Mark Lane and Executive Action (1973)

My free history lesson for the month of November 2013. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the murder of JFK in Dallas, Texas. Let's now go back in time to 1973 and Richard Nixon's downfall.

Marking the 10th anniversary of that murderous day was a film called "Executive Action", en.wikipedia.org...(film) released on November 7, 1973. Richard Nixon screened this film at Camp David sometime in January of 1974. www.press.uchicago.edu... So you ought to watch it, too. This film will be required viewing for this course, so go rent it. I won't spoil it for you.


Mark Lane en.wikipedia.org...(author) is credited as one of the writers of "Executive Action (1973)". Lane is notable for his 1966 JFK conspiracy benchmark novel "Rush To Judgement". en.wikipedia.org...

In Lane's book "Plausible Denial" he said that he only worked on the first draft of the screenplay. Twelve years later Mark Lane would be representing the Rev. Jim Jones and the People's Temple. en.wikipedia.org...

Mark Lane was also present in Guyana, on November 18, 1978 when the 920 Jonestown victims were slaughtered, including the US Congressman Leo Ryan and three journalists.

Lane represented James Earl Ray, King's assassin, before the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) inquiry in 1978. The HSCA said of Lane in its report, "Many of the allegations of conspiracy that the committee investigated were first raised by Mark Lane ... [A]s has been noted, the facts were often at variance with Lane's assertions ... Lane was willing to advocate conspiracy theories publicly without having checked the factual basis for them ... Lane's conduct resulted in public misperception about the assassination of Dr. King and must be condemned."

I really don't know what to make of Mark Lane. He seems to be involved in a lot of controversy and conspiracy.

What I really wanna know is what do you ATS'ers think about Mark Lane on the eve of the JFK 50th anniversary?

(I almost opened this thread in BTS/Movies but I figured the best place would be Conspiracy Theorists.)

2nd post:

Can we get Mark Lane to come on ATS for 'Ask Me Anything' thread? That would be outstanding!

Like you, Lane presents me with a dilemma. On the one hand he's certainly brought much to light as far as JFK goes, but his work in that field is also pretty shoddy at times.

His relationship to the probable CIA MK-ULTRA experiment known as The People's Temple/Jonestown is also disturbing.

Is he some kind of twisted agent of dark powers whose role is to give the heads up for mega-rituals or some bizarre such? I admit to confusion, but I'm also dumbfounded by his ties--and the high-strangeness synchronicity--to such dark deeds.

Great post and good call on a very twisted and strange conspiracy...of some sort...whatever it is??

Without him, however, the muderous coup of JFK would probably never have captured our attention to the blessed degree it has. WTF?! Was it a mistake by the architects of globalism? Meaning was the shoddier aspects of his work meant to kill the public interest/belief in a homegrown and in-house conspiracy, but the details he was right on somehow backfired and instead vetoed the reverse-psychology?

Maybe he went rogue and sabotaged his handlers? Or maybe he's just a good guy in the wrong place at the wrong time as far as Jonestown goes, and in the right place at the right time to bust out the dastardly assassins of JFK?

Yeah...let's see if we can get him for an AMA...

Jonestown and the CIA

I have always found Mark Lane to be a little strange. For someone who appears to work with a liberal-humanist bent, something about him doesn't smell right. He appears at the epicenter of a large number of major conspiracy events, and my suspicion is that he's a spook, masquerading as a liberal lawyer. I've no doubt that the 'Central Intelligence Agency' could easily plant someone in that role, for their own agenda. I'm willing to accept I could be completely off-base here, but I remember reading an article years ago which suggested that same argument quite convincingly. I believe it was a book called 'Secret and Suppressed' which was unfortunately destroyed in a house-fire, when I broke my own rule and lent out one of my prize books to a friend. The article was an in-depth analysis of the Jonestown events which have convinced me to this day that it was part of an MK-ULTRA type operation.

In 1973's "Executive Action" www.imdb.com... Burt Lancaster plays the role of James Farrington, a man who has been setting up assassinations for a long time. Earlier in the movie he told Robert Foster, as played by Robert Ryan, that this operation will be his last. At the end of the film Foster says that Farrington is dead of a heart attack at Parkland Hospital, adding a small, knowing smile, at the end the film.

It's hard to say what this smile means; either James Farrington has faked his death and retired from the business of assassination... or, Farrington has been silenced by the Robert Ryan character.

Here is actor Robert Ryan in the role of Robert Foster and he bears a strong resemblance to John Connally.
It should be noted that actor Robert Ryan died on July 11, 1973, four months prior to the theatrical release of "Executive Action".



Here is actor Will Greer in the role of Harold Ferguson, the Texas oil magnate, who bears a remarkable resemblance to LBJ in 1973.

