FEATURES • THE ARTS • TELEVISION • One 1, The Mike Month* Nan The BURDEN Of PROOF The Daces Morning Newt. John P Rhodes Gayle Nix Jackson and brother David Nix show a gape copy of film taken by their grandfiaher during the Kennedy assassination. OrvilleNix-filihreiiiiitit he: t hottght was a'secOnfiztlitiiiiiiii*the JFK assassination. Now--28:years later, his gran ;., • , 4., As •1. p• By Kathy Jackson naivete and his granddaughter's determi- Staff Writer of The Dallas hforolag News nation. For seven months, Gayle Nix Jackson Abraham Zapruder captured on film the has been fighting to reclaim her dead assassination of President John F. Kennedy grandfather's original film, which he sold in Dealey Plaza. But while his 8-millimeter to United Press International for $5,000 four camera was recording history with color days after the assassination. Mr. Nix and pictures of the fatal shots, it couldn't catch Burt Reinhardt, then-managing editor of what was happening behind Mr. Zapruder. UPI Newsfilm, had a verbal agreement, she Orville Nix did that. says, that the film eventually would be re- Standing on the opposite side of the turned to the Nix family. street from Mr. Zapruder, Mr. Nix filmed "We were used to handshakes and eye- what some experts now believe may be a ball deals," says Orville Nix Jr., who was second — and possibly a third — gunman. with his father when the agreement was Robert Groden, a photo analyzer and co- made. "We were a couple of country hicks author of two books on the assassination, in the Big Apple." says that he can bring those assassins out of Mrs. Jackson wants the film so she can the shadows if he has the original film. give it to Mr. Groden, who has enhanced The only thing Is, it's missing. photos of the shooting for the U.S. House Se- Whispers of betrayal, conspiracy, cover- lect Committee on Assassinations. Mr. Gro- ups and lies cloud the film's whereabouts. den says he'll put the original film on a The story involves a missing safety deposit A still photo taken from a copy of Orville Nix's film of the Please see ORVILLE on Page 2C. box, a one-sentence contract, an old man's assassination. The original film is missing. 71— Orville Nix's granddaughter isn't giving up Continued from Page 1C. tions, though, were not included in end," says Mrs. Jackson, who never- "Rack Cintel," a film-duplicating ma- "The Zapruder film the brief contract typed by Mr. theless continues her telephone cam- chine that eliminates shadows and Reinhardt. paign. "I can't believe a piece of his- brings out what the darkness shows the entire sequence The Nixes returned home the day tory like this could just be lost." conceals. closer. But the Nix film they closed the deal. Several copies of the home movie The Nix film may be one of the "The hamburgers there cost $1, exist. But Mr. Groden says it's im- most important pieces of evidence to has a great deal more and that was too expensive for their perative that the original be used to prove he (Lee Harvey Oswald) didn't value." blood," says Mrs. Jackson. analyze the grassy knoll scenes. do it," says Mr. Groden, who is from Through the years, researchers "When you duplicate a film, there Pennsylvania and is co-author of — Robert Groden, and film makers heard of Mr. Nix is a degree of loss in clarity," he says. JFK: Case for Conspiracy and High and telephoned him or traveled to Through more than 25 years of Treason. photo analyzer his Dallas home. He told them what Please see NIX on Page 6C. "The Zapruder film shows the en- he believed to be the truth: Someone Texas Gov. John Connally. tire sequence closer. But the Nix film had fired at the president from the • has a great deal more value. I know Then the limousine turned onto grassy knoll. But he was always quick 20 20 EYECARI: CENTER • 20 20 EYECARE from what I know of first-generation Elm Street. Mr. Nix quickly realized to add that whatever the government prints that It will prove the existence what was happening. He kept his said happened must have happened. of at least one other gunman — and camera rolling, aware that he was "He was of the old school. He was rDESIGNER FRAMES-1 that proves conspiracy at its most ba- recording history — and possibly the scared of the government,' says Mrs. U identity of an assassin. sic level," he says. Jackson. SALE Every day, Mrs. Jackson tele- "He told us there was another Years passed. The Warren Com- Frames