INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Filmmaker Christopher Allen has announced the title of his company’s next film production, a motion picture that delves into the mysterious and often speculated moments following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Allen’s RACSO Motion Pictures is targeting 2011 when principal photography will begin. "No other film has tackled those defining moments that took place aboard Air Force One when it left Dallas." said Allen from his studio in Carmel, Indiana. "That trip truly shaped the political landscape for the remainder of the 20th century. You had the devastated JFK people who stayed in the back of the plane, and the LBJ camp taking over in a way that most viewed as disrespectful or flat out bullying. At any given moment during this flight, you had Lyndon Johnson trying to woo Bobby Kennedy in one room, and both mistresses of Kennedy and Johnson on board at the same time. It just makes for a fascinating backdrop for one of the most terrible events in US history." Allen continued.
Allen will reconstruct segments of Air Force One’s interior, based on his research and photographs from the National Archives and touring Kennedy’s actual aircraft, which is now on permanent display at Wright Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton, Ohio. "The aircraft is called SAM 26000 (SAM stands for Specialized Air Missions), which served Presidents Kennedy through Clinton." Allen said. "The tension on that aircraft after Kennedy was killed must have been agonizing." Allen went on to add. "Our story will reconstruct all known and factual events based on our research, but not be just another political movie. I want to show the human cost of Kennedy’s death too. There’ll be fights, tears, screams and love all in one film." Allen went on to add.
Fundraising will commence immediately as Allen plans to spend most of 2011 finding the necessary cash to film. "You can’t do something like this on the cheap," commented Allen. "While I think RACSO will always be a budget conscious production company, there are some things I won’t cheapen down or cut corners on. This film is one of them." he said. The interior of SAM 26000 (JFK’s Air Force One) will be constructed and replicated to accurate detail, based on historical materials provided by the US National Archives and the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. "What also helps is that we’ll be on one location for the ninety nine percent of the shoot. It’s the perfect low budget scenario for us, relying more on the story than lavish sets." Allen stated.
Originally from Madison, Indiana, Allen has been producing independent films since 1993. Previous titles include "A Time for the Heart" (*San Diego Comic Con selection - 2010), "Star Trek vs. Batman", and "Quantum Leap: A Leap To Di For", which premiered in Hollywood in 2009. "This film won’t be conspiracy driven or glossed over. Our goal is telling a story from the heart of these characters at a significant moment in our nation’s history." Allen concluded.
