Zapruder Film Conspiracy

[Lee Forman]

Andrew & John - any help in getting my inability to upload files remedied?

Operation Dallas: Construct

The construct within which I work to understand the events in Dallas can be summarized as follows: a full scale 'Black Operation' in which multiple organizations and groups were brought to Dealey Plaza, many in typical covert 'compartmentalized' fashion [e.g. ref: Larry Hancock’s ‘Someone would have talked’ – Noel Tyman/Roy Hargraves interview, pages 274 – 275]. This suggests that of the actual players in Dealey Plaza, very few had total control or comprehension of the overall plan. There is strong evidence to indicate that multiple operations may have been meshed, with conflicting results [eg: the death of Officer Tippit, the stabbing/shooting of someone in the vicinity of the retaining wall and bloody pools]. The total number of operatives present in Dealey Plaza on 11/22/63 IMO, is greater than 25.

The major locations used by the operation, which have been uncovered to date, include the stairs at Elm Street, the retaining wall, the pergola, behind the picket fence, both sides of Elm for signalmen, the TSBD 6th floor, the doorway at the TSBD, the DalTex building, and the North Peristyle. Understand that this list is most likely not comprehensive - it's what can readily be identified using the existing photos and films.

Functions of the Operatives:

The functions of these operatives were many, but can be boiled down to a limited number, for the basis of this argument: Coordinator, Signalman, Radio Operator, Spotter, Transporter, Security, Shooter and Recorder.

Someday I hope to be able to address the ‘Signalman,’ but of the roles detailed above, the most significant, and the one I intend to expand on, is the role of the 'Recorder.'

Recording the Assassination

As anyone who may have followed any of my pasts posts may have seen, I have found evidence of cameras in multiple locations in the various films and photos. Note: 'Cameras' plural. They are in many locations. Duncan MacRae, Ed O'Hagen and Jim Hamilton had also located cameras, lending credence to my own beliefs and analyses.

As I have indicated in the past elsewhere, the camera lens is readily visible, when turned towards the camera capturing the subject. The lens gives off a concentrated and brilliant refraction, which is in itself an interesting phenomenon, worthy of further study. I'm not sufficiently technically astute concerning this effect to be capable of explaining it any further - but it does make locating the cameras somewhat easier, with the drawback of often obscuring many of the details of the individual in possession of the camera [many times the face].

Add to this the fact that certain inviduals have seen an 'other' film of the assassination. Based upon some very limited research into this factor, it appears that there may be more than one 'other' film. However, the subject of this 'other' film, or films, appears to have been the same as with the Zapruder film - the Motorcade and Kennedy.

Here's where it begins to get interesting. In speaking with Ed O'Hagen, it appeared evident that we were in agreement on a very bizarre detail concerning the cameras in Dealey Plaza - they are not all pointing in the direction of the motorcade. This had troubled me before, but it wasn't until Ed and I began talking about it when I decided to take a closer look.

Here's an example I have posted elsewhere before. I went through a few enhancements, but this one seems the most clear. I can, of course, demonstrate this fact with other frames and other films [Muchmore, for example]. This is an enlargement taken from the area of the retaining wall in Nix.

Note: This man, as an example, is not seeking to follow the motorcade at all.

[Attachment One - From Nix419, enhanced and enlarged Cameraman pointing over retaining wall towards North Peristyle area]

In tandem with this analysis, I was also responding on this Forum concerning the 'triangulation' of fire. Based upon all of my observations, this was incorrect. The 'triangle' idea was outdated, and required revision, based upon my discovery of operatives in the North Peristyle location.

I arrived at another interesting observation: If the main signalman, the leader of the operation, was indeed 'Dark Complected Man,' a.k.a. 'The Assistant' -- then this individual would need to be visible from all locations. If this theory was implausible, then an initial signaling point would have been required, in the neighborhood of Houston and Elm. I very much am of the opinion that both electronic and manual means of signalling/communication were in use.

Without going off too far into this tangent, this concept helped me to recognize an interesting coincidence regarding the cameras and their locations. It appears, from what I can tell, their main subject was not the Kennedy or the Motorcade, instead, they appear to have been recording one another.

