Part 2 - Behind the Fence
Prelude
For convenience I'll use the abbreviation RPA to represent the combined Railroad Parking Areas.
After bus 3 and following police car pass he crossed Elm, took the knoll steps and filmed Scene06 in the RPA. For a visual companion use Denis Morissette's excellent Darnell Film Compilation (DMDFC) found in this forum at this link:
https://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php/topic,1762.msg46530.html#msg46530 I consider Part 2 as the most problematic for analysis of Darnell's location using his imagery. For starters there are several background objects useful for orientation, but are no longer existing. Some are far enough away from the RPA and don't appear on DP maps. Using aerial photographs I was able to add many of these background objects to the 3D model.
Diagram summarizing Darnell's filming locations. Noted positions are approximate.
My strategy for locating and sequencing Darnell included reconciliation of Darnell scenes with the Dallas Cinema Association's (DCA's) John Martin Jr. clips. Seemingly, Martin's footage in the RPA seemed useful, as Jimmy Darnell appears in several key scenes. Martin's RPA footage begins near the rear (southern) train car with closeups of Roger Craig and Buddy Walthers entering, with Craig pointing upwards to the east. This scene happens close to a parked white 1955 Buick Century. The Buick is seen in other films and photos and is a useful landmark.
For his next scene Martin relocated about 120 feet northeast to film Darnell near Bowers Tower for Scene06. Jean Hill with one or more Polaroids in her left hand is to the periphery right of Martin's clip. Danny Arce may be in that area also. Martin's next scene returns him 120 feet back to essentially where he stood to film the first Craig scene. Martin's third scene features Roger Craig, Buddy Walthers, Jimmy Darnell, Jim Underwood, Robert MacNeil and perhaps Robert Jackson in a small group discussion a few car widths from the 55 Buick.
A problem appears when trying to reconcile the Martin sequencing with the Darnell sequencing. Finally, late two nights ago I had an ah-ha moment. The DCA film has Martin's first two RPA scenes switched! Re-ordering those first two scenes allows excellent correlation to Darnell's sequencing. The Martin clips should show Darnell filming near Bowers followed by the two sequential Roger Craig clips.
Darnell is now in the RPA
Scene06 FOV 38° DMDMC time 01:28
John Martin Jr. films Darnell as he films this scene. Jean Hill and possibly Danny Arce are present in Martin's clip.
00:59 New to me. Darnell takes a pan from the forward train cars at left to Bowers Tower and shed at right.
01:01 As Darnell's lens reaches the Bowers shed a young man enters from the right moving in a generally westerly direction. The young man wears a plaid shirt with broad stripes giving an overall dark appearance and is wearing dark pants. As the young man moves leftward Darnell keeps him near center frame.
01:04 Second man enters from the right side.
01:06 no notes recorded
01:07 A man wearing a dark suit and a hat without a band enters from the right. The suit jacket is unbuttoned as he moves across the field of view. He is wearing a white shirt and is not wearing glasses. This is the point where the scene begins in video which we are familiar.
NB I had previously thought the man was Buddy Walthers which confused me as to why he would be walking westerly at this time. Now I know he is not Walthers.
01:08 Filming continues with the dark suited man passing Bowers Tower from Darnell's view.
Scene07 FOV 38° DMDFC 01:37
01:09 Roger Craig, Buddy Walthers, Robert MacNeil are entering the RPA. A man behind the cars tilts his head backwards while drinking from a soda bottle.
01:16 Jim Underwood joins this group. DMDFC not present
Scene08 FOV 19° Back to Highest Magnification DMDFC not present
01:18 Darnell has moved to the south side of the dirt road that runs about 45 degrees NW from the Elm Extension bricks. He first films a view to the east showing the Elm Extension.
01:20 He sweeps the camera to the left across the carport and lower west face of the TSBD.
DMDFC 01:55
He continues the pan and finds Buddy Walthers and a motorcycle officer approaching from the west. Officer Harkness seems to take instructions from Walthers, turns and walks toward the TSBD.
Scene09 FOV undetermined DMDFC not included
01:27 Darnell takes a closeup of four men in dark suits and hats. They are staring, apparently, at upper floors of the TSBD's west face. Train cars are in the background. Their position is not certain, but is likely very near Darnell's location for Scene08. Hughes RPA film from the east pergola shelter shows a group of people near this area. Further study of this scene using the background train cars as an aid to help determine the location.
Scene10 FOV 38° DMDFC not included
01:30 Darnell has moved closer to the depository just west of the tall parking sign at the end of the extension. He films the west face of the depository with the parking sign appearing at lower left frame.
Don Cook is near and films a similar view of the west face. Robert Hughes in the east pergola shelter films both Darnell and Cook in position for their clips. See my thread concerning this at
https://www.jfkassassinationforum.com/index.php/topic,1990.0.html 01:35 End of Part 2 -RPA scenes
