The Men Who Killed Kennedy

Last updated
The Men Who Killed Kennedy
The Men Who Killed Kennedy (DVD cover).jpg
DVD cover
Genre Documentary
Created byNigel Turner
Narrated by Hilary Minster [1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes9
Production
Running time100 mins (1988 version of two episodes); 150 mins (1991 version of three episodes); 300 mins (2002 version of six episodes)
Production company Nigel Turner Productions / History Channel
Original release
Network Central Independent Television (UK) / A&E (U.S. 1991) / History Channel (U.S. 1995-2003)
ReleaseOctober 25, 1988 (1988-10-25) –
November 17, 2003 (2003-11-17)

The Men Who Killed Kennedy is a video documentary series by British television network ITV that depicts the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Originally broadcast in 1988 in two parts (with a subsequent studio discussion), it was rebroadcast in 1991 re-edited to three parts with additional material, and a fourth episode added in 1995. The addition of three further episodes in 2003 caused great controversy, particularly in the final episode implicating Lyndon B. Johnson and the withdrawal of these additional episodes.

Contents

Broadcast history and critical response

1988 to 2003

The Men Who Killed Kennedy began with two 50-minute segments originally aired on 25 October 1988 in the United Kingdom, entitled simply Part One and Part Two. The programmes were produced by Central Television for the ITV network, and was followed three weeks later with a studio discussion on the issues titled The Story Continues, chaired by broadcaster Peter Sissons.

The original broadcast was controversial in Britain. The episodes identified three men as the assassins of Kennedy: deceased drug trafficker Lucien Sarti and two living men (Roger Bocagnani and Sauveur Pironti). All three were later revealed to have strong alibis: Sarti was undergoing medical treatment in France, [2] another was in prison at the time, and the third had been in the French Navy. [3] One of the two living men threatened to sue, and Central Television's own subsequent investigation into the allegations revealed they were "total nonsense". Turner justified his failure to interview one of the accused on the grounds that the individual was "too dangerous". Turner was censured by the British Parliament. The Independent Broadcasting Authority forced Central Television to produce a third episode dedicated to the false allegations, which aired on November 16, 1988, which was later referred to as a "studio crucifixion" of Turner and his inaccuracies. [4]

The United States corporation, Arts & Entertainment Company, purchased the rights to the original two segments. In 1989, the series was nominated for a Flaherty Documentary Award. [5] In November 1991, the series was re-edited with additional material and divided into three 50-minute programmes, which were also shown by ITV on consecutive nights. An additional episode appeared in 1995. The series typically aired in November every year and from time to time during the year.

2003 onwards

In November 2003, three additional segments ("The Final Chapter") were added by the History Channel, entitled, respectively, "The Smoking Guns", "The Love Affair" and "The Guilty Men".

"The Smoking Guns" examines claims of changes to the procedures normally followed by the Secret Service on the day of the assassination, bullet damage to windshield of the president's limousine consistent with a bullet fired through it from the front, and discrepancies between observations made by the doctors who treated Kennedy at Parkland Hospital after the shooting and the official autopsy and photographs of the president's body which were cited by the Warren Commission. [6]

"The Love Affair" focused on the claims of Judyth Vary Baker to have been Lee Harvey Oswald's lover in 1963, and to have worked with Oswald and others to develop a cancer-causing biological weapon as part of a CIA plan to assassinate Fidel Castro. [7] [8]

The third of these additional segments – "The Guilty Men" – was based substantially on the book Blood, Money & Power: How L.B.J. Killed J.F.K. by Barr McClellan. [9] The book and the episode directly implicates Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) – who was the U.S. Vice President at the time of the assassination – and its airing in 2003 created an outcry among Johnson's surviving associates, including Johnson's widow, Lady Bird Johnson, former LBJ aides Bill Moyers and Jack Valenti (longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America), as well as U.S. Presidents Gerald Ford – who was the last-living (at the time of the outcry) Warren Commission member – and Jimmy Carter. These Johnson supporters lodged complaints of libel with the History Channel, and subsequently threatened legal action against Arts & Entertainment Company, owner of the History Channel. [10] The History Channel responded by assembling a panel of three historians, Robert Dallek, Stanley Kutler, and Thomas Sugrue. On a program aired April 7, 2004, titled "The Guilty Man: A Historical Review," the panel agreed that the documentary was not credible and should not have aired. The History Channel issued a statement saying, in part, "The History Channel recognizes that 'The Guilty Men' failed to offer viewers context and perspective, and fell short of the high standards that the network sets for itself. The History Channel apologized to its viewers and to Mrs. Johnson and her family for airing the show." The channel said it would not show the episode again. Author Barr McClellan, on whose work the episode was largely based, complained that he had tried to cooperate with the reviewing historians to discuss his evidence with them, and had been ignored. [9] [11]

