Dan Rather's first three televised descriptions of the first version of the Zapruder film, 25/11/63

[Paul Rigby]

Paul

After watching these films several times, I have come to the conclusion that film #3 is an edited and altered version of the original. The proof of this can be seen at the 2:55 mark of the third film, where Dan Rather is describing the Secret Service man putting his hands on Jackie's shoulders and pushing her back into the limo. Only, this time, it comes out as "hands on Jackie's shoulder"; "shoulder" instead of "shoulders". Notice, also, the slight lurch in the film and Rather's mouth as the end of the word "shoulder" comes out.

Dan Rather appears to be reading from a script. If not, he has an incredible recall, even if he saw the film more than once.

I can only surmise that someone with half a brain clued in to the obvious predicament that, if the Secret Service man on the rear bumper put both hands on Jackie's shoulders and pushed, the Secret Service man stood a very good chance of pushing himself off the rear bumper; especially considering the limo was supposed to have been accelerating at this point in time.

See line 30 of below:

"How many times Rather described the viewing of the Zapruder film is unclear. The earliest broadcast, however, appears to be the one in which Rather speaks over CBS radio with Hughes Rudd and Richard C. Hotelett...,"

Richard B. Trask. Pictures of The Pain: Photography and the assassination of President Kennedy (Danvers, Mass: Yeoman Press, 1994), 86.

Text of the radio description:

Richard B. Trask. Pictures of The Pain: Photography and the assassination of President Kennedy (Danvers, Mass: Yeoman Press, 1994), 86-89, endnote 25, 150, citing "CBS Radio Description of Zapruder Film by Dan Rather," from a transcript from the Richard Sprague Papers, Special Collections Division, Georgetown University Library, Washington, D.C., p.[1-3]

Richard Trask, National Nightmare on six feet of film: Mr Zapruder's home movie and murder of President Kennedy (Danvers, Mass.: Yeoman Press, 2005), 138-142, endnote 73, 360, citing "CBS Radio Description of Zapruder Film by Dan Rather," from a transcript from the Richard Sprague Papers, Special Collections Division, Georgetown University Library, Washington, D.C., p.[1-3]

