The Zapruder Film

(Based on A True Story)

A One-Act Play
By
Dustin Martin

	

	 (The Agent walks in with Abraham Zapruder in a dark dimlighted room. Both men are well dressed. Zapruder 		 doesn’t what’s gonna happen during the interrogation. Once  in both walk towards the table with only two chairs on the center stage.) 

Agent: Thank you for coming in Mr. Huh?……Excuse me for asking this again but what is you’re name?

Zapuder: Zapuder. Abraham Zapurder.

Agent: My apologies Mr. Zapurder.

Zapurder: Pardon me for asking but, how long will this take?

Agent: It shouldn’t take much longer. We’ll make it an 	  old in and out.

	 (There’s a pause between)

Agent: Would you like anything to drink to calm you down?

Zapruder: Sure.

	 (The Agent walks towards the liquor up center stage on 	  another table. He pulls out two glasses and begins to               	  pour.)

Agent: Is scotch fine?

Zapruder: O that’s fine. 

	 (He walks back towards the table and hands his glass 	 	  to Zapruder. The Agent sits back down and pulls a 		  cartridge of cigarettes out)

Agent: Smoke?

Zapruder: Why not. (He reaches over towards The Agent and 			picks it up. The Agent ignites it for him.) 				Thanks. You know, I gave up smoking about 10 years 		ago and now I have a craving for a cigarette,			can you blame me, I’m in like a state of 				shock right now.

Agent: I understand. 

Zapruder: My memory is foggy so hopefully this 					helps it. (He takes a drink of his scotch.)

Agent: You know that cigarette and that liquor will 			  deteriorate your insides like a bug getting sprayed 	  	  with bug spray.  

Zapruder: Hey it’s my body. I mean come on I’m in the land 			of the free. 

Agent: Alright. Lets get down to this interview. (He pulls 		  
	out a tape recorder and press’ play in the machine.)  	As of the FBI State Department we record our 	records for the United States Government. It is 	currently 1:30 P.M. in Dallas, Texas. Do you wish to 	have this conversation recorded for the court of law? 

Zapruder: Yes.

Agent: Please state your name for the record.

Zapruder: Abraham Zapruder

Agent: Is it spelled Z-A-P-R-U-D-E-R?

Zapruder: Yes it is. 

Agent: Mr. Zapruder, during November 22, 1963, what was
	  your occupation?

Zapruder: I manufactured ladies’ dresses.

Agent: Where is your business located in Dallas?

Zapruder: 501 Elm Street.

Agent: Does this business location have a name?

Zapruder:  Yes, it is the Daltex Building.

Agent: May I ask where you were at approximately 12:15 P.M. 	  on that date?

Zapruder: I was looking for a place to stand so I would be 			able to take pictures of the President when he 			arrived.		

Agent: Was anybody with you at this time?

Zapruder: Yes, one of my secretaries.

Agent: Did you find such a location?

Zapruder: Yes, after three attempts.

Agent: What location did you decide upon?

Zapruder: There was a concrete abutment about 4 feet tall 			and that’s where I decided to stay.

Agent: Mr. Zapruder, while you were standing on this
	  concrete abutment did you do anything out of the 		  ordinary because of the President’s visit?

Zapruder: Did I do anything?

Agent: Yes, sir, did you have anything with you or
       did you do anything awkward? 

Zapruder: Well, I did had a camera with me.

Agent: What type of camera did you have?

Zapruder: A Bell & Howell motion picture camera,
          8 millimeter, with a zoom lens.

Agent: Can you tell us the film type.

Zapruder: It was loaded with color film.

Agent: What was the color of the camera itself?

Zapruder: I believe it was black.

Agent: Do you know what type of lens you had in this
	  camera?

Zapruder: I’m not sure, but I believe it was 2.8.

Agent: Which I believe you said is commonly known as
       a zoom lens?

Zapruder: Yes.

Agent: This is really interesting. 

Zapruder: To tell you the truth, I was in shock. I didn’t 			realize it until like five seconds later. Wouldn’t 		you be surprised that the head of chief is                		murdered in front of your own eyes? (He pulls out 		the camera and becomes frustrated) With this piece 		of equipment I’ve captured of our own President 			getting shot in the back of the head. And you know 		something, it’s scary looking at that. I 				can’t even look at that film anymore. 

Agent: Wait a minute, you have the whole assassination on 		  film?!