Malcolm Liggett, a retired economics professor, labor economist at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and employee of the Office for Wage and Price Stability in the Executive Office of the President from 1975 to 1981 [12] sued A&E regarding the episode "The Smoking Guns," which claimed Liggett was involved in a conspiracy to kill Kennedy. Liggett and A&E reached a settlement, which required that a letter by Liggett be read on the show History Center. [13]

David Browne of Entertainment Weekly described the documentary as "well-researched, but still farfetched". [14] Addressing "The Guilty Men" episode, Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal called it a "primitive piece of conspiracy-mongering" and wrote that "the documentary's ever deepening mess of charges and motives is never less than clear about its main point—that Lyndon Johnson personally arranged the murder not only of the president, but also seven other people, including his own sister." [15]

In a letter to the chief executives of the three parent companies of A & E Networks, — Victor F. Ganzi of the Hearst Corporation, Michael D. Eisner of Disney, and Robert C. Wright of NBC — former United States President Gerald Ford described the allegations as "the most damaging accusations ever made against a former vice president and president in American history." [16]

Episode list

The first two episodes were followed by "The Story Continues" (16 November 1988), a critical studio discussion about them. The final episode was followed by a critical review, "The Guilty Men: A Historical Review." (7 April 2004).

  1. "The Coup D'Etat" (25 October 1988 [UK]) (27 September 1991 [U.S.])
  2. "The Forces Of Darkness" (25 October 1988 [UK]) (4 October 1991 [U.S.])
  3. "The Cover-Up" Timeline (11 October 1991 [U.S.])
  4. "The Patsy" (18 October 1991 [U.S.])
  5. "The Witnesses" (25 October 1991 [U.S.])
  6. "The Truth Shall Set You Free" (18 November 1995 [U.S.])
  7. "The Smoking Guns" (17 November 2003 [U.S.])
  8. "The Love Affair" (17 November 2003 [U.S.])
  9. "The Guilty Men" (17 November 2003 [U.S.])

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndon B. Johnson</span> President of the United States from 1963 to 1969

Lyndon Baines Johnson, often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. A Democrat from Texas, Johnson also served as a U.S. representative and U.S. senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Commission</span> U.S. commission established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the Kennedy assassination

The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson through Executive Order 11130 on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy that had taken place on November 22, 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactions to the assassination of John F. Kennedy</span>

Around the world, there were shocked reactions to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the President of the United States, on Friday, November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Democratic National Convention</span> U.S. political event held in Los Angeles, California

The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles, California, on July 11–15, 1960. It nominated Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for president and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas for vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth O'Donnell</span> American political aide

Kenneth Patrick O'Donnell was an American political consultant and the special assistant and appointments secretary to President John F. Kennedy from 1961 until Kennedy's assassination in November 1963. O'Donnell was a close friend of President Kennedy and his younger brother Robert F. Kennedy. O'Donnell, along with Larry O'Brien and David Powers, was part of the group of Kennedy's close advisers dubbed the "Irish Mafia."

Oliver Barr McClellan is an American entrepreneur, counsel and author who became widely known by his 2003 book Blood, Money & Power on the Kennedy assassination. He has also written on globalization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Duncan Brown</span> Alleged mistress of LBJ

Madeleine Duncan Brown was an American woman who claimed to be a longtime mistress of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. In addition to claiming that a son was born out of that relationship, Brown also implicated Johnson in a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

David Sánchez Morales was a Central Intelligence Agency operative who worked in Cuba and Chile.

The John F. Kennedy assassination and the subsequent conspiracy theories surrounding it have been discussed, referenced, or recreated in popular culture numerous times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil W. Stoughton</span> American photographer (1920–2008)

Cecil William Stoughton was an American photographer. He is best known for being President John F. Kennedy's photographer during his White House years.

The Lyndon B. Johnson bibliography includes major books and articles about President Lyndon B. Johnson, his life, and presidential administration. Kent B. Germany in his review of the historiography noted in 2009 that Johnson has been the subject of 250 Ph.D. dissertations, well over one hundred books, and many scholarly articles. The New York Times and the Washington Post published 7600 articles on him during his presidency. Only a select subgroup are listed here, chiefly those reviewed by the major scholarly journals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln–Kennedy coincidences urban legend</span> Urban legend

There are many claimed coincidences with the assassinations of U.S. Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, and these have become a piece of American folklore. The list of coincidences appeared in the mainstream American press in 1964, a year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, having appeared prior to that in the GOP Congressional Committee Newsletter. In the 1970s, Martin Gardner examined the list in an article in Scientific American, pointing out that several of the claimed coincidences were based on misinformation. Gardner's version of the list contained 16 items; many subsequent versions have circulated much longer lists.

The CIA Kennedy assassination is a prominent John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory. According to ABC News, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is represented in nearly every theory that involves American conspirators. The secretive nature of the CIA, and the conjecture surrounding the high-profile political assassinations in the United States during the 1960s, has made the CIA a plausible suspect for some who believe in a conspiracy. Conspiracy theorists have ascribed various motives for CIA involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy, including Kennedy's firing of CIA director Allen Dulles, Kennedy's refusal to provide air support to the Bay of Pigs invasion, Kennedy's plan to cut the agency's budget by 20 percent, and the belief that the president was weak on communism.

