film copy of the original 8mm Zapruder film. Vice President and General Manager Moses Weitzman made several copies, gave the best one to Life and kept the rejects.

February 13, 1969

In New Orelans, Zapruder testified for the prosecution in the Jim Garrison investigation into a possible Kennedy conspiracy involving Clay Shaw. During the film's first public showing, Zapruder confirmed its authenticity. Garrison showed the film to the jury 10 times.

February 14, 1969

In an evening news program, Los Angeles station KTLA aired a copy of the Zapruder film, narrated by anchor Hal Fishman. The broadcast included reports of the day's testimony in the Clay Shaw trial in New Orleans.

December 26, 1969

Life magazine published another frame from the film in a special double issue about the 1960s.

1969

Technical Animations employee Robert Groden copied a Weitzman print and stored it in a bank vault. Over the next six years, using an optical printer, he made multiple copies with special effects, such as close-ups and repositioning, to remove shakiness and improve clarity.

August 30, 1970

Abraham Zapruder died of cancer in Dallas.

June 1974

Time Inc. asked the National Archives if it would be interested in acquiring the film as a donation. Legal complications prevented further discussions.

January 31, 1975

Groden premiered his enhanced film at a conference at Boston University, sponsored by the conspiracy-oriented Assassination Information Bureau. The showing caused a sensation.

February 1975

Groden showed his enhanced film to the Rockefeller Commission looking into CIA activities. Also present was David Belin, executive director of the Rockefeller Commission and former Warren Commission counsel.

March 6, 1975

ABC News reporter Geraldo Rivera convinced network executives to show Groden's version of the film on his weekly Good Night America talk show. It was the first time the film appeared on network television. Many believed the backward movement of the president's head and upper body "proved" the fatal shot came from the front, not from behind in the Texas School Book Depository.

April 9, 1975

Time, Inc. transferred the copyright and film to the Zapruder family. Two days later, the family—widow Lillian, son Henry and daughter Myrna—formed the LMH Company to manage the film. Shortly afterward, NARA agreed to store the film as a courtesy.

April 15, 1975

Virginia congressman Thomas Downing and others watched Groden's copy of the film and two days later introduced a resolution that led to the creation of a House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) 17 months later. The HSCA re-examined the JFK and Martin Luther King, Jr. murders, concluding both were probably the result of conspiracies, but that Lee Harvey Oswald and James Earl Ray were the respective assassins.

November 25, 1975

Starting with a CBS News special and followed by a 1980 BBC documentary produced by journalist Anthony Summers, the Zapruder film—and still frames from it—was licensed for occasional news and documentary use.

1991

Director Oliver Stone's dramatization of the discredited Garrison investigation in the movie JFK revived doubts about the assassination, and the big-screen Zapruder images contributed to further questions about withheld evidence.

Responding to public outcry over government secrecy surrounding parts of the assassination, Congress passed a bill—known as the JFK Act—creating an Assassination Records Review Board (ARRB) to oversee the release of all classified federal records about all aspects of the assassination and subsequent investigations.

March 1993

The Zapruder family sought the return of the original film from NARA.

October 1994

The Zapruder family again asked for the return of the film, but NARA declined, citing the 1992 JFK Act.

1995

Responding to public testimony, the ARRB voted to obtain and release all documents connected with the assassination, whether in public hands or private.

May 1996

The ARRB met to discuss photographic records relating to the assassination and the Zapruder film, specifically.

June 1996

The ARRB met with the Eastman Kodak Company to seek scientific advice and analysis of the Zapruder film and other photographic records.

September 1996

Kodak scientists James Milch and Roland Zavada examined the original Zapruder film and two first-generation copies at NARA for the ARRB.

November 1996

The Zapruder camera was loaned from the National Archives to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. The camera was displayed for five years as part of the Museum's "The Photographers and The Evidence" exhibition.

December 1996

Zavada prepared a preliminary findings report and met with the ARRB.

March 1997

Doug Horne of the ARRB staff presented a description report of all Zapruder film copies held by NARA.

April 1997

The ARRB declared the Zapruder film an assassination record and moved to acquire it under constitutional guidelines requiring fair compensation to the owner. Complications arose when appraisers estimated the film's value in the millions of dollars.

April 2, 1997

The ARRB held a public hearing for recommendations concerning about the original Zapruder film and the possibility of confiscating the film.

April 24, 1997

The ARRB decided unanimously to confiscate the film by designating it an assassination record.

