New To DVD -- The 1973 Feature Film "Executive Action"
David Von Pein
RE.: "EXECUTIVE ACTION" (1973 JFK Assassination Film)......
bigdog
I think I saw this in the late 1970s before I really had gotten
interested in studying the assassination in depth. That was before my
brief period when I was a confirmed CT. I'm not sure why but for some
reason I had a hunch that a connection would be established linking
Oswald with Ruby, Jimmy Hoffa, LBJ and Hoover (J. Edgar, not Herbert).
At no time was I fooled to the point that I didn't believe Oswald was
the trigger man. I can't recall ever buying into the GK shooter.
I don't remember much about the film except for the beginning when
Burt Lancaster was ruing a Kennedy dynasty with two terms apiece for
Jack, Bobby, and Teddy. I think Will Geer made a comment about old man
Joe being even more conservative than he was. Other than that the
movie is a complete blank in my memory bank. David, aside from the
faulty premise, how would you rate the movie from an entertainment
value?
I also remember a made for TV movie called the Trial of Lee Harvey
Oswald starring Lorne Greene as his defense attorney and Ben Gazarra
as the prosecutor. I think it started out with Jack Ruby jumping out
of line and flashing a camera instead of a gun. I can't remember if
they ever came back with a verdict. It would have been no contest if
VB had been prosecuting. It looks like that is only available on VHS
and I refuse to buy anything that isn't on DVD.
David Von Pein
Unfortunately, that's true (as of this writing in November 2007).
I have the Lorne Greene "Trial Of LHO" movie on VHS, and I think it's
a pretty good fictional "What If?" kind of film, with John Pleshette
doing a nice job as Oswald (IMO). He resembles LHO quite a bit.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R3458DEJF9TFO4
Don't get the 1977 TV-movie mixed up with the 1964 Larry Buchanan
courtroom drama of the exact same title, though. I've never seen the
'64 film (which was made before the Warren Report came out), but it is
available on this DVD.....
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000CG8H1
http://images.dvdempire.com/gen/movies/550920bh.jpg
>>> "I refuse to buy anything that isn't on DVD." <<<
Then you're missing out on several excellent JFK-related programs if
you refuse to still watch (or buy) VHS. But maybe you were only
talking about how you won't currently (in this "DVD" age) buy anything
ELSE on VHS.
You didn't mean that you've tossed out any and all VHS tapes you had
in the ol' video library just because they're on VHS, did you? That
would be a tragic mistake, IMO.
But I do know of some people who have done just that. For some reason,
many people feel that all VHS tapes MUST go in the trash in the DVD
era, even though those VHS cassettes still play perfectly (albeit with
lesser-quality "PQ" than their DVD counterparts).
I've never understood that mindset. But, to each his own. But, for me,
VHS will live forever, because many of the JFK-related programs and
first-day news broadcasts that I currently have on VHS will
undoubtedly never see the light of DVD day...so if I abandoned VHS,
I'd be throwing out the JFK baby with the bathwater. And who'd want to
do something like that? ;)
A "JFK" VIDEO/DVD LIST:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.conspiracy.jfk/msg/af98df42ca4322b0
bigdog
I still have lots of stuff on VHS but I made the decision a couple
years ago to only buy DVD when buying new. I've discovered that a lot
of my VHS library has gone bad just sittiing on the shelves including
a good portion of my Time/Life WWII series. If I buy something for
historical reference as opposed to just entertainment, I want to know
it will last.
Even recognizing this, I was taken back by a comment a friend of mine
made a few days ago when he called VHS a stone aged medium. I realized
he was right. I was unaware of this but most stores have quit selling
even blank VHS tapes. I knew I hadn't seen a VHS movie on sale for
some time. It just doesn't seem that long ago that VCRs were the cool
technology item that everyone wanted. I made the mistake of betting on
Beta instead of VHS for my first VCR. I spent just under a grand for
it and that was in 1980 dollars. I now have a DVD recorder which I
can't get to work with my new HD satellite. Fortunately, I have an old
TV in the bedroom with the old box and can record off that.
I was tempted to break my rule about buying any new VHS materials when
I was searching for replays of the as-it-happened network coverage and
saw ABC was available only on VHS. I held off and decided to wait to
see if it comes out on DVD. I think it was on the 40th anniversary of
the assassination the History Channel replayed all of NBC's coverage
from the first bulletin on Friday afternoon until the Monday burial. I
intended to record it but forgot to set the VCR at the beginning so I
just gave up on it. I'd love to have that now, even on tape.
aeffects
why, hon? So you can sound competent? You can't converse knowing
nothing but what out good ole media feeds your sorry ass....
> Even recognizing this, I was taken back by a comment a friend of mine
> made a few days ago when he called VHS a stone aged medium. I realized
> he was right. I was unaware of this but most stores have quit selling
> even blank VHS tapes. I knew I hadn't seen a VHS movie on sale for
> some time. It just doesn't seem that long ago that VCRs were the cool
> technology item that everyone wanted. I made the mistake of betting on
> Beta instead of VHS for my first VCR. I spent just under a grand for
> it and that was in 1980 dollars. I now have a DVD recorder which I
> can't get to work with my new HD satellite. Fortunately, I have an old
> TV in the bedroom with the old box and can record off that.
imagine that, the dolt has Charter TV.....
> I was tempted to break my rule about buying any new VHS materials when
> I was searching for replays of the as-it-happened network coverage and
> saw ABC was available only on VHS. I held off and decided to wait to
> see if it comes out on DVD. I think it was on the 40th anniversary of
> the assassination the History Channel replayed all of NBC's coverage
> from the first bulletin on Friday afternoon until the Monday burial. I
> intended to record it but forgot to set the VCR at the beginning so I
> just gave up on it. I'd love to have that now, even on tape.
ole DVP, er Reitzes will sell you any installment of I Love Lucy -- he
be the king of foolishness -- LMAO!
