The newly emerged film footage of President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade speeding down a Dallas freeway towards a hospital after he was fatally wounded was sold at auction for $137,500. The 8mm color home film was offered by RR Auction in Boston, with the buyer choosing to remain anonymous. The film, recorded by Dale Carpenter Sr. on November 22, 1963, captures the motorcade traveling down Lemmon Avenue towards downtown before picking up after Kennedy was shot on Interstate 35. Secret Service Agent Clint Hill can be seen standing over the president and Jacqueline Kennedy in the footage from I-35.
Executive Vice President of the auction house, Bobby Livingston, described the film as providing a gripping sense of urgency and heartbreak. Carpenter’s grandson, James Gates, revealed that although it was known in the family that his grandfather had film from that day, it wasn’t discussed often. Gates inherited the film, which was stored in a milk crate with other family films, and was initially unsure of what his grandfather had captured. When he projected it onto his bedroom wall, he was shocked to see the footage from I-35 that had been recorded by his grandfather, who passed away in 1991 at the age of 77.
The footage from I-35 shows Agent Clint Hill hovering over the president and Jacqueline Kennedy after the shots were fired as the motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza. The location of the Texas School Book Depository, where Lee Harvey Oswald was later found to have positioned himself as a sniper, is also significant in the film. The footage captures the urgency and chaos of the moment as the motorcade raced towards Parkland Memorial Hospital, where President Kennedy was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The auction house released still photos from the portion of the film showing the race down I-35 but did not publicly release the video of that part. The significance of this newly emerged footage lies in its historical value and the vivid portrayal of the events surrounding President Kennedy’s assassination. The film provides a unique perspective on that fateful day in 1963 and offers a glimpse into the immediate aftermath of the tragic events that unfolded in Dallas. It serves as a reminder of a pivotal moment in American history and the enduring impact of President Kennedy’s untimely death on the nation.