While I cannot support every location recorded, I can theorize at a minimum, that one individual with a camera at the North Peristyle was focused on the Knoll. Another camera at the North Peristyle appears to be panning and capturing the location of DCM. One camera behind the retaining wall appears to have been recording the North Peristyle team. Another camera on the steps appears to have been focused in the vicinity of the DalTex. What may be a cameraman at the DalTex fire escape appears to be getting a very good view of the plaza in general. I also believe it may be possible to make out a camera in the window of the TSBD [in one of Moorman's polaroids, or the Bell film, or Cancellare?], but admittedly, this needs work. If the theory holds true, then there would have been a camera present in the TSBD [aside from the one held by Elsie Dorman on the 4th floor].

I wanted to have an attachment here on the gif I created for the North Peristyle camera crew - using Zapruder - but it's almost a mb, and I can't cut it down. I tried to create a webpage to support the gif. Hope it works.

[Attachment Two - zfilm - stabilized, saturation removed, tone and contrast enhanced, enlarged and animated]

http://home.comcast.net/~lforman23/Enhancement.htm

The camera lenses are like small balls of fire - that about all I can do to describe them. You can see the man in the corner panning to his right. The light projects from the lens and actually distorts his head.

The man to his right is panning to his left.

I'm assuming that there is one camera close to the ground to the rught - this one is steady, and appears to be centered on the knoll area.

The man at far right appears to be panning.

Now this led me to theorize - the entire assassination may well have been recorded. Not simply the motorcade, but the overall operation - every location. This would imply that there were also cameras focused on the TSBD [or present on the 6th floor], and perhaps other locations for which very little data exists.

What would have been the purpose of recording the entire assassination? I have

come up with a few concepts, but it may be a combination of more than one.

Reasons for Recording the Assassination:

- Propoganda: Due to the presence of the Cuban Hats, and the use of rifles,

this may have been an effort to promote the 'Castro did it' view, towards engaging

the US in an invasion of Cuba. It's very possible that some of these films were

intended for Public viewing, and that a Civilian 'plant' may have been coordinated

in advance as the source of the film. A concept I continue to struggle with - but

no more on that now.

- Security: If every player was recorded, then it would be easy to blackmail

anyone who may want to disclose their complicity in the event of 11/22. All for one and one for all. Insurance.

- Control of Cover-up: With the subsequent seizure of the majority of the

media taken by private citizens [including the FBI's diligent follow-up with photo

processing companies in the Dallas area, eg. how they got the Nix film], it makes

more sense to have film taken for the purpose of controlling what was seen, and

making use of other input to develop the overall storyline.

- Training: This one has seen speculation before, and inmy opinion it's very

plausible. There are also accounts of certain individuals having seen footage in a

training environment. No more on that here.

- Documentation: As per a well known researcher who has found multiple

CIA links to the assassination, documentation of the event would be a normal practice.

- Private concerns: I don't want to rule out the idea that some of these films

may have been created on the basis of private funding by wealthy contributors. There may be quite a bit to support this theory, but primarily I will cite the example of HL Hunt coming into possession of a copy of the Z-film's original prints [MIDP, Fetzer, page 33]. An additional citation could be Maury Terry's 'The Ultimate Evil' in which he maintains that at least one of the 'Son of Sam' killings was recorded for a 'Snuff Film,' created for and funded by a private investor, hence the need for street lighting on the target, parked on the street.

What is the Zapruder Film?

In my opinion, the Zapruder Film is a 'mosaic.' It is a carefully crafted tapestry; a multi-layered puzzle, consisting of a large volume of data. The first layer may well be the film taken by Abraham Zapruder with a Bell & Howell camera from the vicinity of the pedestal. It has seen splicing, and a great deal of alteration.

Rosemary Willis is a prime example of the deliberate tainting of the original record, since she is seen wearing no hood at all in the Dorman film - seconds before she appears in the z-film. There are multiple other issues, including the shoe and leg seen hanging over the door when the limo arrived at Parkland [Ed O'Hagen demonstrated for me that this could not have belonged to Clint Hill], the disconnect between the witness accounts about multiple wounds to Kennedy's head, the medical evidence [which in itself is questionable], etc.