June-July 1997

The ARRB met with five former Dallas Kodak lab employees to verify how the film was handled and processed the day of the assassination.

August 1997

Kodak rehired retired scientist Zavada to oversee and prepare a study of the film and final report for the ARRB. Kodak representatives met with the ARRB to finalize responsibilities and fees, and they eventually donated $11,000 worth of time and expertise for Zapruder film analyses.

September 1997

Zavada conducted a second examination of the original Zapruder film and copies held by NARA.

July 13, 1998

The Zapruder film, in a newly restored and digital format, debuted as a documentary video produced by MPI Home Video, in cooperation with the Zapruder family. Researchers complained that the images were distorted due to analog-to-digital production errors.

August 1, 1998

Ownership of the Zapruder film was officially transferred to the JFK collection at NARA as established by the JFK Act, but the Zapruder family retained all copyrights.

September 25, 1998

Zavada's lengthy final report authenticating the film as being the camera-original was presented to the ARRB.

August 3, 1999

A special arbitration panel of the Justice Department awarded $16 million plus interest to the Zapruder family as compensation for the government's acquisition of the film.

December 30, 1999

The Zapruder family donated their collection of Zapruder films and photographs, along with all copyrights to the film, to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza.

Edited February 28, 2010 by William Kelly

[William Kelly]

The Official Zapruder Film Time Line

(Thanks Gary)

http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:Y-ymFe...=clnk&gl=us

Friday, November 22, 1963

10:00 p.m.

Schwartz and Zapruder delivered two prints to Sorrels. Sorrels asked them to take one to the Dallas Naval Air Station in nearby Grand Prairie, where a jet was immediately dispatched to take the print to FBI investigators in Washington, D.C.

Saturday, November 23, 1963

8:00 a.m.

Stolley arrived at Zapruder's office an hour early and waited.

9:00 a.m.

Zapruder screened the film for Secret Service agents, then met with Stolley and agreed to sell only print rights of the film to Life. He expressed concern that the film not be exploited. Stolley left with the original film, which was couriered to Life's editorial office and printing center in Chicago (Zapruder kept the remaining print). Life personnel examined the film to decide which frames to publish. At some point, they accidentally damaged the original film in two places, and six frames were removed, leaving visible splice marks.

[William Kelly]

Unofficial Zapruder Film Timelines

http://www.kenrahn.com/JFK/issues_and_evidence/zapruder_film/alteration_of_z_film/Why_Z_film_is_authentic-Thompson.html

NOVEMBER 22, 1963

8:00 am

Abraham Zapruder arrives at the offices of Jennifer Juniors. Marilyn Sitzman and Lillian Rogers persuade him to retrieve his 8 mm. movie camera from his home.

11:30 am

Zapruder returns to his office after retrieving his camera.

12:30 pm

Zapruder films the assassination from a pedestal in Dealey Plaza.

12:45 pm

Zapruder returns to his office and locks the camera in his safe.

1:30 pm

Reporter Harry McCormick takes Secret Service Agent Forrest Sorrels to Zapruder's office. Emotionally upset, Zapruder agrees to furnish Sorrels with a copy of his film - if Sorrels will agree that the copy is only for use by the Secret Service and that it would not be shown or given to any media. Sorrels agrees.

1:45 pm

Together with Zapruder's partner, Irwin Schwartz, Sorrels, McCormick and Zapruder drive to Dallas Morning News. Since they can't process the film, they walk to WFAA-TV. Zapruder is interviewed live; Schwartz is photographed with the camera.

2:15 pm

A police car takes Sorrels, Schwartz, Zapruder and McCormick to the Kodak plant. Zapruder makes arrangements for the processing of the film. Phil Willis meets Sorrels at the Kodak plant and also agrees to furnish the Secret Service with copies of his 35 mm. slides. Sorrels gets a phone call and leaves for Dallas Police Headquarters.

3:15 pm (est.)

The processed film is shown to fifteen to eighteen people. To have copies made, Zapruder must take camera original to Jamieson Company.

4:00 pm (est.)

Zapruder has three (3) copies made by the Jamieson Company. He requests affidavit that no more copies were made.

4:30 pm (est.)

Zapruder returns to Kodak plant with the original and three (3) copies. He has the three (3) copies processed and requests affidavits from Kodak personnel that only three (3) copies were processed.