David Von Pein
Yeah, that's kinda what I figured.
>>> "I made the mistake of betting on Beta instead of VHS for my first VCR. I spent just under a grand for
it and that was in 1980 dollars." <<<
You got a good deal then. My brother can top that....he bought a new
Beta player and it cost $2500 (1976 dollars). And the timer/clock was
separate, and the tapes could only play for 1 hour. Yikes. ;)
>>> "I was searching for replays of the as-it-happened network coverage and saw ABC was available only on VHS. I held off and decided to wait to see if it comes out on DVD." <<<
There's a short (1-hour) version of the ABC coverage available on DVD
now (not nearly long enough, though, IMO; all this does is make you
want it all). .....
And there's approx. 3 hours of the ABC footage on DVD, "The Story
Behind The Story", which was put out by "Belo" and the DMN in 2003. I
think it's out-of-print right now though....
www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2003/jfk/112203jfk.html
>>> "I think it was on the 40th anniversary of the assassination the History Channel replayed all of NBC's coverage from the first bulletin on Friday afternoon until the Monday burial. I intended to record it but forgot to set the VCR at the beginning so I just gave up on it. I'd love to have that now, even on tape." <<<
You can get 2 hours' worth of it from Amazon on VHS.
"VideoYesteryear" put out 4 hours of the NBC coverage on 2 VHS tapes a
few years ago. Plus, many collectors can make copies for you on either
VHS or DVD. That's where I got most of my network footage in my
collection.
I can't make copies for you though. (Only 1 VCR and no DVD recorder.)
BTW, bigdog, if you care, you can download the audio to 5.5 hours of
the NBC news coverage here:
www.google.com/group/alt.conspiracy.jfk/msg/d989db491744333e
What I really would like to see on DVD are the 64 JFK Press
Conferences.
www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Press+Conferences/default.htm
bigdog
> >>> "I still have lots of stuff on VHS but I made the decision a couple years ago to only buy DVD when buying new." <<<
>
> Yeah, that's kinda what I figured.
>
> >>> "I made the mistake of betting on Beta instead of VHS for my first VCR. I spent just under a grand for
>
> it and that was in 1980 dollars." <<<
>
> You got a good deal then. My brother can top that....he bought a new
> Beta player and it cost $2500 (1976 dollars). And the timer/clock was
> separate, and the tapes could only play for 1 hour. Yikes. ;)
>
> >>> "I was searching for replays of the as-it-happened network coverage and saw ABC was available only on VHS. I held off and decided to wait to see if it comes out on DVD." <<<
>
> There's a short (1-hour) version of the ABC coverage available on DVD
> now (not nearly long enough, though, IMO; all this does is make you
> want it all). .....
>
>
> And there's approx. 3 hours of the ABC footage on DVD, "The Story
> Behind The Story", which was put out by "Belo" and the DMN in 2003. I
> think it's out-of-print right now though....
>
> www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2003/jfk/112203jfk.html
>
> >>> "I think it was on the 40th anniversary of the assassination the History Channel replayed all of NBC's coverage from the first bulletin on Friday afternoon until the Monday burial. I intended to record it but forgot to set the VCR at the beginning so I just gave up on it. I'd love to have that now, even on tape." <<<
>
> You can get 2 hours' worth of it from Amazon on VHS.
>
> "VideoYesteryear" put out 4 hours of the NBC coverage on 2 VHS tapes a
> few years ago. Plus, many collectors can make copies for you on either
> VHS or DVD. That's where I got most of my network footage in my
> collection.
>
> I can't make copies for you though. (Only 1 VCR and no DVD recorder.)
>
> BTW, bigdog, if you care, you can download the audio to 5.5 hours of
> the NBC news coverage here:
>
> www.google.com/group/alt.conspiracy.jfk/msg/d989db491744333e
>
> What I really would like to see on DVD are the 64 JFK Press
> Conferences.
>
I was just over at the History Channel store and they had a number of
interesting offerings. One was the Kennedy-Nixon debates which I have
only ever seen a few exerpts from. The other is a Jack Anderson piece
called JFK, the Mob and Me. I'm not sure but this might have been a
documentary I saw around 1980 that first converted me for a few short
years to becoming a CTer. He offered what seemed to be some compelling
evidence that the Mafia in concert with the CIA had carried out the
assassination. He made references to the CIA's involvement with the
Mafia in trying to whack Castro. Organized crime had been kicked out
of Cuba when Castro took power and so they had their own reasons for
wanting to get him.
I think what brought me back to the LN side was the observation that
Oswald had gotten his job at the TSBD five weeks before the
assassination, before the particulars of the JFK trip had been settled
and well before they had been announced. This was totally inconsistent
with a planned hit. It was a crime of opportunity, plain and simple.
David Von Pein
debates. Direct links to all 4 debates below.....
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.conspiracy.jfk/msg/3c6b5b1a26a2b461
Martin Shackelford
about how they became involved in the project. Burt Lancaster's biography
mentioned some of the difficulties of getting the film made.
Martin
"David Von Pein" <davev...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1194095730....@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
Martin Shackelford
because of the substantial amount of documentary footage in the film. I
began to wonder what other footage I hadn't seen.
Martin
"bigdog" <jecorb...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1194127228.2...@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
Martin Shackelford
on the Larry Buchanan film and its suppression.
Martin
"David Von Pein" <davev...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1194134167....@z9g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...