	  (Zapruder nods is head yes. The Agent has a surprised 	   shocked face.)

Agent: All the way up to the gunshots heard when President 		  Kennedy was making his last waves to the American 		  People? Why didn’t you say so? 

Zapruder: I was waiting for you to ask me. 

Agent: Mr. Zapruder (He puts his cigarette out in the ash 		  tray) you’ve done a great deal for the Secret    		  Service. Now I would have to ask you if you 		  	  would be able to give us a copy of the film print for    	  more studies to determine how to solve this case. 

Zapruder: I don’t know if I should give this up or not. 

Agent: Listen Mr. Zapruder. The United States Government   		 needs that film for more studies. I don’t want to 		 come in with a warrant and have you arrested. You 		 seem like an easy goin’ guy but don’t put your 			 own life to risk keep this film away from us. So 		 for the American People, and for your own safety 		 please, give me that print. 

Zapruder: Only if you’ll accept my request.

Agent: I don’t think that the United States Government 		  will negotiate with a Russian.

Zapruder: I beg your pardon, that is dam well rude and 			disrespectful. How can you say that about me!		     You just meet like 20 minutes ago. And just to let 		you know I’m an American citizen now. 

Agent: You know what consequences will be if you 			 	don’t hand over that print. (He walks over to him 		and leans over him) You won’t just go to prison. 		         	You go back to Russia with the rest of the 				Commies, sitting behind a dictator who’s got you 			under his nose. Taking your legal rights, and 			maybe even taking away your business. Sure it’s 		not pretty and it’s dam wrong but I will make it my 	personal mission to send you to prison cell 1138. 		Actually, I like that number don’t you? (Zapruder 		is silenced) Hell it’s easy to remember to. That way I 	can visit you and annoy you about that film print. And 	you know what I will say? I’ll say that’s the man 		who killed Kennedy. And I have the power say that to 	the media. I’m sure that will hurt you’re reputation 	huh? 

Zapruder: (He gets up out of his chair and walks up center 			 stage to where the bottle of Scotch is.) You 			 

		know……I’ve never told anyone this, not even my 			own wife. When watching the President get shot it 		took me back to when I was a little youngling. 			(He pours his glass from the bottle.) Back in 			Russia, now the Soviet Union where I lived……me 			and my folks were walking down the alley in my 			hometown of Kovel, Russia. I was the only child 		     at the time. Maybe around 10, 11. I don’t know 			some where around there. But when we turned 		 	 	around the corner near our apartment, towards the 		marketplace where we always bought food, had				parties, and ok dinners. Are you hearing me?

Agent: Yes, please keep going.

Zapruder: Everyone was happy. Everyone in the marketplace 			was happy. So were my folks. So was I. But when I 		turned around I saw this one face that wasn’t 			smilin. My whole point-of-view felt like it was 			goin’ slow. Frame by frame. Like the one I just 			took today. This strange man walks up to-my dad 			points a hand gun into his head and pulled the 			trigger. (Zapruder is getting teary while 				delivering that last line, The Agent walks up to 			him with a clean ex and hands it to Zapruder. He 			wips out his eyes.) You wanna know something. What 		I witnessed today made me depressed. It took me 			back to a childhood which I try to 					forget. Pain is not at ease now. It’s suffering I 		must do. Suffering that what goes through my body 		blood and cells. It’s suffering. My family went 			through agony at the time of my father’s 				death. I was close to him. You know what it’s like 		when you loose you’re best friend?………Well, Do you? 		(The Agent has a depressing look to his face while 		Zapruder is sadden by this conversation.) I didn’t 		think so. I’m sure you never lost a friend in your 		whole life. I’m sure that……

Agent: (Interrupts with anger.) You wanna know 				  something. Huh, do you? Don’t think that you’re 	       	  the only person who’s lost someone in there 			  lifespan because you‘re not, okay! 		
	  	  I’ve lost tons of friends and family and not 			  from crooks who wanted money or what ever that 			  shooter had against you’re father. I’ve lost 			  friends from behind the enemy lines. If you 			  think that Russia is hell you thought wrong 			  buddy. You thought wrong. I’ve seen far more 			  then what you’ve and the read in books the 			  newspapers or magazines. And I fought it. I even 		  tried to save lives and stop people from dying. 

Zapruder: What did you do that was so horrifying? 