I stayed at a compound in Mountain Home Idaho that Mark Lane provided for us ....in the anti-war days of the 70's

GBP/JPY
I stayed at a compound in Mountain Home Idaho that Mark Lane provided for us ....in the anti-war days of the 70's

Lanes' history is starting to sound pretty far-fetched and exceptionally unbelievable, like he's some kind of CIA super-agent out of a spy novel. He gets prime assignments, but I wonder if he had a license to kill.

Any ATS movie buffs out there? "Executive Action" (1973) sure has a lot of trivia behind it. Once we uncover some of the trivia it might help us to better understand some of the quirky historical narratives at play during the 1960's which could include Richard Nixon, Donald Trumbo, JFK, Mark Lane and other possible leads to the assassination.

First we need some sources.
1. Dalton Trumbo wiki en.wikipedia.org...
2. Richard Nixon's screening list by Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe www.press.uchicago.edu...
3. Dalton Trumbo's filmography at IMDB www.imdb.com...

Next, we'll take Nixon's screening list and scan it for films connected to Donald Trumbo. There are 6 hits.

FILMS by TRUMBO (year of release) + DATA of NIXON SCREENING
----------------------------------------
Roman Holiday (1953) 10/18/69 @ White House
Hawaii (1966) 2/13/70 @ Key Biscayne, Florida
Spartacus (1963) 1/29/71 @ Caneel Bay Plantation (President John F. Kennedy crossed picket lines to see the movie)
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944) 9/26/72 @ Camp David
Lonely Are The Brave (1962) 9/30/1973 @ Camp David
Executive Action (1973) Jan/74 @ Camp David

It's important, I think, to understand Nixon's relationship to Communism in the 1950's because he was a Commie Hunter, arguably of a better calibre than Senator Joe McCarthy even was. Donald Trumbo wrote the screenplay for "Executive Action". Trumbo was also one of hundreds of people hunted and black-listed by Hollywood studios AND the House Un-American Activities committee (of which Nixon served when he was in the Congress).

We can only imagine what Nixon was thinking when he screened Trumbo's "Executive Action" (1973) knowing that the film had been removed from theaters less than a month after it was released.

Although the Hollywood black-list era had largely ended by the early 1960's it figures that "Executive Action" was treated with the same censorship attitude of a black-listed film because,

The criticism of the film and its suggestion of a Military-industrial complex conspiracy led to the film being removed totally from the movie theaters by early December 1973 and getting no TV/Video runs until the 1980s and mid-1990s, when it got legal release and distribution for TV and video. Source en.wikipedia.org...(film)

One might wonder how Richard Nixon copped a print of a "black listed" film after all copies had been withdrawn. One might wonder what RN was thinking when he screened "Executive Action" and all the memories that it would dredge up for him... the HUAC, the dedicated, rabid anti-communism, the black-listed Trumbo, in the context of a military-industrial war (Viet Nam) that could not be won.

One more thing to remember: the reality of Richard Nixon's presence in Dallas on November 22, 1963.

One more striking case of the look-a-like actor in "Executive Action (1973)" is the lead actor, Burt Lancaster, in the role of James Farrington, the man who sells the assassination plot to the backers and coordinates the assassin teams. It took me awhile to figure out who he might be... I think Illinois senator Everett Dirksen (R) en.wikipedia.org... is a good match for Lancaster. (Hint: it's the hair.)

This is not to say that the actors selected for the film were meant to portray the exact actions of their look-a-likes in the real world. However unlikely, the actors in Executive Action do bear strong resemblances to many of the major political players in the conspiracy to kill JFK.

The screenplay fullfills the conspiracy storyline but the casting provides a mixed up, hodge-podge of who's who in that conspiracy.

There was a very good reason that Executive Action was removed from the theaters less than one month after it was released in November of 1973... the reason was the film was too close to reality.

Those of you who know your conspiracy theories and how November 22 connects to the Bay of Pigs and Watergate will also find suitable look-a-likes (placeholders) for Frank Sturgis and Virgilio Gonzalez, as members of the assassination team.

A summary.

Mark Lane is perhaps the best known JFK assassination research expert in the world. Executive Action (1973) is a film which Mark Lane helped to write. It was released in November of 1973 and quickly removed from theaters. Richard Nixon screened this film at Camp David sometime in January of 1974.

There are no less than 5 look alike actors in this movie, although they are look alikes, they may be placeholders; they are characters who were involved in the assassination in some way, but not in the way portrayed exactly in the film.

According to the film, "Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental."

Well, five actors bear remarkable resemblance to LBJ, John Connally, Senator Everett Dirksen, Frank Sturgis and Virgilio Gonzalez. You be the judge, ATS.

SayonaraJupiter
Any ATS movie buffs out there?
-- snip --

You bet!! Watched the entire flick this afternoon. You've provided links to a bunch of good stuff. I'll be back when I've read and digested more of it. The movie is very well done. Great thread. S&F

CornShucker

SayonaraJupiter
Any ATS movie buffs out there?
-- snip --

You bet!! Watched the entire flick this afternoon. You've provided links to a bunch of good stuff. I'll be back when I've read and digested more of it. The movie is very well done. Great thread. S&F

The first time I watched Executive Action I was like "okay that is a pretty good conspiracy theory."

