Bigfoot on Film

October 20, 1967 - Today was the day that two men filmed a short clip of what might be the mysterious creature, Bigfoot, as it walked across a riverbed in northern California.

Robert Gimlin and Roger Patterson were riding horses along Bluff Creek when they came across a large log. As they worked their way around the uprooted tree they encountered a tall ape-like creature.

The horses were spooked and one of them reared up on its hind legs. Patterson untangled himself from his saddle and rushed to grab his movie camera. Meanwhile, the creature was making huge strides for the woods. Patterson chased after it and recorded 53 seconds of what would soon become the most famous Bigfoot footage ever captured.

The film shows what appears to be a large, hairy female with long and muscular arms. The creature turns to look at the camera a couple of times.

Experts who have studied the film are divided. Some call it a clever hoax, while others are convinced it's legitimate. The believers point out how difficult it would be for a human to imitate the fluid motions of the creature.

Patterson died in 1972, and he never went back on his story about what happened that day. Gimlin has also never strayed from his account.