Reporter
An award winning filmmaker is coming to Baylor to clear up the mystery surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and his killer’s subsequent capture once and for all.
Charles Poe, a Baylor alumnus who serves as the vice president of production for the Smithsonian Networks, will be at Baylor today to present his film, “The Day Kennedy Died.”
The film will be shown at 3:30 p.m. in Kayser Auditorium in the Hankamer School of Business.
The film’s presentation is a free event sponsored by Baylor’s journalism, public relations and new media department, and is open to the public.
Margaret Kramer, office manager of the department, said Baylor was fortunate to be able to have Poe present the film on campus.
“Charles Poe is showing the film in Dallas on Wednesday, but because he is a Baylor alum, he actually offered to present it here the very next day,” Kramer said. “It is a high-budget, well-made documentary, and I encourage students to go see it.”
“The Day Kennedy Died” was made in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, which is on Nov. 22. The documentary will not air on television until 8 p.m. Nov. 17.
“The Day Kennedy Died” is a 92-minute documentary detailing the events that unfolded leading up to Kennedy’s assassination on Nov. 22, 1963, and the investigation that followed.
The film, which is narrated by Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, features interviews with firsthand witnesses of Kennedy’s assassination or those who were involved in the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Poe graduated from Baylor in 1989 and was the editor of The Baylor Lariat during his time as a student. He won a George Foster Peabody Award for another of his films titled “MLK: the Assassination Tapes.”
Kramer said Poe’s question-and-answer session following the presentation of “The Day Kennedy Died” should include information regarding the inner workings of the film.
“The Q&A session will include any information Poe wants to give about creating the documentary,” Kramer said.
Frisco sophomore Cramer Brooks said he has been hearing about the film’s coming for a while now and that it has been gathering a lot of hype from his peers.
“The fact that it gets to air to us Baylor students on campus before the rest of the nation gets to see it is pretty awesome,” Brooks said.
Brooks also said he was curious about how the Secret Service conducted its investigation in searching for Kennedy’s killer.
“I’ve always been skeptical about conspiracy theories regarding JFK’s assassination,” Brooks said. “I can’t wait to see how the documentary proves the killer’s identity to the public once and for all.”
Buda junior Marcus Lakos said he hopes the film will remind people about the legacy of Kennedy’s life and the tragedy of his death.
“While it’s cool that this is airing on Baylor’s campus before nearly anywhere else, I hope people don’t just go to see the film for that reason,” Lakos said. “I hope people will be more excited to hear about how JFK’s death changed the nation.”