by . phones London, New York, Washing- gunman over there (on the grassy mission announced that Lee Harvey Guy Larouche • Ralph s 2,900 i ton — wherever the clues lead her - knoll)," says Mrs. Jackson, 33, who Oswald acted alone. And there were Lauren Polo • Stetson often relying on her brother and sis- grew up hearing the tale from her tales of assassination witnesses dying • Cheryl Tiegs • Marchon I_ grandfather. "He said, 'I was right Sophia Loren • Bill Blass ter to keep the family's tax-consult- mysteriously. A PR. COMPLETE I ing business going. there. I know it.' Everybody around O • Jeffrey Beene "He started saying, 'I really don't • Menrad EXP. 7/27/91 I "They're the ones who cover for him is dive-bombing into the ground, want to talk about it,' " re embers and he just kept (the camera) run- O • Clear, light wt., single vision lenses me when I'm doing Kennedy stuff," Mrs. Jackson. "And I said, 'Paw-Paw, c,1 1 she says. "This has been a battle. I've ning." nothing's going to happen to you.' • really been given a hard time. They At first, Mr. Nix told everyone ho kvri ic.,..iirect to say anything FDISPOSA TIL.F. 7 r- SOFT 7 thought the shots had been think I'm tims dumb Texas woman where he about it. No one wanted to think the 6T4 I CONTACTS II CONTACTS I and I don't know anything. I'll show fired from. He told his golfing bud- government was lying — especially them.' " dies, and he told Forrest Sorrels, a him. He worked for the government I $ 1 000* I I $2000* friend at the Federal Bureau of In- 61.1 Mrs. Jackson first asked UPI to re- at General Services. ..--, per month I I ,.." pa ir I vestigation. turn the film in 1988, 25 years after "Toward the end of his life, he EXP. 7/27/91 Sph. Daily Wear 0. "He was just beside himself," Mrs. EXP. 7/27/91 the assassination. She says she didn't talk to anybody about the as- J L received letters saying the original Jackson says. sassination at all. Not at all." agreement was that UPI could have Mr. Nix rushed his film to a down- ■ the film for 28 years. town developing company. In the 20/20 Eyecare Cei So she waited three more years, middle of the night, as doctors at 4751 W. Park, Plano (1/2 Blc In January, Mrs. Jackson again Bethesda Naval Hospital performed In her desk at Orville Nix Co. In 0 called UPI in New York and asked an autopsy on the president, photo Lancaster, Mrs. Jackson has a folder All Competitor Coupons Honored stuffed with letters from the Na- that the film be returned. Now, lab employees developed Mr. Nix's O Preectinilon Requited nr tional Archives in Washington, D.C., call kit eye via minal ion aro Dibitcoakle Lenves /int/ per 111011 though, all the people she talks to say film. UPI and Worldwide Television News, they can't find it. Then they telephoned, waking • 20 20 EYECARE CENTER • 20 20 EYECARE "We have no pursuable leads our- him and telling him to come right which bought the news film section selves," says Milt Capps, senior vice away. of UPI. president for corporate affairs at UPI. "He turned the film over to the Mrs. Jackson says she was told by "It is not something that anyone here FBI the next day," Mrs. Jackson says. Mr. Reinhardt that the film was has dealt with in recent years. A lot 'They kept It for four days, along locked in a safety deposit box after It identity of an assassin. sic level," he says. Jackson. DULL Every day, Mrs. Jackson tele- "He told us there was another Years passed. The Warren. Com- I Frames by uchc • Ralph si 29 phones London, New York, Washing- gunman over there (on the grassy mission announced that Lee Harvey I Guy Laro 001 Stetson ton — wherever the clues lead her - knoll)," says Mrs. Jackson, 33, who Oswald acted alone. And there were Lauren Polo • Cheryl Tiegs • Marchon often relying on her brother and sis- grew up hearing the tale from her tales of assassination witnesses dying 1 . grandfather. "He said, 'I was right Sophia Loren • Bill Blass ter to keep the family's tax-consult- mysteriously. PR. COMPLETE there. I know it.' Everybody around • Jeffrey Beene A ing business going. "He started saying, 'I really don't EXP. 7/27/91 I "They're the ones who cover for him is dive-bombing into the ground, I • Mcnrad want to talk about it,' " remembers 12 Clear, light wt., single vision lenses me when I'm doing Kennedy stuff," and he just kept (the camera) run- Mrs. Jackson. "And I said, 'Paw-Paw, _I she says, "This has been a battle.