November 22. Today in 1963 while standing on a concrete overpass in Dallas, Abraham Zapruder , a women’s clothing manufacturer, made the most closely observed amateur movie in history. His subject was a Presidential motorcade traveling through Dealy Plaza. The jiggley 8mm Bell and Howell wind-up camera’s images only make us scrutinize harder as we watch the 35th Commander and Chief of the U.S., John F. Kennedy first awkwardly clutch his neck wound and then slump down after his head explodes into an orange cloud. 29 seconds and it was a wrap. Zapruder quickly returned to his office and locked his precious camera in a small safe. The film became the object of one of the most ghoulish ownership tussles in modern cinema. Mr. Z gave copies of his film to the Secret Service and then, three days after the shooting , made a Faustian pact selling the negative and all rights to Life Magazine. Zapruder’s opportunistic heirs later disputed the sale, and the film was eventually returned to the Z clan by Life owner Time Inc. for $1 dollar. Oliver Stone paid approximately $85,000 to the Z’s for including it in his lurid motion picture J.F.K. (1991) where after the “ kill shot,” Jackie can be seen mouthing what appears to be the words, Oh, my God! A close-up of the film showing Kennedys head erupt in brain and bone was also bargained for and tastelessly included in the film IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1992). After the Clint Eastwood payday, the U.S. declared the film an “assassination record” and the property of the Feds. Zapruder’s heirs proposed that the U.S. pay the family $3 to $5 million for their work of art; arguing that the film should be valued similarly to recent sales of a Van Gogh painting and an Andy Warhol silk screen of Marilyn Monroe. Finally, lawyers worked out a $16 million price tag. That’s right. Our tax dollars at work. Aside from the limo ride how did you enjoy Dallas, Mrs. Kennedy? The really scary thing is that we have more gun nuts today than we did in ’63 and they are toting a lot more fire power . Each ramp-up of animus raises the odds of another Dallas. 11.22.13 E.E.F.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 14:50:26 +0000
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