When I watched it the second and third time I started to notice that these characters in the movie were bearing a resemblance to certain characters in the JFK conspiracy!

It's craazy. This movie was made in 1973 and so few people know about it. Tell us what you think about it when you watch it again!

I am much more than impressed by this movie. As you said, the physical similarities are so spot on that I'm left feeling as if I'd watched a documentary rather than a movie.

Burt Lancaster might as well have posed for that Time magazine cover. There are many easily identified characters. I can see why there were some powerful people who were inclined to insist this flick be "sat upon".

Anyone interested in the assassination should watch this at least twice.

This latest cluster headache couldn't have come at a worse time. The anniversary always tends to depress me and this year was made much worse by seeing the statistics on how well the myth is becoming accepted history. (They've finally broken the 30% mark for those willing to swallow the tripe about Oswald acting alone)

I could have done without hearing the two young guys say on their blog that it will take all the "old conspiracy geezers" passing away to finally do away with having to listen to ridiculous stories every year. Without a doubt, they believe that Lincoln was killed by a lone nut. The truth should be taught in schools.

reply to post by CornShucker

I am much more than impressed by this movie. As you said, the physical similarities are so spot on that I'm left feeling as if I'd watched a documentary rather than a movie.

Burt Lancaster might as well have posed for that Time magazine cover. There are many easily identified characters. I can see why there were some powerful people who were inclined to insist this flick be "sat upon".

Anyone interested in the assassination should watch this at least twice.

I don't know a whole hell of a lot about Everett Dirsken (Republican, Ilinois) except that he was pro-civil rights and a jingo, pro-military industrial, anti-communist. His wikipedia biography, en.wikipedia.org...

To my surprise, Dirsken has some Hollywood credentials,

Dirksen made a cameo appearance, not identified by name but effectively portraying himself, in the 1969 film The Monitors, www.imdb.com... a low-budget science-fiction movie in which invading extraterrestrials assert political dominion over the human race, claiming to do so for humanity's benefit. He also appeared in several other movies.

Dirksen died in September 1969. LBJ died in January 1972, both died before the release of "Executive Action (1973)". Richard Nixon screened this movie in January of 1974, although, I did not find any actors in the movie that resembled Richard Nixon at all, perhaps that is a clue of some sort?

Knowing that Nixon loved movies (he watched over 500+ films during his presidency alone) I think that Nixon would have been very relieved to see that "Executive Action" in that none of the actors looked like himself!

Although, I am sure, that Nixon would have seen the resemblance of LBJ, Dirksen, Connally, and Nixon would have also noticed the resemblance of Watergate burglars Frank Sturgis, and Virgilio Gonzalez, because his two Plumbers had already been convicted for the burglary. Notice the timing? Nixon would not have missed those connections.

In January 1973, Frank Sturgis, E. Howard Hunt, Virgilio Gonzalez, Eugenio Martinez, Bernard Barker, G. Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord were convicted of conspiracy, burglary and wiretapping. en.wikipedia.org...

Now back to the actor Burt Lancaster, who also starred in an earlier film about a military coup in Washington D.C., it was called "Seven Days in May (1964)" www.imdb.com... in which he plays a high ranking, well respected Gen. James Matoon Scott, that accuses the administration (the fictional President Jordan Lyman) of being soft on communism... where have we heard that phrase before? We most often hear that phrase in connection to JFK's presidency.

reply to post by SayonaraJupiter


Executive Action is on utube if anyone is interested.

guitarplayer
reply to post by SayonaraJupiter

 

Executive Action is on utube if anyone is interested.

Yes it is and I'm very surprised there hasn't been more comment in this thread about Mark Lane's involvement with "Executive Action" and his associations with the People's Temple and James Earl Ray.

This film revealed a fully formed conspiracy theory for the JFK assassination, in theatrical release since November of 1973, the film was quickly removed from theaters by December of 1973, yet Nixon screened it at Camp David in January 1974.

Lane also seems to support the idea that "presumes that U.S. forces killed Jonestown survivors." Source wikipedia.

Maybe Mark Lane is too much of legendary figure that we cannot question his antics?

Best movie about JFK and the Military in history. Also, in Stone's epic, they were Generals and Admirals whom LBJ was addressing when he told them he was gonna give 'em their damn war. We live under a military dictatorship previous and subsequent to that in which military-americans play the roles of policy maker, enforcer, informant, and beneficiary. And, it's global. I joined to say that. Oh and # military-americans. I wanted to say that, too.

reply to post by nomilitaryamerica


the op started this thread in a stellar manner but then started sidetracking into questions pertaining to mark lane's legitimacy. I apologise for sidetracking this thread for presuming the bigger issue was a film that accurately depicted the flesh and bones of a coup d' etat planned and staffed by the u.s. military