http://www.etcfilmunit.com/Rudd_Hotelet.html

1. HR: Dick, ah, Dan Rather just came into the studio, ah and we've just been discussing this statement just made by Texas Attorney General Wagoner Carr about a full and complete investigation that is going to be carried out and so on.
2. HR: What do you have that's new, anything?
3. DR: Well I'm not sure that this is the proper context in which to put it, but as you may know Hughes I, I have just returned from seeing a, a movie which clearly shows in some great detail the exact moments preceding, the exact moments of, the President's assassination which clears up some of the points that had been rather vague up until this time.
4. DR: Now may not be the time or the place to discuss that, perhaps Dick uh...
5. RH: No I think it is, uh, Dan, I think it fits right into the context of what we've been saying.
6. DR: Well let me tell you then, give you a word picture of the motion picture that we have just seen.
7. DR: The President's automobile which was proceeded by only one other car containing Secret Service Agents - the President's open black Lincoln automobile - made a turn, a left turn off of Houston Street in Dallas onto Elm Street, this was right on the fringe area of the downtown area.
8. DR: This left turn was made right below the window from which the shot was fired.
9. DR: As the car made the turn completed the turn went below the window from which this shot was fired, went on past the building - keep in mind the window was on the sixth floor - it got about 35 yards from the base of the building - that is if you had dropped a plumb line from the window to the sidewalk to the President's car - was around 35 yards from that spot.
10. DR: President Kennedy had just put his right hand up to the side of his right eye, it appeared that he was perhaps brushing back his hair or rubbing his eyebrow.
11. DR: Mrs. Kennedy was not looking in his direction.
12. DR: In front of them, in the jump seat of the Lincoln, were Governor and Mrs. Connally.
13. DR: The Governor as was the President was on the side of the car of the building in which the assassin was located.
14. DR: Mrs. Kennedy and Mrs. Connally were on the opposite side, two Secret Service men on the front seat.
15. DR: At almost the instant the President put his hand up to his eyebrow on the right side of his face, with Mrs. Kennedy looking away.
16. DR: The President lurched forward just a bit, uh, it was obvious he had been hit in the movie but you had to be looking very closely in order to see it.
17. DR: Mrs. Kennedy did not appear to be aware that he was hit but Governor Connally, in the seat just in front of the President, seemingly heard the shot, or sensed that something was wrong.
18. DR: Governor Connally, whose coat button was open, turned in such a way to extend his right hand out towards the President and the Governor seemed to have a look on his face that might say, "What is it? What happened?!
19. DR: And as he turned he exposed his entire shirt front and chest, because his coat was unbuttoned, at that moment a shot very clearly hit the part of the Governor.
20. DR: He was wounded once with a chest shot, this we now know, uh, the Governor fell back in his seat.
21. DR: Mrs. Connally immediately fell over the Governor.
22. DR: I say fell, she threw herself over the Governor.
23. DR: And at that instant the second shot, the third shot total but the second shot, hit President Kennedy and there was no doubt there, his head went forward with considerable violence.
24. DR: Mrs. Kennedy stood up immediately her mouth wide open.
25. DR: the President slumped over against Mrs. Kennedy almost toppling her over as she was standing .
26. DR: Mrs. Kennedy then threw herself out of the back seat of the car onto the trunk of the car, almost on all fours stretched out over the trunk of the car.
27. DR: There was a Secret Service man standing on the back bumper.
28. DR: It would appear that Mrs. Kennedy was either trying to get herself out of what she knew instinctively was danger, or perhaps was trying to grab the Secret Service man and pull him into the back seat of the car for help.
29. DR: At any rate Mrs. Kennedy was prone, face down on the back of the car on the trunk.
30. DR: The Secret Service man leaned over put his hands on her shoulders and shoved her back into the car.
31. DR: He seemed to be in danger of perhaps rolling or falling off the back.
32. DR: A Secret Service man in the front seat of the car, uh, was already on the telephone.
33. DR: Perhaps he had been on the phone all along; it was not clear and the car sped away.
34. RH: The car never stopped, did it?
35. DR: The car never stopped, it never paused.
36. HR: How long did it all take, Dan?
37. HR: In a matter of seconds?
38. DR: Well, the complete scene that I just described to you covers exactly 20 seconds; that is, from the time the car made the turn until the car disappeared onto an underpass.
39. RH: Is it clear, is it clear that the President was hit twice?
40. DR: It was very clear that the President was hit twice.
41. DR: He was hit, Governor Connally has hit and the Gov.., uh, the President was hit again.
42. HR: How long a time did the actual three shots take from the first shot until the final shot, Dan?
43. DR: Not more than five seconds and I am inclined to think slightly less than that perhaps.
44. HR: There [sic] must have been very grim pictures to watch, especially today.
45. RH: What was the source of these pictures, Dan?
46. DR: An amateur photographer had an 8 millimeter color, uh, camera.
47. DR: He had positioned himself up off the sidewalk on an old street lamp base; he was above the heads of the crowd; and he was facing the automobile.
48. RH: Of course he was focused on the automobile so there's no indication of where the shots came from.
49. DR: No, he was focused on the automobile with his back or side to the window from which the shots came.
50. DR: Only the automobile was shown in the film.

I did enjoy this exchange:

34. RH: The car never stopped, did it?
35. DR: The car never stopped, it never paused.

In light of the opening lines from Hughes Rudd:

Dick, ah, Dan Rather just came into the studio, ah and we've just been discussing this statement just made by Texas Attorney General Wagoner Carr about a full and complete investigation that is going to be carried out and so on. What do you have that's new, anything?