AMERICAN HOMICIDE: NARRATIVE AS DISINFORMATION by Ian David A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Arts School of Literature, Art and Media Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Sydney University 2017 AMERICAN HOMICIDE: NARRATIVE AS DISINFORMATION Declaration Abstract Acknowledgements “American Homicide” Screenplay Dissertation: 1JFK 1 2 The Narratives 2 3 Wall of Mirrors 7 4 Damage Control 8 5 Hidden Motives of the American Anti-hero 9 6 The Patsy 11 7 Cold War Child 12 8 A Little Mass of Stars 16 9 The Minds of Others 17 10 Affective Logic 18 11 The Screenplay 20 12 The Double Agent 24 Bibliography References DECLARATION I, Ian David, hereby declare that this thesis is my own original work, except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that the work contained within this dissertation has not been submitted to any other university or institution as a part of whole requirement for any other degree. ABSTRACT The critical function of narrative is to reveal character; a process of describing motivation. Without motive we can observe, but not judge, a character’s actions. In 1963, President John Kennedy had many enemies with powerful motives to see him removed, one way or the other, from the administration of the United States. When Kennedy was assassinated, Lee Oswald, the man declared by the Warren Commission to be the assassin, was deemed to have no discernible motive for the crime. Constructing a narrative from the best available evidence offers an instrument revealing Lee Oswald had a motive for actions that did not include the assassination of John Kennedy. Moreover, those who were motivated to assassinate the president constructed a false narrative to imply Oswald’s guilt and in so doing implied their own. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply indebted to the Australian taxpayer for providing a Research Scholarship to undertake this work, and the University of Sydney for offering me the means to complete that work in a nurturing environment. I am grateful to Sue Woolfe for starting me on this journey; Liam Semler, Judith Beveridge, Peter Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Johinke and Peter Marks for their invaluable support and guidance along the way; Barbara Kearns, who kept me on the path and my Supervisor, David Kelly, for his generosity, patience and wisdom. AMERICAN HOMICIDE Screenplay by Ian David The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. President John F. Kennedy Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City April 27, 1961 311217 © Copyright 2017 1 INT 214 WEST NEELY ST, DALLAS DAY 240463 1 A baby’s cry echoes through an untidy, rundown apartment. From the kitchen, LEE Oswald (23) carries his baby daughter, JUNE, to his pregnant wife MARINA (21) sitting on the toilet, puffing on a cigarette. MARINA (in Russian) You fucking guy, you can’t even carry a baby! Lee’s a serious young man, weedy with narrow shoulders and thinning hair. He looks older, but he’s just a boy. LEE (in Russian) If things work out I’ll come and get you. MARINA (in Russian) If you say so… yeah, sure. She’s hurt his feelings. LEE (in Russian) You want this to work out, don’t you? MARINA (in Russian) You idiot. Marina kicks the toilet door shut and the front doorbell rings. LEE (to door, in Russian) I’m going to make it work. New Orleans is where all my family come from. I’ve got contacts there. Lee hurries back down the cluttered hall to open the front door to RUTH Paine (30), a slender, austere figure in blouse and long skirt. LEE Marina’s not ready. EXT 214 WEST NEELY ST, DALLAS DAY 240463 2 In the driveway, Ruth opens the back of her station wagon for Lee to pack a baby’s bassinet, bags and suitcases. He’s eager to get away. RUTH Where will you stay? LEE An aunt. 2 RUTH And she knows you’re coming? LEE She took care of me when I was small. They live in Lakeview, that part of town. RUTH I don’t know New Orleans very well. She’s a nice person? LEE Last I heard. With June on her hip, Marina carries out a bundle of blankets for Lee, but he takes the baby. LEE Hello, Junie… hi, Junie. (nuzzles his face into her chest) MARINA (in Russian) Don’t, Alik. LEE (in Russian) She likes it… she loves her Papa. Marina