WFAA’s Film of the Motorcade Run to Parkland Hospital Stabilized

[James Hackerott]

edit Title change from WFFA to correct WFAA. Sorry for that, and I hope the title change is not a serious issue for anyone.

WFFA’s film of the motorcade’s run to Parkland is shaky, blurry and difficult to make out the vehicles in the film. My stabilization (with about 25% of the frames deleted as too blurry), does a fair, but adequate, job showing the JFK limo, Queen Mary, LBJ car and LBJ’s SS followup car. It appears to me that JFK’s limo and SS followup come to a stop about shortly before the film ends (but ping-pongs in my video). The stop happens at the very right side of the frames. I can’t identify the buildings on the the right as Parkland, but am I wrong?

[Steve Barber]

WFFA’s film of the motorcade’s run to Parkland is shaky, blurry and difficult to make out the vehicles in the film. My stabilization (with about 25% of the frames deleted as too blurry), does a fair, but adequate, job showing the JFK limo, Queen Mary, LBJ car and LBJ’s SS followup car. It appears to me that JFK’s limo and SS followup come to a stop about shortly before the film ends (but ping-pongs in my video). The stop happens at the very right side of the frames. I can’t identify the buildings on the the right as Parkland, but am I wrong?

 Thank you for your work on this. I have been trying to see the limousine in this clip for years and years (since 1983, when I bought a set of WFAA VHS tapes) and never could find anything .  No wonder!  They're not going up the hill, they're going sideways across the screen!!  Bert Shipp narrating the film said they're "going up the hill" so that where my attention was drawn to.  Thanks a ton!!!!

 Also, the Johnson car and his SS car must have gone over the set of railroad tracks at the top of the hill!  H.B. McLain stated that he "Almost lost it" (his motorcycle) when he flew over the tracks. 

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Thank you for your work on this. I have been trying to see the limousine in this clip for years and years (since 1983, when I bought a set of WFAA VHS tapes) and never could find anything .  No wonder!  They're not going up the hill, they're going sideways across the screen!!  Bert Shipp narrating the film said they're "going up the hill" so that where my attention was drawn to.  Thanks a ton!!!!

 Also, the Johnson car and his SS car must have gone over the set of railroad tracks at the top of the hill!  H.B. McLain stated that he "Almost lost it" (his motorcycle) when he flew over the tracks.

James Courson gave this account in "No More Silence."

"Just before we reached Harry Hines Boulevard there was a railroad track on a small incline. All the motorcycles left the ground at the same time, and it appeared that the wheels of the limousine came off the ground as well. Of course, the driver was doing all he could to handle the car after jumping the track and then preparing to make the sharp *left* turn onto Harry Hines."

A "sharp left turn"? Sure looks like it turned to the right after going over the tracks.

Courson said he was located behind the limo on Houston Street during the shooting but then raced up and caught up with it as it entered/turned onto the Stemmons Freeway ramp.

[Charles Collins]

Well done, as usual James. I could be wrong, but it appears to me that the bump in the road that the vehicles are going over would be the railroad tracks before Harry Hines Blvd. Here is a modern map view. I drew yellow circled numbers as follows: 1= Trade Mart, 2= railroad track crossing (I red-lined the tracks themselves), 3= Parkland Hospital.





It appears to me that there is a sharp curve in the road to the right between the tracks crossing and the left turn onto Harry Hines. Once the vehicles are on Harry Hines, they are moving almost directly away from the camera. This might appear that they have stopped (if the film ends at that point). Parkland is a bit further up Harry Hines. It is about 0.9-miles between the Trade Mart and Parkland. So I don’t think we would be able to see them very well (if at all) from that distance.

[James Hackerott]

Well done, as usual James. I could be wrong, but it appears to me that the bump in the road that the vehicles are going over would be the railroad tracks before Harry Hines Blvd. Here is a modern map view. I drew yellow circled numbers as follows: 1= Trade Mart, 2= railroad track crossing (I red-lined the tracks themselves), 3= Parkland Hospital.