[Attachment 3 - Rosemary Willis running on sidewalk sans hood in Elsie Dorman film]

However, the purpose of this Post is not to dwell on the first layer, but instead, on the second.

Ed and I went through all of the various scenarios to how these images we had found made any sense. I was specifically focusing on the so-called 'ghost images' between the area of the sprockets, mainly in frames 195 - 207. Plainly, I saw a gunman, and a rifle. I was working to resolve the location of this individual, with anomolies in the camera held by Zapruder.

What I was attempting to reconcile, was the fact that Zapruder alleges he was standing on the pedestal, filming in a semi-crouched position, with a line of sight in the direction of Elm and Houston, in a NorthEasterly direction - this would mean that the camera in question would have been elevated to some 7 - 8 feet above the ground in that location.

Ghost Images:

QUOTE

"In the Zapruder motorcade scene, below the perforation, you were shown a white object heading toward a bystander in the primary image. This so-called ghost image has caused a lot of speculation and questions from many that examined the Zapruder film. Now, by our understanding of the multiple exposure around the perforations explained above, it is reasonable to conclude the cause as simple double exposure of a primary image super imposed on the excess image of the preceding frame." 

From the Zavada study.

This fails to explain the rifleman. The rifleman is not seen in the primary image area, and neither are a multitude of other images.

The rifleman, in order to have been captured by Zapruder's camera, would then have had to have been standing very close to his position. I was originally theorizing that it was a glitch produced by the lens, which may have caught the subject, based upon the lighting in the main action area, at an agle to the lens of some 65 degrees. I no longer believe this to be the case. Nor does this in any way explain how the rifleman would be captured from one perspective, while his rifle another entirely [assuming they are connected].

Unusual Iris Shapes:

Because the cut of slots in the two iris blades are not linear (as shown), unusual patterns can be formed as seen from the series of photographs of aperture openings. The subject of iris patterns and its effect on the resulting image is well documented in the literature on optical physics. Its significance here is the question of whether or not the possible unusual patterns yielded image artifacts. If the subject is not in focus inversion, multiple images, etc. can and do occur. However, if the image is focused properly, the iris pattern makes no difference. The question presents itself - are Mr. Zapruder's images in focus? By examination they appear to be. Did an unusual iris pattern contribute to any of the artifacts seen? In my opinion, I doubt it.

Zavada again.

This fails to satisfy the very clear images of an eye, seen in certain frames of the film, as demonstrated by myself in other posts elsewhere. I have a very nice one if anyone would like to see it.

PinHole Effect:

I then was led to consider, with Ed in lengthy phone conversations, that this may have been a 'pinhole' effect, due to a crack in the camera case, or at the lens. Improbable. If you examine the B&H Director Series 440P camera [that's the one that I own], you'll see that it is a very bulky and solid, metalcast affair. The area of the retaining wall would have been to Zapruder's right rear if he was standing on the pedestal. His hands would have been on both sides of the camera. Any crack or hole in the camera may have permitted light to enter the case [even the aperture], but how would the image have then been focused and captured by the film?

As part of our discussions, Ed began to show me some of his work on the 'Purse" building. He had found some bizarre and unexplained images in this part of the film as well. I had also found other unexplained images in other parts of the film - outside of the area of the perforations! How was this to be explained?

First Frame of the Zapruder Film

Coincidentally, I returned to the so-called 'first' frame of the Zapruder film, z1. It was then that I noted what turned out to be the answer to the entire problem. Some very careful alteration exists, in the upper right hand section of the film. It has been tinted very carefully, but is easy to penetrate. I enhanced multiple frames in this area and was stunned. I was looking at the Knoll. It appeared to me that I was viewing the knoll from the location of the North Peristyle camera. So how could Zapruder have captured that? This could not be a ghost image, a pinhole effect, claw, etc.

For the purpose of illustration, I am using z3 [Attachment 4 - Upper righthand corner of frame enhanced].

MR. ZAPRUDER. Well, it looks like them--that's when they turned in from Elm Street. Is that it? I'm trying to visualize it. This is taking it from the opposite side of me, is it, where I would have been taking it, because I see this structure--I have been around there and--or these this couldn't be here--where did they get this in there--how did they get this in there, if I was taking the pictures where did they get this in there? That shouldn't be there.

