emarkable publishing feat that involved reworking the magazine in the midst of being printed and the on-the-ground acquisition of the famous 8mm home movie of the assassination by Dallas spectator Abraham Zapruder. Four pages given to small grayscale Zapruder frames with generalized descriptions. Another exclusive featured the temporary isolation of the Oswald family as they related their story. Last-minute reportage of Oswald being slain included in most issues. If your copy has an article called “Assassin: The Man Held for Kennedy’s Murder,” you have one of the rare five-percent that didn’t catch Oswald’s murder. Not much for the researcher except historical context.

There are some beautiful color photos of the President’s funeral here, along with grayscale images of LBJ, Lady Bird and the funerals of Officer Tippit and Oswald. A one-page article “End To Nagging Rumors” sought to explain some of the early speculation that would soon evolve into controversy. JFK contents of this and the previous week’s issue were combined into an ad-free newsstand-only Memorial Edition sold in December that raised funds for the Kennedy Library.

portrait by Norman Rockwell, from a 1961 cover, graces the front of this issue. Much of the issue is in a “Senseless Tragedy” section that runs to 25 pages and 22 B/W photos. “The Assassin” by Ben H. Bagdikian probes the events of the assassination and the background of Oswald. It opens with a dramatic “sniper’s view” photo of “an approximation of what the killer saw” taken from the Dal-Tex Building by journalist Larry Schiller (co-author of 1967 The Scavengers and Critics of the Warren Report and collaborator to 1995 Oswald’s Tale); some theorists have mistaken the photo for an authentic view from the Depository. Also included is the famous Altgens photo cropped tight and spread over two pages, and a photo by student David Miller of the limo on Stemmons given the same treatment and printed beneath the Altgens photo. Both photos planted seeds of confusion: the Miller photo caption erroneously claimed Secret Service agent Clint Hill’s foot was JFK’s; and it was observed post-publication that the Altgens photo showed a man (Billy Lovelady) in the Depository doorway who strongly resembled Oswald. Bagdikian’s article concludes with Bob Jackson’s photo of Oswald being shot printed full-page. “Death in Emergency Room No. One” by the NY Herald Tribune’s Jimmy Breslin focused on the sad events at Parkland involving Dr. Malcolm Perry’s resuscitation efforts and Mrs. Kennedy’s vigil. “A Profile in Family Courage” by Bill Davidson looked at the tough decisions endured by Bobby and Jackie, and other family members. A two-page spread of “The New President” by Stewart Alsop profiled LBJ and included two photos from the Air Force One swearing-in, a late-50s interview and a box on Johnson’s health concerns. “When the Highest Office Changes Hands” by Dwight D. Eisenhower maintains there is no “absolute protection” from “the work of crackpots” and argues for a return to the original line-of-succession. A eulogy by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. laments Kennedy’s unfulfilled promise.

irst biographical probe of Lee Harvey Oswald through the impressions of classmates, teachers, neighbors, employers and fellow Marines. Early warnings of potential trouble surface in 1953 truancy episode in the Bronx. Interest in Marxism pursued, even while serving in the US Marines. An “officer-baiter and troublemaker,” Oswald received two court-martials before leaving on a hardship discharge. His defection to the Soviet Union was brightened by a whirlwind courtship and marriage to Marina Pruskova whom he met in Minsk. The Oswalds’ struggle to establish themselves in the US is described by Marina, with added impressions from neighbors and employers. Ruth Paine recalls Marina’s plight in midst of Lee’s renewed interest in Marxism, reflected in activism in Dallas and New Orleans, and a visit to Mexico City in late 1963. Detailed are the series of events that led to Oswald’s employment at the Depository and his opportunistic preparation for assassinating Kennedy. In humanizing Oswald, Jackson’s 12-page article presents the grim consequences of a “loner” too often marginalized or rejecting direction. Many snapshots of Lee as a child, in school and with the Marines. Appearing on Life’s cover was the most notorious Oswald image of all—the Backyard Photo showing Lee posing with the weapons he used against JFK and Tippit. Life would later admit to minor retouching of the cover image to bring out details in the rifle—the full uncropped image appeared inside. Included is an 8-page article “Was This Man Sane?” profiling Oswald-killer Jack Ruby and the precedents for an insanity defense. Marina appeared on the cover of Time dated February 14, 1963 (shown right).

ight-page article on the Jack Ruby trial written just after the guilty verdict by reporter in attendance all 23 days. Defense argued psychological tests and EEG revealed “psychomotor epilepsy” causing an uncontrollable seizure (“much like a sleepwalker”) when Ruby walked down the ramp. Judge Brown pleased the prosecution by ruling admissible Ruby’s post-shooting homicidal utterances and keeping the psychological debate from drifting. Motorcade shown on cover might have pleased Lee Harvey Oswald. Charles de Gaulle was visiting Mexico City to promote concept of Latin America and Africa forming a French-led power bloc not obligated to either US and Russia.