Agent: I was in both World Wars. 1 & 2. It was 1916 when 		 I was 17. In high school I read books. Large 			 amount of books. Books about political rights, 			 laws, and democracy. I was so fascinated with 			 them and the war in Europe was getting larger by 		 the minute. I was mad with the Germans and so, I 		 lied about my age and joined the military. My 			 brother was already in France at the time and 			 once I was shipped out, we both were in the same 		 company. Now they have laws that siblings cannot 		 be in the same platoon. My brother was 		 		 there for me. Always standing up for me. One 			 morning in 1918 it was all quiet on the western 			 front , it was December the 25th. With a sudden 			 surprise German reinforcements surrendered and   		 celebrated Christmas with us. Sharing this one 			 joke with a German at the moment. Then the all of 		 a sudden, German soldiers were attacking the 			 base. I witnessed my only brother being stabbed 			 with a bayonet, by with the German who I was 			 laughing and joking with the pervious day after. 

Zapruder: That’s terrible. Well what happened during the
		    second World War?

Agent: I was reenlisted in the Marines and went back to 		 Europe. They had me train in England preparing 			 for Operation Overload. 

Zapruder: Wait! You were in the D-Day invasion?

Agent: Thousands of ships and planes carrying 				 paratroopers over Normandy. I was 		 			 trained as a specialist in mines to guide troops 		 and vehicles down trails. I guess you can say 			 that I was a so called “miner“. That’s what we 			 were called. It was D-Day plus seven and I was 			 the only one guiding a tank through a mind field. 		 I thought that the site was clear because the 			 little stupid mine detectors didn’t pick up. 			 There were about six troops on top of the POW 			 tank when a giant rumble of fire erupted into a 			 big gulp of flames that seemed like a special 			 effect seen in a movie. If I wasn’t so stupid I 			 could’ve saved those young soldiers from dying. 			 But I failed. I failed to help bring those 				 honorable troops to their mothers, I had to 			 sadden them with a folded American flag. It  			 disgusted me. And it does to this very day. I 			 have nightmares that won’t go away. There in the 		 very thickness of my head, and I think telling 			 you these tragic stories really changed you’re 			 perspective on life. Pain and being traumatized 			 is not great at all. I felt like a shell shock 			 syndrome was occurring in the one and only brain 		 of mine. 

Zapruder: Wow. I’m sickened by this violence that happens in 		the very world we live. But I believe there is 			evil and some good.

Agent: Good is a point-of-view Abraham, but the very 			 evil is not just in Vietnam. There’s evil 			 	 everywhere. There are protesters on this war we 			 are fighting in Asia, and I think it is pure 			 evil. Either though I shouldn’t be saying this is 		 that……(The Agent looks at Zapruder while the 			 pause, he stops the tape recorder.)……you know 			 what?

Zapruder: What? What is it that your not telling me?

Agent: Our government is very corrupted. Corrupt like a 		 dictator.

Zapruder: I’m not hearing this. I can’t believe this what so 		ever.

Agent: Well believe it. The reason why that President 			 Kennedy is dead is not because of some random 			 shooter. It was carried out by the FBI who put a 		 stop at Kennedy’s rule. People were fed up with 			 the Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba. Kennedy said 			 that the FBI lied to him about the invasion and 			 carried it out through the media. In addition, 			 when the U.S. was on the verge of a nuclear war 			 with Russia he was about to put more lives in 			 jeopardy then any other President in American 			 history. 

Zapruder: So the government was sick so of Kennedy that they 		hired two rifle men who served in the United 			States Marines to take out the President with a 			fire at will.

Agent: Wa-Wait a minute. What do you mean by two rifle 			 men and how can you tell that they served in the 		 Marines? Why don’t you give me an explanation of 		 that.

Zapruder: Okay, first of all I know that there was two rifle 		men, because where I was standing from I heard a 			shot from the Dallas State Book Depository from 			the distance and on my film it clearly sees’ it 			that it hit him first in the neck. Once hit in the 		neck covering his throat choking from his wound 			his wife tried to pull him aside when suddenly 			another shot in the came in from where I was 			standing and clearly hitting him in the right ear 		entering through the skull towards the brain. 

Agent: But answer this, why do, or actually how do you 		  know that these sharpshooters were trained in 			  military force? 

Zapruder: Nobody can shoot three shots from a rifle in six 			seconds.  

Agent: But where were these shots coming from, where you 		  were standing or the Book Depository? 

