The assassination of JFK and the life of Lee Harvey Oswald
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Political Ascendancy
JFK rises to presidency while Oswald begins his troubled path
Key Events
JFK Inauguration — Kennedy sworn in as 35th President Characters: John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird JohnsonLocation: Washington D.C.
Oswald Defection — Oswald defects to USSR with wife Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald, Marina Oswald, Marguerite OswaldLocation: Soviet Union
Cuban Missile Crisis — Kennedy handles Cold War confrontation Characters: John F. Kennedy, Robert F. KennedyLocation: White House
Oswald Returns — Oswald returns to US with family Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald, Marina Oswald, Marguerite OswaldLocation: Dallas
Collision Course
Oswald settles in Dallas while JFK plans controversial visit
Key Events
Oswald Hired — Oswald gets job at assassination location Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald, Richard SnyderLocation: Texas School Book Depository
Dallas Trip Planned — Kennedy plans controversial Dallas visit Characters: John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Robert F. KennedyLocation: White House
Day of Infamy
The assassination and its immediate chaotic aftermath
Key Events
Motorcade Through Dallas — Kennedy rides through Dallas streets Characters: John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey OswaldLocation: Dealey Plaza
Assassination — Kennedy shot and killed in Dallas Characters: John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey OswaldLocation: Dealey Plaza
Oswald Arrested — Oswald captured after police shootout Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald, Richard Snyder, John FainLocation: Theater
National Mourning
Nation grieves as investigations begin
Key Events
Ruby Shoots Oswald — Ruby assassinates Oswald before trial Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, Richard SnyderLocation: Police Station
Kennedy Funeral — Nation mourns fallen president Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Lady Bird JohnsonLocation: Washington D.C.
Warren Commission — Official investigation into assassination Characters: Robert F. Kennedy, Jack Ruby, John FainLocation: Washington D.C.
Story Breakdown
Political Ascendancy — JFK's rise to presidency and Oswald's early life
JFK Presidency — Early years and major events
Oswald's Path — From troubled youth to defection
Collision Course — Events leading to the fateful Dallas visit
Dallas Connection — Oswald in Texas
The Visit — Planning and preparation
Day of Infamy — The assassination and immediate aftermath
The Shooting — Events in Dealey Plaza
Chaos Ensues — Aftermath and investigation
National Mourning — Aftermath and investigations
Funeral — Nation mourns
Investigations — Official inquiries
Drama documentary based on Bill O'Reilly's and Martin Dugard's 2012 non-fiction book "Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot". It follows the parallel lives of John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald from the winter 1959-1960 to those fatal days in Dallas in November 1963, when they both died within two days after each other and were buried on the same day - John F. Kennedy in a state funeral in Washington D.C., broadcast live both to Europe and the Pacific, while Oswald was buried in Forth Worth at a small funeral where the attending reporters were asked to act as pallbearers.
