Wednesday, August 5, 2009

UFO: The Motion Picture Script (Part 13)


Newhouse's film of multiple UFOs is shown to a room filled with high-ranking military officers accompanied by Al Chop. The script calls for Chop (Towers) to narrate extensively about technical details, but most of this, wisely, was put into words on the screen toward the end of "U.F.O." for the audience to read before viewing the Utah and Montana films for the last time.

Of special interest to UFO researchers: This wasn't at all made clear in the movie, but there were two generals portrayed, each sitting in during the Newhouse film's airing, and though neither was identified, the actors were playing the roles of Generals John Samford and Roger Ramey. That, above all, indicates how important official Washington believed the Newhouse film might be to national security. Samford and Ramey, almost certainly, served among other architects (leading to 1953's "Robertson Panel" report) regarding the government's future clamp-down on UFO publicity passing through official channels. 1952 was the last year when the U.S. government openly kept the public informed about substantial UFO activity and sightings of impressive integrity. In fact, after the film's final airing in the room, the only words spoken ("How about that?") were spoken by General Samford, soon to officiate at an energized press conference following the later-depicted Washington UFO chase.

The script and movie progress to a brief but chilling meeting between Chop and Maj. Fournet, where the latter informs public information officer Chop that the Newhouse film's final analysis is in, and the official conclusion is "unknowns."

Before further exploration of the script, I should mention a couple of names I've really not paid any attention to at all. One is movie director Winston Jones and the other is Clarence Greene's partner, Russell Rouse. Not to be unkind, but director Jones, formerly a Hollywood movie prop manager, likely did exactly what Greene wanted him to do, and Rouse seems to have been totally hands-off. From everything I've seen, I believe this was strictly Greene's "baby," and after writer Martin and others did the research and whipped a reasonable portrayal of official UFO history together they were off and running -- under Greene's thumb. This is not a criticism of Greene, for I think he did a superb job with a low budget spread among a few highly dedicated people -- and to have gained the trust and cooperation of Chop, Ruppelt, Fournet, Swanson, Mariana, Newhouse, Sperry and others who truly "lived the story of the UFO" is simply phenomenal.

We'll get back to the movie next time, but for now I wanted to make these things clear, and to express how saddened and disappointed I remain that no movie industry or government officials ever gave "U.F.O." the profound historical tribute it richly deserves. Yes, I truly believe that Greene's production is the most important motion picture ever made.