It appears to me that there is a sharp curve in the road to the right between the tracks crossing and the left turn onto Harry Hines. Once the vehicles are on Harry Hines, they are moving almost directly away from the camera. This might appear that they have stopped (if the film ends at that point). Parkland is a bit further up Harry Hines. It is about 0.9-miles between the Trade Mart and Parkland. So I don’t think we would be able to see them very well (if at all) from that distance.

Thanks Charles. It looks like the connecting road between Stemmons and Harry Hines Rd is Market Center Blvd (current name anyway). If they are turning right (per video) then they are headed SE on Harry Hines. Only the limo and Queen Mary have stopped, and are essentially perpendicular to the camera and are stopped, while the other two cars turn right after the tracks are catching up. They then would need to turn around and head NW to Parkland. Your point about being too far away for the camera (at Parkland) is well taken, but possibly the camera had a telephoto lens. I wish I knew pretty precisely where the camera was placed. I can’t find a 1963 era aerial of that area. Time to sleep on it for now.

[James Hackerott]

James Courson gave this account in "No More Silence."

"Just before we reached Harry Hines Boulevard there was a railroad track on a small incline. All the motorcycles left the ground at the same time, and it appeared that the wheels of the limousine came off the ground as well. Of course, the driver was doing all he could to handle the car after jumping the track and then preparing to make the sharp *left* turn onto Harry Hines."

A "sharp left turn"? Sure looks like it turned to the right after going over the tracks.

Courson said he was located behind the limo on Houston Street during the shooting but then raced up and caught up with it as it entered/turned onto the Stemmons Freeway ramp.

Thanks for that info. Would the scenario described by Charles above post fit Courson's description?

[Charles Collins]

Thanks Charles. It looks like the connecting road between Stemmons and Harry Hines Rd is Market Center Blvd (current name anyway). If they are turning right (per video) then they are headed SE on Harry Hines. Only the limo and Queen Mary have stopped, and are essentially perpendicular to the camera and are stopped, while the other two cars turn right after the tracks are catching up. They then would need to turn around and head NW to Parkland. Your point about being too far away for the camera (at Parkland) is well taken, but possibly the camera had a telephoto lens. I wish I knew pretty precisely where the camera was placed. I can’t find a 1963 era aerial of that area. Time to sleep on it for now.

I found a video that has an aerial view. I had to use a PC because it inexplicably doesn’t display the image on my iPad. Look between about 4:55 to 5:05 and you should see the view span between the Trade Mart and Industrial Blvd and Market Hall. The railroad crossing and intersection with Harry Hines is at the top of the image if I am looking at this correctly. Looking at your work on the motorcade run, I seem to see the JFK limo headed to the left towards Parkland. I see this just before the animated GIF reverses and the vehicles begin to “back up”.


https://www.google.com/search?q=dallas+trade+mart+1963&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjHtKX-2OuAAxW7hIkEHauXDlEQ2-cCegQIABAD&oq=dallas+trade1963&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQARgAMgYIABAHEB4yBQgAEKIEOgQIIxAnOgcIIxCwAhAnOgQIHhAKOggIABAIEB4QDVCed1iQlQFgoLgBaAFwAHgAgAFjiAHXBJIBATeYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=X0TiZIeJG7uJptQPq6-6iAU&bih=695&biw=1080&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS922US923&hl=en-US#imgrc=PdWql9qc3J2QQM

[Steve M. Galbraith]

Thanks for that info. Would the scenario described by Charles above post fit Courson's description?

You're welcome; it's an interesting thread/film. Not seen it before.

Yeah, looks like Charles has it right. I don't see another railroad track/incline along the way. It seems that the limo/QM stopped or slowed to let the others catch up? I don't recall anyone, e.g., Greer et al., mentioning this.

Bill Lumpkin, another officer, gave this account: "Leon Gray, Chaney and myself escorted the parade on to Parkland Hospital by way of Stemmons, to Industrial, Industrial to Hines, Hines to the entrance into the back of Parkland."