Patterson-Gimlin Film

In 1859, proto-science fiction author Fitz James O'Brien wrote a story called 'What Was It?' (about an invisible humanoid figure that is briefly captured but never identified), and that's likely to be the question on the lips of most viewers after seeing the Roger Patterson-Bob Gimlin Bigfoot film for the first time. Because, while these fifty-nine seconds of mostly shaky footage have been lauded as the gold standard of evidence in favor of Bigfoot's existence, they do not--in and of themselves--actually prove anything. Patterson and Gimlin were the only witnesses to the event, and the circumstances under which the film was shot remain ambiguous. Skeptics are unlikely to be swayed by the fact that a number of scientists (Grover Krantz, Dmitri Donskoy, Jeff Meldrum, et al.) from various disciplines have concluded, after careful analysis, that the film is genuine. But the real value of this footage lies in its capacity to induce wonder. In 2017, people still watch in utter fascination as the creature briefly turns to look at Patterson and Gimlin before lumbering into the autumn woods, and the passage of five decades has not diminished the power of this moment. *Are* there more things in heaven and earth than were dreamt of in Horatio's philosophy? Perhaps, and the possibility that this film represents a close encounter with one of them explains its enduring appeal.

Patterson-Gimlin Film (1967)

This footage shot by Bob Gimlin and Roger Patterson is perhaps the most famous amateur footage every recorded next to the John F. Kennedy assassination. These 39 seconds have been debates endlessly for decades and the debate only continues to grow with each passing year. As a "film" this is impossible to really rate, although there's no denying its historic nature no matter whether you believe it's real or fake. As for me, I like to pretend that the footage is real and that it was a one-in-a-million shot that they were able to capture it. The rough nature of the footage, to me, shows some proof that perhaps it wasn't staged. I mean, these two men weren't professional filmmakers so they probably wouldn't think to make it look like raw footage in hopes people like me would think this proved it to be real. In other words, there are so many sighting videos out there that just look too clean. Too professional. Too well-shot. This here is none of them and it does have that look as if these men just came across something and rushed to get what footage they could.

Ah, Bigfoot! These 952 frames of shaky 16mm colour footage have contributed more to the plight of cryptozoology than any piece of evidence besides Robert Kenneth Wilson's 1934 "Surgeon's photograph" of the Loch Ness Monster {now widely considered a hoax}. Additionally, it might also be the second most widely-viewed amateur footage ever taken, runner-up only to Abraham Zapruder's grisly images of President Kennedy's assassination. To the untrained eye, 'Bigfoot (1967)' may simply appear to show a man in a particularly well-constructed ape-man suit traipsing through the forest, but those with experience can tell you better – it surely depicts a large, hairy bipedal apelike figure, a species unknown to science, which had momentarily emerged from its wilderness paradise to oversee the filming of Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin's Bigfoot documentary. If you think you can detect a hint of sarcasm in that remark, then you're completely correct, as nothing could convince me that the figure in the Patterson-Gimlin footage is anything but a hoax, albeit an ingenious one.

As a youth, I was consistently fascinated by the field of cryptozoology. Even more so than plain zoology, it really fired the imagination to consider what enigmatic creatures may be roaming the wilderness, just waiting to stumble across our paths and into science. Hell, I even once struck out into the Grampians in search of the black panther that is rumoured to roam the region, a species reportedly released into the Bush by American servicemen during WWII {our investigation was interesting but rather inconclusive}. However, I've never given much belief to the notion of Bigfoot; for me it seems wholly beyond the realms of credibility. Peculiarly, most continents have their own variations on a common theme – the Sasquatch or Bigfoot of North America, the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal, the Yeren of mainland China, the Orang Pendek of Indonesia, and the Yowie of Australia. Perhaps it's only natural for humans to envision a hidden human-like species, more closely related to us than the chimpanzee or gorilla.

I don't wish to launch into any in-depth discussion on the implausibility of an undiscovered hominid existing in North America. It would only serve to alienate those who do believe in such a thing, and what's life all about if we can't use our imaginations? However, given that I've established my stance that the film is a fabrication, I'd like to analyse a few details to ascertain why the footage has proved such a cultural phenomenon. First of all, the ape-suit is convincing, at least from a distance, and at least while being shot with a shaky camera. The actor {Bob Heironimus, allegedly} walks with a stooped back, uses padding to expand his frame but otherwise walks with an assuredly human-like gait. Most importantly of all, he looks back! Such a detail should not be underestimated, for it is this legendary frame 352 – an image of a potentially-inhuman entity glaring directly at the viewer with clear recognition and even a certain degree of contempt – that has enduringly captured the collective public consciousness.

Just one year before 'The Planet of the Apes (1968)' and '2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)' unveiled very impressive ape-man costumes that were convincing at close range, it's not difficult to believe that Patterson got his hands on a simple animal suit that would have been quite sufficient for his purposes. When he passed away in 1972, Patterson gave no hint that he had fabricated his Bigfoot. Perhaps he was simply being noble, protecting the credibility of his fellow filmmaker, or perhaps there's even greater glory to be found in the fact that nobody will ever know the truth. Gimlin is still around, and delivers occasional lectures on the search for Bigfoot, but you sense that Patterson was the real mastermind behind the ruse. There's also the slight possibility that both filmmakers are completely earnest, and that a third party decided to take them for a ride, but surely such an elaborate prank would have been far too difficult without the filmmakers' cooperation. That this footage is fabricated certainly doesn't negate its importance or cultural value – the myth of Bigfoot owes its continued existence to 952 seconds of shaky home video.

I'm a very open minded person, but I will admit legit proof or seeing something with my own eyes REALLY helps. This short clip is the end all be all footage of Bigfoot. But from documentaries and research I've seen from the 1970's up till now, this is my opinion.

Patterson was making a documentary ON BIGFOOT at the time of this footage. I believe for the documentary, he shot footage of a costumed preformer to put into the documentary, but after seeing the footage, and how realistic it looked as a genuine encounter and the subject being far enough away from the camera to look really good, he ditched the documentary all together and sold the "encounter" footage off as legitimate footage of Bigfoot being real. He needed money too, and got ALOT of name recognition as well.

Lastly, the thing that really gets overlooked is the breasts of the creature. In nature, most mammalian animals, and humans, female breasts are usually not fully covered in hair/fur. And the Bigfoot in the film has a pretty large rack, and they have a "stuffed" look to them, as they don't move or sag. Aside from that, it looks very authentic, thanks to the 16mm film which leads enough open to interpretation, especially when using modern technology to add to the paradolia.

No one has ever proved this film to be a fake. There were no deathbed confessions and the recent reports that a famous Hollywood make-up pro had created and worn a monkey suit were revealed to be false.

If it was some guy in a suit, Bob should have shot the idiot and settled it one way or another.

The film stands as a litmus test. If you would like to believe there are apes in North America, it is compelling evidence. If you tend to reject such notions, you see a guy in a gorilla suit.

Personally I like the idea that we have not quite figured everything out yet. Unfortunately, the true skeptics will never believe it until some hunter does indeed shoot one and we have it on a slab.