A previously unseen 8mm home movie filmed by Dale Carpenter Sr. in Dallas on November 22, 1963, was sold by RR Auction for $137,500 on September 28, 2024. It shows the motorcade before the assassination and, briefly, on Interstate 35 as it headed to Parkland Memorial Hospital. It does not show the shooting itself.
What the newly discovered JFK film shows
Carpenter’s original 8mm color silent film captures two distinct moments from the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The first is the motorcade before the shooting. Later, a segment of about ten seconds shows the presidential limousine traveling on I-35 toward Parkland Memorial Hospital, according to the Associated Press (AP’s report).
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Secret Service agent Clint Hill is visible on the rear of the limousine, and the AP reported that Jacqueline Kennedy’s pink suit can be seen. The freeway images document the aftermath and the rush to the hospital—not the assassination itself.
Who filmed it, and how it reached auction
Dale Carpenter Sr. recorded the film in Dallas on November 22, 1963. His grandson, James Gates, told the AP that the family knew Carpenter had filmed that day, though the footage was not often discussed. A box of family films eventually passed to Gates, who recalled seeing the freeway segment: “That was shocking.”
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RR Auction sold the film on September 28, 2024, for $137,500. The AP independently reported the sale and said the buyer wished to remain anonymous. RR Auction’s lot record describes the material and the terms attached to the sale.
Can you watch the footage now?
At the time of the AP’s 2024 report, RR Auction had released still images from the I-35 segment but was not publicly releasing that video. The sources cited here do not establish whether the footage can be viewed publicly today, who currently owns the film, or what access arrangements may exist.
The auction lot record stated that the sale included the seller’s copyright ownership and interest, subject to a non-exclusive licensing agreement for a small portion in the documentary Agent Number Nine. It said that agreement expired on March 5, 2025; it does not establish the current copyright status or ownership.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How this footage differs from the Zapruder film
The Carpenter film is not a newly discovered recording of the shooting. It documents the motorcade before the assassination and the journey toward Parkland afterward. Abraham Zapruder’s well-known film, by contrast, records the assassination itself. The Sixth Floor Museum’s Zapruder film FAQ provides background on that footage and lists David Wrone’s book The Zapruder Film: Reframing JFK’s Assassination as further reading; it is context on assassination footage, not a book established as covering Carpenter’s film.
The museum’s collection also includes films and artifacts related to the assassination and its aftermath, including the Jack Daniel Collection and ten seconds of footage of the immediate aftermath, as noted in its collection announcement. Such archival material makes provenance, preservation, and access important parts of how historical footage is understood.
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