Colin McLaren is an Australian documentary filmmaker, crime writer, and former police detective sergeant. His 2013 book JFK: The Smoking Gun, based on his theory about the assassination of U.S. president John F. Kennedy, was made into an award-winning documentary film. A feature-length telemovie Underbelly Files: Infiltration about his life, starring Sullivan Stapleton in the title role, aired in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward A. Clark</span> American diplomat (1906–1992)

Edward Aubrey Clark was an American lawyer, politician, officer and diplomat. He served as the United States Ambassador to Australia from 1965 to 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories</span> Conspiracy theories regarding the assassination of JFK

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 has spawned numerous conspiracy theories. These theories allege the involvement of the CIA, the Mafia, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro, the KGB, or some combination of these individuals and entities. Some conspiracy theories have alleged a coverup by parts of the federal government, such as the original FBI investigators, the Warren Commission, or the CIA. Former Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi estimated that a total of 42 groups, 82 assassins, and 214 people had been accused at one time or another in various conspiracy scenarios.

American president Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) has been a subject of various works of media and popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three tramps</span> Unidentified group allegedly involved with the assassination of John F Kennedy

The three tramps are three men photographed by several Dallas-area newspapers under police escort near the Texas School Book Depository shortly after the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Since the mid-1960s, various allegations have been made about the identities of the men and their involvement in a conspiracy to kill Kennedy. The three men were later identified from Dallas Police Department records as Gus Abrams, Harold Doyle, and John Gedney.

Malcolm Everett "Mac" Wallace was an American economist for the United States Department of Agriculture. On October 22, 1951, Wallace fatally shot John Douglas Kinser in the clubhouse of an Austin golf course owned by Kinser. A number of authors claim Wallace was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy upon orders from then-Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate selection</span>

The selection of the Democratic Party's vice presidential candidate for the 1960 United States presidential election occurred at the party's national convention on August 13, 1960. After winning the presidential nomination on the first ballot of the 1960 Democratic National Convention, Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy turned his attention to picking a running mate. Kennedy chose Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, who had finished second on the presidential ballot, as his running mate. Johnson, a Protestant Texan, provided geographical and religious balance to a ticket led by a Catholic Northeasterner, but many liberals did not like the pick. Many were surprised both that Kennedy made the offer and that Johnson accepted the offer, as the two had been rivals for the 1960 presidential nomination. According to some accounts, Kennedy had offered the position to Johnson as a courtesy and expected Johnson to decline the offer; when Johnson accepted, Kennedy sent his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, to talk Johnson out of accepting the offer. However, Kennedy may have made the offer in earnest due to Johnson's appeal in the south, Johnson's friendly relationship with Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, and Kennedy's desire to remove Johnson as Senate Majority Leader in favor of the more liberal Mike Mansfield. Regardless, Johnson decided that accepting the offer would be better for his political career and better position himself to become president, and so he chose to become Kennedy's running mate. The Democratic convention confirmed Johnson as the vice presidential nominee, although the delegation from Washington, D.C. attempted to select Minnesota Governor Orville Freeman instead.

References

  1. ↑ WorldCat, The men who killed Kennedy : the definitive account of American history's most controversial mystery
  2. ↑ Bugliosi, Vincent (2007). Reclaiming History: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy. ISBN   9780393045253.
  3. ↑ "Rescue outlook brightens after 140 survive ferry sinking" . Retrieved 2023-08-12.
  4. ↑ Holland, Max (April 5, 2004). "The British JFK Producer Who Brought Shame on the History Channel". History News Network. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  5. ↑ "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  6. ↑ "The Men Who Killed Kennedy". Mary Ferrell Foundation. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  7. ↑ John C. McAdams, Should We Believe Judyth Baker?, Marquette University
  8. ↑ Judyth Vary Baker, "Judyth Baker Responds to Critics"
  9. 1 2 Reuters, 12 April 2004, "History Channel Pulls JFK Conspiracy Show"
  10. ↑ Amaia Legeau (January 19, 2018). "The Men Who Killed Kennedy". We Are Change TV.
  11. ↑ Bruce Weber, "History Channel Apologizes", New York Times , April 7, 2004
  12. ↑ "Malcolm Liggett (obituary)". TC Palm. May 8, 2008.
  13. ↑ Grace Murphy, "History Channel, Vero man reach settlement in JFK allegations", Fort Pierce Tribune , March 19, 2005
  14. ↑ Browne, David (November 20, 1992). "The Men Who Killed Kennedy (1992)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  15. ↑ Rabinowitz, Dorothy (February 19, 2004). "Character Assassination". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  16. ↑ Weber, Bruce (February 5, 2004). "Moyers and Others Want History Channel Inquiry Over Film That Accuses Johnson". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.