When asked how they could have let one of the most famous double-murder suspects in history slip away under their noses, the angry police commander and the tight-faced lawyer and the whole choir of commentators all said the same thing, without a trace of irony: "We never thought he would run."
Maybe people condense into their essential selves in crisis, and O.J. was one of the best runners in American football. Here's how Newsweek began their story:
The end, last week, was off-camera. After the bloody steps, the heart-rending funerals, the surreal chase through the twilight of Los Angeles, O.J. Simpson surrendered himself into the darkness his life has become. He was in the back seat of his best friend's Bronco, communing quietly with his cellular phone, his blue steel revolver and a picture of his children. As the police stood back, the shadows lengthened.
October 16 marks the ten-year anniversary of the verdict in the criminal trial — a news event almost as shocking for many as the crime itself. For now, though, this is the way it started.
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Instant History is all about the "first draft" of history. For over seven decades, both Time and Newsweek have provided a weekly snapshot of our lives — sometimes profoundly insightful and other times woefully inadequate but, in all cases, before conventional wisdom has time to set in. Like today's blogs...
Bryce Zabel is a working screenwriter/producer whose current credits include The Poseidon Adventure and Blackbeard. He was chairman of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences from 2001-2003. He maintains two other blogs: his flagship News! — Views! — & Schmooze! and Movies-Squared.
Article comments
1 - Mario G. Nitrini 111
Bruce,
I have posted here on Blogcritcs before about some of My personal Involvement in The OJ Simpson Case. Also, click on My name on Google or Yahoo and Please read.
Speaking of Time Magazine, I met Face-to-Face with James Willworth of Time talking about Some of My Involvment in The OJ Simpson Case.
There Were/and Still are Legal Happenings behind the scenes, so to speak. And the books written on this Case???? DON'T even Come close to tell a Person "REALLY" what Happened in this Case.
Thanks,
Mario G. Nitirni 111
2 - Dennis Myers
This article reads, "Essentially this meant that only mail subscribers ever saw the first [Time] cover." This is not true. After the controversy over the darkening broke, I purchased both Time and Newsweek from a newstand and use them in talks I give in journalism classes. I still have them, and the Time edition has the first cover. I've never subscribed to Time.
Dennis Myers
News editor,
Reno News and Review