President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline and Governor of Texas John Connally in the presidential limousine in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963
Today marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most tragic and impactful events in U.S. history.
At approximately 9 a.m., Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth speaking highly of Texas and its role in the country’s efforts against communism.
At approximately 11:40 a.m., Kennedy traveled, with his wife Jacqueline, to Dallas where he would speak at the Dallas Trade Mart.
Mary Moorman’s polaroid photo taken barely a second after the fatal head shot
At 12:30 p.m., Parkland Memorial Hospital became the new destination for the presidential motorcade when shots rang out in Dealey Plaza. Connally received injuries to his chest, wrist and thigh, but survived. Kennedy was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. from a single gunshot wound to the head.
At 12:45 p.m., a description of the assassin went out to Dallas police. Dallas police officer J.D. Tippit was on patrol at approximately 1:11-1:14 p.m. when he stopped a man matching the description. The suspect then proceeded to shoot and kill officer Tippit. At approximately 1:40 p.m., 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested at the Texas Theatre and charged with Tippit’s murder.
Lee Harvey Oswald’s mugshot (top), Robert Jackson’s Pulitzer-winning photo of Jack Ruby shooting Oswald in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters (bottom)
After two days in Dallas police custody, and being additionally charged with the murder of President Kennedy, Oswald was to be transported from Dallas Police Headquarters to Dallas County Jail. While being escorted to an armored car in the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters, Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby shot and killed Oswald, live on national television – 11:21 a.m., Nov. 24, 1963.
The President’s Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy (the Warren Commission), established by President Johnson Nov. 29, 1963 and made available to the public Sept. 27, 1964, concluded that Oswald, acting alone, killed Kennedy, and wounded Connally, with three shots fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository with a 6.5 mm Carcano carbine. The commission also concluded that Oswald killed Tippit, and Ruby, acting alone, killed Oswald.
While this is the official conclusion as to what took place 50 years ago, some continue to find the Warren Commission’s findings controversial, resulting in numerous conspiracy theories involving parties such as the Central Intelligence Agency, Soviet Russia, the mafia, Fidel Castro, anti-Castro Cuban exiles and even former President Johnson.
What is certain is that the events of Nov. 22, 1963, like those of Dec. 7, 1941 and Sept. 11, 2001, will live on for generations because of the unforgettable imagery and stories associated with them.
To further commemorate this historic date, I continue with the recognition of two films, both of which are products of the Kennedy assassination.
JFK (1991)
Based on the trial of Clay Shaw in 1969, prosecuted by then New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, Oliver Stone presents a film that emphasizes many of the questions surrounding Kennedy’s murder.
Kevin Costner portrays Garrison, who firmly believes Kennedy’s assassination was a coup d’état carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency, involving Clay Shaw, played by Tommy Lee Jones. He presents this theory in an elaborate courtroom sequence which starts with the showing of the Zapruder film, and ends with an emotional closing argument where Garrison asks the jury not to forget their “dying king.”
This film received criticism for distorting facts and having the potential to misinform moviegoers unfamiliar with the Kennedy assassination. In response, Stone said, “It’s just a movie.”
Personally, I like the film. It’s a riveting drama and one of Costner’s best performances. In regard to what JFK presents on the assassination, I admit I was sucked into perceiving the film as fact upon my first viewing five years ago, simply because I didn’t know any better. Since then, however, I’ve come to understand several real-life persons were merged into one, like Kevin Bacon’s character, and certain events which take place in the film didn’t occur in reality, such as Garrison’s meeting with X.
One line in the film, though, just before Garrison presents his case, reminds viewers what they’re watching isn’t fact. He says, “Let’s, just for a moment, speculate, shall we?”
The entire film is speculation, and while it can get the viewer thinking, this isn’t the film I recommend watching first if one desires to learn about the Kennedy assassination. That is the second of the two films I’ll discuss.
JFK: 3 Shots That Changed America (2009)
This is the film one needs to watch when it comes to satisfying the curiosities on the Kennedy assassination.
Presented by The History Channel, Oct. 11, 2009, 3 Shots is a documentary that presents three hours of archived news footage and home movies in two parts. The first part presents Kennedy’s morning in Fort Worth to the moment Oswald is shot. The second dives into the events’ aftermath, spanning three decades.
It is an objective film. No narration. No thoughts of “experts.” Just plain, uncut, as-it-happened history.
When one watches 3 Shots, they’re stepping into another time. They’re not only watching the events of Nov. 22, 1963 unfold, but the chaos that ensues the United States in the following days and years. It’s one of the more unreal films I’ve experienced, and the best documentary I’ve ever seen.
History caught on tape is one of the more enthralling luxuries we have today, and to have such a profound collection of visual history from 1963 is something we should be thankful for. It helps new generations understand the society of a time before their own, and emphasizes how we must learn from our mistakes to keep history from repeating itself.
Part 1
Part 2
The Journalist’s Perspective
One of the reasons we have the powerful images from Nov. 22, 1963, and the days that followed, is because of the journalists present to capture those events and deliver the stories to the public.
To close this commemoration are four interviews I shot this past October. The interviewees are mass communication professionals and educators who reflect on their memories and thoughts regarding the assassination, and discuss how the assassination and other national tragedies play into the role of a journalist.
They currently teach in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
“We would like to live as we once lived, but history will not permit it.” – John F. Kennedy, Nov. 22, 1963
Frame by Frame 