Then a Congressman, Ford describes the exhaustive investigation behind the Warren Commission. Accompanied by extremely-clear color enlargements of key Zapruder frames. Brennan’s testimony praised and “The Man in the Doorway” allegation dismissed. The latter issue was revived by Groden, through his own faulty analysis, in the mid-70s. Ford co-wrote the 1965 Portrait of the Assassin, based on his Commission experience.

Warren Commission “suffered from the Establishment Syndrome and their Report was The Prosecutor’s Brief.” But it “proves its big point beyond a reasonable doubt.” And those critics; well, they all have “a large, left-handed political axe to grind.”

Yale Prof defends aspects of Report and critiques it in other areas. Twist on lone assassin theme has three bullets: “the first would have lodged in the President’s back (later dropping out onto the stretcher), the second would have hit bone in Governor Connally, and—like the third, which went to the President’s head—would have broken up, one fragment entering the Governor’s thigh, and the rest bouncing up and out of the open car.” Throat wound is ignored.

height of assassination controversy, Life produced this remarkable cover story examining many of the critical interpretations of the Zapruder film that challenged the Single-Bullet Theory. Great emphasis placed on Governor Connally’s examination of Zapruder enlargements supplied by Life, with many key ones printed in color enlargements to bring out principals’ reactions to shots. Includes “rebuttal” by Arlen Spector. Weisberg’s Whitewash termed “sea of irrelevancies,” The Second Oswald “strictly for detective story fans” and Rush to Judgment “wildly speculative.” Epstein’s Inquest praised “most nearly objective work so far” though “open to question.” Life urges Congressional investigation a decade before House took up investigation. Billings, an editor at Life, would later serve as Editorial Director for that inquiry, called the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA), drafting and writing its Report. He co-authored the 1981 book The Plot to Kill the President with HSCA Chief Counsel G. Robert Blakey.

wenty-two page section showcasing newspaper editorials from Penn Jones Jr.’s Midlothian Mirror and an article “The Legacy of Penn Jones Jr.” by David Welsh. Primarily concerned with the “mysterious deaths” list. Features 11 color slides of assassination and aftermath taken by Phillip Willis. However, this issue owes its notoriety to a delicious lampoon of the assassination literature, in the form of a “book review” of spoof titles like Time of Assassins and Oswald: Patsy Without Portfolio. Amazingly, some conspiracy theorists took serious the obvious satire, requesting the titles from booksellers; the Boston Globe also fell victim. Sylvia Meagher was so irate she later denounced Ramparts as “befouled merchants who are assassins of the human spirit.”

Ten pages that examine the then-current conspiracy issues. Includes brief articles by Edward Jay Epstein (“Who’s Afraid of the Warren Report?”) and Sylvia Meagher (“Notes for a New Investigation”). There’s an interesting listing called “A Primer of Assassination Theories” that totals 35, and a flow-chart called “Who Killed John Kennedy?” French dish on cover (still Life-sized) sporting see-thru dress promoted unrelated story.

24-page article brewed almost entirely from anecdotal accounts. Third assassin was additional shooter firing from the rear. Included in the 1976 anthology The Assassinations. Welsh was an editor at Ramparts. Lifton wrote the 1980 bestseller Best Evidence, with its monstrous plot of body switching and wound alteration. (lead-off page shown)

our-part serialization of Manchester’s controversial book began with Look’s issue of Jan. 24. Second excerpt “The Day JFK Died” (cover above) described the shooting and treatment at Parkland. Third installment “Flight From Dallas” (Feb. 21) dealing with flight back to Washington was the most controversial, with Manchester’s contentious account of LBJ’s blunt power grab (countered in books Truth About the Assassination and Flying White House). The final excerpt “The Dramatic Conclusion” appeared March 7. Manchester replied to criticism of the book in the April 4, 1967 issue of Look.

his 11-page color picture essay accompanied John Connally’s article: “Why Kennedy Went to Texas.” Images, many published for the first time, by Willis, Dorman, Hughes, Jim and Tina Towner, Betzner, Paschall, Bell and Bond. Casket-loading sequence at Air Force One by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton. Itek analysis deems shape, later nicknamed “Black Dog Man,” lurking above retaining wall on the knoll just “an onlooker.” Impressive cover photo of Texas Governor John B. Connally looking Presidential; he would lose the 1980 Republican Presidential nomination to Ronald Reagan.

Impressive excerpt from the equally-impressive book Six Seconds in Dallas. Flawed by over-reliance on anecdotal evidence and Parkland misimpressions. Mistakes Hargis as the officer who ran up the knoll (Officer Haygood did so long after the shots). Full-page editorial at rear of magazine. If you have the book, you won’t need this.