The way I processed it, was analogous to a Chinese Fortune I had once read: "Help! I'm being held captive in a Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory!"

But Ed summed it up better:

"It would appears that someone was not pleased with the job that they were given to do."

If we take this view in z3, and call it the Grassy Knoll, replete with Badgeman and at least one camera man visible, where would this view come from? How about the camera crew at the North Peristyle, as an example?

This is a view of the knoll, from a squatting position in the bushes, at the North Peristyle, with the section of the z-film [still using Frame 3] set in. Recall that the bushes were much shorter in 1963. The red arrow points to Bob Groden - Use him for scale.

[Attachment 5 - animated comparison of upper portion of z3 compared to 11/04 view of Grassy Knoll from North Peristyle bushes location]

Now, this part is speculation, but it certainly appears that frames from multiple cameras, multiple locations have been embedded as the underlayer to the Zapruder film - throughout the film. It is not always possible to see the images, as it is largely dependent upon the strength of the subject in Zapruder's main viewing area - however, in hundreds of locations throughout the film, when the main action area is dark enough, it would appear that the images can be readily accessed. z310 is a very good example of this.

The rifleman

Now, more than ever, I do believe that the man seen in the images at the sprocket area in 195 - 207 is in fact one of the men contracted to fire live rounds at Kennedy that day. I also believe, based upon exchanges with Ed O'Hagen, that research is required concerning the appearance of gunfire from a rifle. It appears much smaller than I had previously believed - a pinhole of light, and it's gone.

However, I have come to realize that these embedded images, these records of conspiracy, can't be expected to be synched chronologically with the subject of the main action area. This leads me to believe that we may not be seeing what I had believed to be the throat shot. IMO, this now may be any of the shots that may have been taken from the retaining area of knoll - including a possible shot to the side of Kennedy's head [just above and a bit behind the ear, as per Emmett Hudson], the right front temple shot, or the throat shot.

Take another look at the rifleman. These are 2 distinct and separate images. They could not have been caught by Zapruder's camera, IMO. This appears to be a combination of 2 camera's footage - one possibly from the man in Nix 419, standing behind the retaining wall, as the rifle is positioned at almost a perfect 90 degree angle to the lens. The other, I really am unsure. From inside the pergola, perhaps. It's next to impossible to know, since we can't use the background for reference.

[Attachment 6 - stabilized view of the Rifleman in the panel area, using z196 - z207?]

I genuinely like this theory, and it helps me to process a lot of data. It makes sense also that someone may not have 'gone along' with the idea of covering up the execution of the President, and wanted to create a permanent record - a trail of clues, using pieces of footage, and cleverly arranging that as a second layer throughout the film.

I think it's of special importance to pull up a few examples of some of the underlayer - certainly some of it could be deemed as artifacts and imagination - but some of it has too much of a similarity to other scenes and individuals whom I have found elsewhere in my hunting. That can't be a coincidence.

There is one more piece which I haven't finished yet - more theorizing. If I'm right, then it is a view of the North Peristyle - but it could not have been taken from the Pedestal's perspective. Unclear.

Something to ponder - if this theory bears any weight and holds any merit - did someone with a certain sense of Patriotic duty create this 'mosaic' to leave behind an indelible record of conspiracy, in the hopes that it would be one day found, at a large cost to themselves?

Who would have had access to such materials, if these are small sequences of footage from more than one of the other cameras film?

If only someone could get 'original' film stock on some of the more significant 'published' films, I believe proof of conspiracy in the assassination would be complete.

I just love quotes, don't you?

Emmett Hudson, my absolute favorite witness.

Mr. LIEBELER - Do you see this little pedestal back up here?

Mr. HUDSON - Yes.

Mr. LIEBELER - Just above the "X" where you were standing?

Mr. HUDSON - Yes.

Mr. LIEBELER - Did you see anybody standing up there that you can remember, durring the time the president went by?

Mr. HUDSON - Oh, there was a bunch of people in there, you know, a whole bunch of them - a lot of people in there - a lot of people in here.

Mr. LIEBELER - Did you see anybody standing up there taking motion pictures with a movie camera?