Afternoon

Richard Stolley and Tommy Thompson of LIFE fly in from Los Angeles. LIFE stringers Patsy Swank and Holland McCombs learn that Zapruder has film of the assassination. Forrest Sorrels receives two of the three first generation copies and assures Zapruder they will be used only for official purposes by the Secret Service.

Evening

Stolley sets up offices in the Adolphus Hotel and begins calling Zapruder's home at fifteen minute intervals. Zapruder, shaken by the day's events, drives aimlessly around Dallas.

9:55 pm

Secret Service Agent Max Phillips sends one of the two copies to Secret Service Chief Rowley in Washington, D.C. In an accompanying note, Phillips says that "Mr. Zapruder is in custody of the 'master' film."

11:00 pm

Stolley reaches Zapruder at home and asks to come out and view the film. Zapruder declines. They agree to meet the next morning at 9:00am at Zapruder's office.

NOVEMBER 23

8:00 am

Stolley is waiting at Zapruder's office when Zapruder arrives. The film is screened for Stolley. Stolley agrees that LIFE will pay Zapruder $50,000 in two installments for print rights to the film. Stolley leaves with the original and perhaps the remaining copy. The original is sent to Chicago where the LIFE editorial staff has assembled to prepare the new issue to be on the newsstands the following Tuesday, November 26th. During the preparation of black and white copies, the original is broken in several places by photo technicians. Splices are made.

At some time this weekend, a copy of the film is sent to New York where it is viewed by C.D. Jackson, publisher of LIFE. Jackson decides to acquire all rights to the film and so instructs Stolley.

Evening

Since copies cannot be made in Dallas, Gordon Shanklin, FBI SAIC in Dallas, is instructed to send the copy the FBI obtained from Sorrels by commercial flight to Washington, D.C. Shanklin does so, at the same time requesting that the FBI Lab make three, second-generation copies, one for Washington and two for the Dallas Field Office.

NOVEMBER 24

Zapruder may have screened the film for Forrest Sorrels and other law enforcement agents.

NOVEMBER 25

Morning

Stolley meets with Zapruder in the offices of Zapruder's lawyer. The negotiations end with LIFE purchasing world-wide rights to the film for $150,000.

During these negotiations, Dan Rather is shown the film. He neglects to make an immediate bid but elects to check with New York first. During a radio broadcast with Richard C. Hottelet and Hughes Rudd, Rather describes the film which he has "just returned from seeing." Later that day, Rather describes his viewing of the film on the CBS Evening News. Rather could only have seen this film at this time if Zapruder had retained one copy and provided Stolley with only the original the previous Saturday.

NOVEMBER 26

Morning

LIFE begins newsstand distribution of the November 29th issue. At the same time, various LIFE editors order up prints of the film for viewing in their offices. I was shown one of these in October 1966. Since control was lax, bootleg copies began to circulate.

What emerges from this chronology is a single important fact: At no time during this hectic weekend did the original of the film ever leave the custody and control of Abraham Zapruder and LIFE magazine. Two first-generation copies were provided to Forrest Sorrels of the Secret Service in the late afternoon of November 22nd . One of these copies was shipped to Washington that night. The other was turned over to the FBI and sent by commercial air to Washington the next day. But the original stayed with Zapruder until the morning of November 23rd when Dick Stolley walked out of Zapruder's office with it under his arm. That original remained under LIFE's custody and control until it was given back to Zapruder's family in the 1970s.

But how do we know that LIFE did not conspire in the alteration of the film? As it is impossible to prove any negative, so it is impossible to prove this negative. But there is no shred of evidence that it happened. On Monday, November 25th, many millions of LIFE magazine copies went into the mails to subscribers with black and white frames from the film, and, about the same time, copies of the film began appearing in editors' offices. Had the conspiratorial alteration of the film by LIFE and the government already taken place? If not, it would have been too late. With unknown

Zapruder Film Timeline

22 Nov 63

12:30P CST

JFK shot; Zapruder films it

o Zapruder returns to his office in Dal-Tex Bldg

o Zapruder calls Dallas FBI office

o Zapruder took his camera to WFAA-TV in the hope that they could process the film (they couldn't)

o Zapruder was interviewed on air by Jay Watson

o Forrest V. Sorrels, head of Secret Service in Dallas accompanied Zapruder from the interview

o Zapruder 's film was taken to Eastman Kodak lab across from Love Field for processing

o film was developed using K-14 process

o processing took 1.75 hours

o Zapruder and Sorrells went to Jamieson Film Co. on Bryant St. in Dallas who made 3 copies (contact prints) of the original film

(Shaeffer's opinion that a Bell & Howell model J made the contact prints rather than optical prints. An optical printer omits any photographic scenery in the sprocket hole area; a contact printer does not. However, Bruce Jamieson told author Noel Twyman the copies were made with an optical printer).

