59 Seconds That Changed Everything

Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin set out to film a documentary about Bigfoot. On October 20, 1967, they got more than they bargained for—59 seconds of footage that has never been debunked despite 57 years of analysis.

The Filmmakers

The men:

• Roger Patterson
• Bob Gimlin
• Rodeo cowboys
• Yakima, Washington
• Bigfoot hunters

The Expedition

October 1967:

• Northern California
• Bluff Creek area
• Previous footprints
• Documentary intent
• 16mm camera ready

The Location

Bluff Creek:

• Six Rivers National Forest
• Del Norte County
• Remote wilderness
• Known Bigfoot area
• Previous activity

The Encounter

What happened:

• October 20, 1967
• Afternoon
• Rounded creek bend
• Saw creature
• Horses spooked

Patterson’s Actions

In the moment:

• Thrown from horse
• Grabbed camera
• Ran toward creature
• Filmed while running
• Followed briefly

The Creature

What was filmed:

• Female Bigfoot
• Walking upright
• Covered in fur
• Large breasts
• Muscular frame

”Patty”

Her nickname:

• Given by researchers
• Female creature
• Distinctive appearance
• Famous now
• Icon of cryptozoology

Frame 352

The turn:

• Creature looks back
• At Patterson
• Face visible
• Most famous frame
• Analyzed endlessly

The Physical Analysis

What experts note:

• Non-human proportions
• Arm length
• Leg structure
• Muscle movement
• Compliant gait

The Gait Study

Walking analysis:

• Bent-knee walk
• Consistent pattern
• Difficult to fake
• Different from human
• Natural movement

Muscle Movement

Under the fur:

• Visible flexing
• In slow motion
• Hard to fake (1967)
• Natural appearance
• Key evidence

Bob Gimlin Today

Living witness:

• Still alive
• Still certain
• Never wavered
• Attends conferences
• Maintains account

Patterson’s Death

His story:

• Died 1972
• Cancer
• Never recanted
• Believed to the end
• Took truth with him

Hoax Allegations

Counter-claims:

• Bob Heironimus suit
• Morris costume shop
• Various confessions
• All have problems
• None conclusive

Why Not a Hoax

The defense:

• No suit produced
• Technology limits
• Proportions wrong for human
• Financial loss (Patterson)
• Gimlin’s consistency

Scientific Study

Who analyzed it:

• Grover Krantz
• Jeff Meldrum
• Bill Munns
• Many others
• Decades of study

Significance

The most analyzed piece of cryptid footage in history remains unexplained after 57 years.

Legacy

The Patterson-Gimlin film is either the Holy Grail of cryptozoology or the greatest hoax ever perpetrated—and after almost six decades, no one can definitively say which.