Video of JFK on Vacation Goes Viral, Offers Glimpse of 'Camelot'

Rare film footage of John F. Kennedy laughing and relaxing at his family’s Hyannis Port retreat, just months before his assassination, is spreading across the Internet, proving America’s unending fascination with a family that has been called the country’s "royalty."

The film, which has been in the files of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library for years, just recently gathered attention online. Although some news reports refer to it as “never before seen footage,” Yahoo! News reported that a presidential library spokesman said it has been available in the library to the public for some time.

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In the 15-minute silent film, Kennedy is seen playing golf, swimming with daughter Caroline, visiting with family and friends onboard the yacht Honey Fitz, and generally relaxing for a summer weekend.

NBC News, calling it a “new glimpse into Camelot,” said the archival film followed a family celebration that gives the country a close-up look at this much admired and followed family. A snippet of the film shows Kennedy conducting a short business meeting, donning a suit in tie after being seen throughout the film in casual golf or swimming clothes, the NBC report said.

The news station said the getaway weekend occurred just after Kennedy returned from speaking at the Berlin Wall. The press was invited to see the Kennedy family at play, and many shots on the film show Kennedy and his entourage relaxing within a short distance of the public. It’s an event that would be unlikely to occur today for security reasons.

It was, sadly, the last summer of the young president’s life. He was shot and killed in Dallas just four months later.

The film’s popularity online comes as another Kennedy family member received press attention. Caroline Kennedy, who is seen in a pink swimming suit curled in her father’s lap in the video, was nominated last week by President Obama to be the U.S. Ambassador to Japan.



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