Mr. HUDSON - Oh, yes; I seen people up there trying to get - taking pictures.

And how could any good thread be complete without a quote from Gerry Patrick Hemming?

"The key ticket with the guy was that he defected to the Soviet Union, he's been trained as a KGB agent. How could these people [the plotters] possibly figure out that this scenario would scare the xxxx out of the people in Washington? What backfired on the plotters was painting this picture that it was a Castro hit. It scared the xxxx out of some high-ranking people, and they covered it up. Jesus Christ, the best laid plans of mice and men. They did it too good. They painted too clear of a picture that burned its way right back to Fidel Castro. It scared the xxxx out of the powers that be. They wouldn't go to war. The American people never realized we had come so xxxxing close to nuclear holocaust."

This one thanks to Bernice Moore...

NOV.01..1965 : Telephone conversation between David Lifton and the

"Associated Press photographer/news photo editor/wire photo operator,

James WILLIAM ALTGENS," Ike"......

<QUOTE>

He was friendly on the phone and mentioned quite casually that just before the

motorcade came by, a number of people suddenly appeared behind the wall on the knoll. (84) He added that he thought it was an odd place to watch the parade

from since the car would speed up right there as it entered the Stemmons

Freeway. This was new, exciting information, but I was worried that Altgens

might be confusing this recollection with his description of people on the

overpass, which was mentioned in his Warren Commission testimony. But he

assured me he was talking about the wall on the grassy knoll--to the right of

the stairs when one faced the knoll.

When I asked Altgens if there were any police among the "people" he saw, he

replied, "I seem to remember that there were. (85)

(84) Author's memo, 11/1/65 conversation with Altgens

(85) Ibid

I have multiple views of the Peristyle - so I don't know what attachment to use - best to put a Dorman enhancement here for Attachment 7.

It's unfortunate that I can't do much better, because they have made some effort to conceal these men. At a minimum, you can assume that if Lee Harvey Oswald was standing in the doorway of the TSBD, he would have been captured on the record. If preparations had been made in advance for the development of these films, and the ones at the knoll - someone was very busy - but they'd have plenty of time to study the entire assassination, and know what required 'treatment.' Possibly they would have even had some material available for matting.

Here's a panoramic I tried to make while sitting in the corner. Note the view - unzoomed. Where are these films today?

[Attachment 8 - panoramic from North Peristyle corner viewing Elm]

Possible camera views within the Z-film

- From the retaining wall, looking north [z196 - z207 panel area]

- From behind the fence, looking at the corner of the retaining wall [z1 - z? panel area]

- Man [z300s]

- From the North Peristyle looking towards the grassy knoll [z1 - z100? upper right quadrant - tinted to resemble a building]

- From the TSBD, looking down towards the grassy knoll [z460s panel area]

Did these cameramen have fake Press IDs like Jack Ruby? Was Jack Ruby perhaps in the midst of one of these groups? Was Lee Oswald outside of the TSBD at the stairs on a radio [note: Wisconsin Radio purchase in 1963, and defacing of 2 individuals at 'Billy Lovelady's' left in Altgens - did they simply cut and paste Billy head on LHO?]? Where are all these films today? Why was CD Jackson entered on the 'mysterious deaths' record?

Conclusion:

Many interesting questions, but the bottomline appears to be that Operation Dallas was a carefully planned and coordinated extensive 'black operation,' in which numerous operatives played a number of different roles, including creating a 'slanted' record of the entire event. The use of rifles, and what appear to be Cuban Military Hats, Cuban military garb, etc., appears to have been part of an overall plan to squarely place the blame of the assassination on Castro, to provide the required momentum for a full scale invasion of Cuba.

If CD Jackson was given the task of 'altering' the original record, making use of the Zapruder film and other films provided for use in creating a new 'official' record, he may well have introduced sequences of these other films into the 'extant' version of the Zapruder film, for the purpose of providing insurance - which may have unfortunately ran out in September of 1964. It certainly seems logical, and using Occam's razor, it gives me personally a nice close shave.

If anyone knows how I can get my hands on some high quality Dorman frames [specifically of the area of the North Peristyle Concrete Structure], I'd greatly appreciate it.