Only days after the November 1963 Dallas assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the myth of Camelot began to take shape. Related stories Key artifact helps illuminate historic moment in JFK assassination Rare JFK photos capture unraveling of 1960s WTOP Book Report: ‘JFK: Public, Private, Secret’ explores 35th president’s conscience, flaws and legacy In the week that followed, Jacqueline Kennedy invited journalist Theodore White to Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, for a “Life” magazine interview that helped define her husband’s legacy.
The PBS American Experience documentary “JFK,” streaming on WETA+, pulls back the curtain on the man behind that image, exploring how pain, resilience and ambition shaped the nation’s 35th president. Originally released in 2013, the four-hour, two-part film traces Kennedy’s life from childhood through his rise in politics, examining the illnesses that threatened his future and the campaign that made him the youngest elected president in American history. It also explores his relationships with Jackie Kennedy, his brother Robert and his father, along with the strengths and weaknesses that defined his presidency.
Producer and director Susan Bellows said newly released health records helped provide a fresh perspective. “His health records had suddenly become public,” Bellows said. “I think that was one of the breakthrough things that really began to change our understanding of him.” Kennedy battled serious health problems throughout his life, beginning with colitis-related stomach issues at Choate, a Connecticut boarding school.
Later, chronic back pain became so severe that he underwent surgery and received last rites during a medical crisis, according to the documentary. The film also details how Kennedy, unable to pass a military physical, entered the Navy during World War II with the help of altered medical records and his father’s influence. He was later wounded during the war, adding to the physical challenges he carried for the rest of his life.
Bellows said those struggles helped shape Kennedy’s resilience, determination and awareness of his own mortality, creating what she called “a kind of urgency to speed.” “I think it gave him a certain determination and strength,” Bellows said. “He was in pain, but he never showed it, and he didn’t let it slow him down.” When asked about the Emmy she won for the series, Bellows laug…
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