Zapruder: I would have to say the Book Depository because I 		didn’t hear any loud shots until the second 				attempt finally happened. From what I observed, 			the shots happened in what I would like to 				describe as the blink of an eye. 

Agent: A blink of an eye huh?

Zapruder: Can you answer me this question?

Agent: Sure.

Zapruder: Do you think that Lyndon Johnson has anything to 			do with the plot? 

Agent: To be honest with you, I certainly don’t know 			 who’s behind all this. The only thing I know is 			 that this was carried out by the FBI. 

		 (Zapruder wipes off the sweat that pours from his 		  face.)

Zapruder: I think that I should tell you more about what  I 		saw. 

Agent: Sure, I would like to hear more about what else 			 happened. (He puts back on the tape recorder to 			 record this part of the conversation.)

Zapruder: I saw someone on the depository level. At first I 		thought they were Secret Service men protecting 			the President. But after the first shot--I saw him 		leaning over and after the second shot--it's 			possible after what I saw, you know, people 				yelling, "They killed him, they killed him," and I 		just felt that somebody had ganged up on him and I 		was still	shooting the pictures until he got under 		the underpass--I don't even know how I did it. And 		then, I don't remember how I got down from 				that abutment, but there I was, I guess, and 			I was walking toward--back toward my office and 			screaming, "They killed him, they killed him," and 		the people that I met on the way didn't even know 		what happened and they kept yelling, "What 				happened, what happened, what happened?" It seemed 		that they had heard a shot but they didn't know 			exactly what had happened as the car sped away, 			and I kept on just yelling, "They killed him, they 		killed him, they killed him," I finally got to 			my office and told my secretary to call the police  		so I can give out a witness interview. And now 			you’re here, interviewing me. 

Agent: I think that’s all we needed from you Mr. 				 Zapruder. (The Agent turns off the tape recorder 		 and walks up from his chair and shakes Zapruders 		 hand. Zapruder still sits there while the Agent 			 walks towards the door Up Stage Right. The Agent 		 opens the door then suddenly.) 

Zapruder: Wait! (The Agent pauses at the door and turns his 		head around.) I think that this film should 			     be in your hands. 

Agent: (He shuts the door and walks back towards 				  Zapruder.) You have done well for your country. 

Zapruder: I only want to allow this tape to be used on 			certain conditions.

Agent: Yes, Mr. Zapruder anything on your behalf.

Zapruder: I don’t want to do any media interviews and be 			known as the man who shot Kennedy’s assassination. 

Agent: I understand that you want to remain 					 anonymous……that’s fine!

Zapruder:  I also want to be paid a reward for this piece of 		 evidence. 

Agent: I can assure that the United States Government 			 will be eligible to do that. 

Zapruder: I don’t want the public to know anything about 			this film print at all what-so-ever.

Agent: I will let you know that the government can pay 			 up to 625 thousand per frame in which……how long 		      is this?

Zapruder: About thirty seconds I believe. 

		(The Agent takes a pen out and adds it all up on a 		 sheet of yellow padded paper.)

Agent: So that comes to the sum of about 					 a……$1,875,000,00.

Zapruder: Wow! So you’re telling me that the government will 		pay me that amount of money for just allowing them 		to make a copy?

Agent: Well yes. 

Zapruder: I’ll do it. (He hands the film print to The Agent 		who puts it into an evidence envelope. Once 				putting it away he shakes his hand.)

Agent: I would like to thank you Mr. Zapruder for what 			 you did for your country. The Secret Service 			 thanks you very much. And on your behalf for not 		 letting the print go out in public we will leave 		 it in the National Archives so no but you and the 		 Government knows where it’s being held. 

Zapruder: Thank you for being so kind to my wishes of the 			print. 

Agent: Once you leave through that door two men dressed 		 very casually will take you and your film print 			 to make copies in an unknown location. You may 			 go.

		 (Zapruder walks over up stage right towards the 			  door.)

Agent: Hey Abe. (Zapruder turns around.) How are you 			 gonna make copies if you don’t have the film 			 print? (The Agent walks over towards Zapruder and 		 hands him the print)

Zapruder: Thank you very much a……I didn’t get you’re name. 

Agent: I doesn’t matter just go and make us proud. (He 			walks Mr. Zapruder out of the room towards the 			door. Once he exit’s The Agent walks back towards 		his chair and sits back down. He puts his hands 			covering over his face like he’s ashamed.) Dam I’m 		ashamed to be an American today. 

		(Lights fade out)

T H E  E N D