dumps the blankets in the station wagon. She has a coarseness about her, despite her sweet, waifish face. Ruth pats her and climbs behind the wheel. Lee hands the baby back and throws his two duffel bags onto the backseat of the station wagon. RUTH (to Marina) I’ll be back in half an hour. EXT DALLAS BUS DEPOT DAY 240463 3 Lee stows his duffel bags in the luggage bay of a Greyhound bus and climbs aboard. INT GREYHOUND COACH DAY 250463 4 Lee wakes, his head against the window, to the dawn lights of New Orleans and the strains of Chubby Checker’s ‘Let’s Twist Again’. TITLES: AMERICAN HOMICIDE 3 INT MURRET HOUSE (NEW ORLEANS) DAY 250463 5 Lee eats at the kitchen table while his Aunt LILLIAN (63), a small, portly southern belle, cooks pancakes. Lee can see into the living room where his Uncle Charles ‘DUTZ’ Murret (62) wolfs a pancake, watching Cassius Clay on television, sparring in a London gym. LEE Betcha a dollar he whips that English fighter. DUTZ I got better ways to lose a dollar. LEE Betcha he does it in three rounds. DUTZ I’ll hold you to that, son. Aunt Lillian slides another pancake onto Lee’s plate. LEE Soon as I find a job, I’m sending for Marina and Junie. They love this kinda food. Frypan in hand, Lillian looks in on Dutz, he’s very pleased with Clay’s gliding low-glove shuffle. LILLIAN (to Dutz) You done? DUTZ Don’t he look good! Louisiana, done itself proud with that boy. With a fearsome punch, Cassius Clay knocks a speed ball clear off its wall mount and Dutz leaps out of his chair, almost breaking the braces holding the pants over his paunch. DUTZ Whoa! Amused at Dutz’s endorsement of the champion, Lee mops up his syrup. LILLIAN What are you doing tomorrow? LEE Gonna find my daddy. 4 EXT LAKEVIEW CEMETERY DAY 280463 6 Lee stalks a line of head stones until he stops at an overgrown grave to read the weathered stone… ‘Robert E. Lee Oswald, Died August 19th, 1939’ EXT 544 CAMP ST, NEW ORLEANS DAY 010563 7 Lee checks the entrance to 544 Camp St, then sets to climbing the creaking stairs into the dark to find… INT BANISTER’S OFFICE CONTINUOUS 010563 8 … DELPHINE Roberts (56), typist and office guardian. One look at Lee and she goes back to her letter. LEE Is Mr. Banister here? DELPHINE Your name? LEE Lee Oswald. DELPHINE You know Mancuso’s? INT MANCUSO’S RESTAURANT DAY 010563 9 The dark chocolate décor hits like a fist. In a corner booth, Guy BANISTER (56) is as chewed up and hard-bitten as the stogie jammed between his teeth. Sam Spade didn’t have much class, but Banister can’t match it. With his grim, wide face, off-the-peg suit, and hair combed back, he’s full of street justice and uninformed opinion. He loves breaking noses. BANISTER Where are you staying? LEE With my uncle Dutz. BANISTER Dutz Murret, Dave knows Dutz. Across the table, David FERRIE (45) is a sight even for poor eyes… due to his alopecia praecox, he’s stationed a red, ratty drugstore toupée over his scalp and drawn a pair of arching eyebrows on his forehead with black liner. BANISTER Dave’s good for a laugh, but if I want a drinking buddy... 5 FERRIE And if I wanted to pickle my liver, I’d take it out and put it in a jar. BANISTER You drink, Lee? LEE Don’t drink, sir, and I don’t smoke. BANISTER Well, I supposed somebody has to. FERRIE For Pete’s sake, Guy, leave him alone. BANISTER (to Oswald) You’ve been highly recommended. Dave’s been helping me with the desegregation campaign, but I’ve got some thing else for you. LEE Yes, sir. BANISTER We don’t want this garbage program run by nigger-lovers in D.C. LEE I’m not comfortable with that term, sir. BANISTER It’s my way of talking. If you’re uncomfortable, well, it don’t bother me. LEE I’m a supporter of better race relations. BANISTER Made a study of it, have you? LEE I read books and try to keep learning as much as I can. BANISTER Well, they say a self-educated man has a fool for a teacher. But, I suppose we should be talking about your job. LEE That’s why I’m here. 6 BANISTER You like the smell of coffee? Oh, shit, what am I saying, who doesn’t? FERRIE It’s unAmerican not to like coffee. BANISTER That’s right. (to Lee) William B. Reily Coffee Company, just down the street… go and ask for Alfred, a man called Alfred Claude, tell him I sent you.