4:00P CST

o Copies completed.

6:00P CST

o Richard Stolley of Life Magazine learned of the Z film from part time Life reporter Patsy Swank who called him from DPD headquarters.

o Stolley began calling Zapruder 's residence in 15 minute intervals finally reaching him at 11:00P CST

9:30P EST

o The original film and at least 1 copy are flown from Love Field in Dallas to Andrews AFB in Camp Springs Md, 1,307 miles away.

10:00P EST

o The films are taken to the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) in Suitland Md, 8 miles from Andrews AFB.

o CIA then had the film and re-processed it -- the original was reviewed and at least partially edited

o A modified camera having similar characteristics to Zapruder's Bell & Howell camera made a duplicate copy to replace the original.

o 3 copies were made using a standard optical printer

23 Nov 63

3:00A EST

o Editing and copying completed at NPIC

3:20A EST

o Films depart Andrews AFB

6:40A CST

o Films arrive @ Love Field in Dallas

7:00A CST

o Films arrive at Zapruder's office

8:00A CST

o Stolley arrived at Zapruder 's office an hour early; buys certain rights to the Z film for Life Magazine

9:00A CST

o Zapruder Film was shown at Zapruder 's office by the Secret Service to a small press corps including Dan Rather of CBS and reps from the Saturday Evening Post and the Associated Press.

10:00A CST

o Stolley left Zapruder 's office with the duplicate original and 1 copy and sent them to the R R Donnelly Graphics Co Life lab in Chicago

The above is based on introductory material in a paper presented in Assassination Science pp. 221-238 written by Mike Pincher© and Roy Schaeffer© I developed a chronology of the Zapruder film for 22-23 Nov 63.

Rich DellaRosa

Board Admin

JFKresearch Assassination Forum

http://www.jfkresearch.com/jfk/gindex.html

Edited February 28, 2010 by William Kelly

[William Kelly]

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film

This is my retyping of a document that apparently accompanied the release of the yellow legal pads and remaining NPIC briefing boards to the Church Committee and/or ARRB.

What does anybody make of it?

Are they talking about either of the two Z-film jobs done at NPIC on the weekend of the assassination? Sounds like the first one - with Brugioni to me.

And if this is page 14 - what is a part of where's the rest of it?

Thanks to Chris Scally for this one.

BK

P. 14

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film:

In late 1963, the Secret Service brought a copy of the Zapruder film to Director McCone and asked to have the film analyzed technically, particularly with regard to anything

That could be learned from the film concerning elapsed time between rifle shots.

A laboratory at the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) was made available for the analysis late that some night. The film was analyzed in individual stop frames, and two sets of four briefing boards each were prepared by NPIC. Because the film had been taken in a spring-powered movie camera, it was not possible to determine precise time between shots without access to the camera to time the rate of spring run-down. We assume the Secret Service informed the Warren Commission about anything of value resulting from our technical analysis of the film, but we have no direct knowledge that they did so.

Secret Service representatives were present during the process of analysis and took the film and one set of briefing boards away with them that night. Mr. McCone retained one set of boards. The set was controlled carefully; very few people saw it. It was retired to a CIA records storage facility subsequently. This set has been recalled from storage and can be made available if required.

Blacked out square at the bottom middle of the page.

Edited March 4, 2010 by William Kelly

[Will Emaus]

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film

This is my retyping of a document that apparently accompanied the release of the yellow legal pads and remaining NPIC briefing boards to the Church Committee and/or ARRB.

What does anybody make of it?

Are they talking about either of the two Z-film jobs done at NPIC on the weekend of the assassination? Sounds like the first one - with Brugioni to me.

And if this is page 14 - what is a part of where's the rest of it?

Thanks to Chris Scally for this one.

BK

P. 14

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film:

In late 1963, the Secret Service brought a copy of the Zapruder film to Director McCone and asked to have the film analyzed technically, particularly with regard to anything

That could be learned from the film concerning elapsed time between rifle shots.

A laboratory at the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) was made available for the analysis late that some night. The film was analyzed in individual stop frames, and two sets of four briefing boards each were prepared by NPIC. Because the film had been taken in a spring-powered movie camera, it was not possible to determine precise time between shots without access to the camera to time the rate of spring run-down. We assume the Secret Service informed the Warren Commission about anything of value resulting from our technical analysis of the film, but we have no direct knowledge that they did so.

