Subject: LIFE's new Zapruder article Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 22:20:41 GMT From: Jerry Organ Organization: Sympatico Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy.jfk The September 1998 issue of LIFE has an article "Zapuder Rewound" by Richard Stolley. It has a page of text on page 43, followed by six pages of high-quality full-frame Zapruder enlargements. The Article Stolley describes how he persuaded Abraham Zapruder to sell all rights for $150,000, and expresses some remorse at Zapruder's heirs asking an "astounding" $18.5 million. With some irony, Stolley recounts Abe's nightmare of the film being shown in a sleazy theatre by opportunists. Stolley notes that his promise to Abe to not use the film "in a crude or tasteless way" led to charges from the "Theorists" that LIFE was somehow contributing to a cover-up. Stolley writes: "I rarely met Theorists in person, although I did once lecture to an audience of them in Greenwich Village abd found them just as unreasonable and less polite." With the magazine now in limbo, and no desire to decide "who should have access to the film," Stolley notes the magazine tried to give the film to the government in 1975, but their contract with Zapruder forced them to sell it back to the family, which LIFE did for $1. Because LIFE only allowed responsible access to the film (ie: critics, Meagher, Thompson and Wecht saw the film plenty of time in 1966), it seems ironic that the limits on public access contributed to the film's worth once it left LIFE's hands, an amount suggested by the Zapruders as $18.5 million. The Frames An eleven-frame strip (132-143) is shown at actual size, a painful reminder of how enlargement is necessary to view details. A four-frame strip (160-63) highlights the beginnings of the "girl in red" who would look toward the Depository and Connally's right turn, "evidence of a first, missed shot?" Frame 210 is shown larger as the Commission's earliest point for a shot to strike JFK's back. Frame 226 shows Kennedy's hand at his throat and Connally's "expression becomes rigid." Unfortunately, no reference is given to the Z223/224 single-bullet impact. Using half-page enlargements, 243 shows advances in the suffering of the two men and 276 notes Jackie "looks quizzically " at JFK. Frame 313 (which also includes the very bottom of 312) shows the imapct of the fatal shot. For the first time in LIFE, it is noted that "a computer enhancement later showed that his head first moved forward 2.3 inches." The vivid enlargements are capped with a two-page spread of 372, showing Clint Hill on the rear bumper "as Jackie scrambles over the backseat. Miscellaneous LIFE's Editor's Note on page 10 features the cover of its historic November 29, 1963 issue, where the "logo went from red to black." The rush to rework the issue to include "31 frame from a home movie" is noted, as is the fact that "a man died ... That is all that matters." Page 24 features a photo of the parched Trinity River with Dealey Plaza in the far background. ___________________ This is LIFE's most important coverage of the assassination since its December 1991 cover story on the "JFK" movie. I recommned you purchase it. Jerry Organ [Dealey Plaza History] [Research Tools] [Kennedy's Lincoln] http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/jojoan/index.html