Secret Service representatives were present during the process of analysis and took the film and one set of briefing boards away with them that night. Mr. McCone retained one set of boards. The set was controlled carefully; very few people saw it. It was retired to a CIA records storage facility subsequently. This set has been recalled from storage and can be made available if required.

Blacked out square at the bottom middle of the page.

Bill, this seems pretty similar to Brugioni's account...

DB-He also said that the Secret Service was vitally interested in timing how many seconds occurred between various frames, and that Ralph Pearse informed them, to their surprise and dismay, that this would be a useless procedure because the Bell and Howell movie camera (that they told him had taken the movie) was a spring-wound camera, with a constantly varying operating speed, and that while he could certainly time the number of seconds between various frames if they so desired, that in his view it was an unscientific and useless procedure which would provide bad data, and lead to false conclusions, or words to that effect. Nevertheless, at the request of the two Secret Service agents, Ralph Pearse dutifully used a stopwatch to time the number of seconds between various frames of interest to their Secret Service customers.

[William Kelly]

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film

This is my retyping of a document that apparently accompanied the release of the yellow legal pads and remaining NPIC briefing boards to the Church Committee and/or ARRB.

What does anybody make of it?

Are they talking about either of the two Z-film jobs done at NPIC on the weekend of the assassination? Sounds like the first one - with Brugioni to me.

And if this is page 14 - what is a part of where's the rest of it?

Thanks to Chris Scally for this one.

BK

P. 14

Addendum to comment on Zapruder film:

In late 1963, the Secret Service brought a copy of the Zapruder film to Director McCone and asked to have the film analyzed technically, particularly with regard to anything

That could be learned from the film concerning elapsed time between rifle shots.

A laboratory at the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) was made available for the analysis late that same night. The film was analyzed in individual stop frames, and two sets of four briefing boards each were prepared by NPIC. Because the film had been taken in a spring-powered movie camera, it was not possible to determine precise time between shots without access to the camera to time the rate of spring run-down. We assume the Secret Service informed the Warren Commission about anything of value resulting from our technical analysis of the film, but we have no direct knowledge that they did so.

Secret Service representatives were present during the process of analysis and took the film and one set of briefing boards away with them that night. Mr. McCone retained one set of boards. The set was controlled carefully; very few people saw it. It was retired to a CIA records storage facility subsequently. This set has been recalled from storage and can be made available if required.

Blacked out square at the bottom middle of the page.

Bill, this seems pretty similar to Brugioni's account...

DB-He also said that the Secret Service was vitally interested in timing how many seconds occurred between various frames, and that Ralph Pearse informed them, to their surprise and dismay, that this would be a useless procedure because the Bell and Howell movie camera (that they told him had taken the movie) was a spring-wound camera, with a constantly varying operating speed, and that while he could certainly time the number of seconds between various frames if they so desired, that in his view it was an unscientific and useless procedure which would provide bad data, and lead to false conclusions, or words to that effect. Nevertheless, at the request of the two Secret Service agents, Ralph Pearse dutifully used a stopwatch to time the number of seconds between various frames of interest to their Secret Service customers.

I agree Will,

But why do they say "late 1963"? and "late that same night"?

Brugioni's event took place on the weekend of the assassination, probably on Saturday, as Zapruder delievered the SS copy to a jet at the Grand Prarie Naval Air Station at 10 PM Friday night, so it was in DC by midnight.

Lundahl briefed McCone on their analysis of the Z-film with the briefing boards early the next day. But when McCone went to brief LBJ, who was with McGeorge Bundy in the Situation Room, LBJ didn't want to be briefed and waved him off. There was nothing McCone could tell LBJ at that point that he needed to know. Especially the fact that the Zapruder film indicated there were two shooters and thus a conspiracy.

So when RFK crosses paths with McCone, after already accusing McCone's Cuban boys of being behind the murder, he looks McCone in the eye and asks for an honest report, and McCone tells him there were two shooters, based on Lundahl's analysis and briefing.

That's how and why RFK told Arthur Schlesinger that the FBI said there was no conspiracy, but the "CIA said there were two shooters."

That's what I believe was the conclusion of Lundahl's briefing - that the Z film indicates two shooters, and McCone was not given the opportunity to pass that on to LBJ, who didn't want to hear it.

BK