World Assembly of Youth is a documentary film created in 1952 for the US State Department. It is believed to be lost but evidence for it was discovered on an early resume sent by Stanley Kubrick to veteran New York film critic Theodore Huff in February 1953. In the resume and covering letter, Kubrick lists working on this film alongside his other documentaries, The Seafarers, Day of the Fight, and Flying Padre. The résumé was uncovered by John Baxter, while doing research for his own book, Stanley Kubrick: A Biography.
Baxter's research found that the film was sponsored by the United States Department of State and was one of a series of films intended to mobilize college-aged youngsters to carry out socially worthy projects. This initiative ultimately led to the formation of the Peace Corps.
Kubrick's actual role in the film is uncertain. Following the publication of Baxter's book, some readers misinterpreted the story as to believe there was an undiscovered film directed by Stanley Kubrick; this can be seen in the myriad of internet pages that credit Kubrick as director of World Assembly of Youth. Baxter himself has stated that his knowledge of Kubrick's involvement in this film is no more than the reference in his letter to Ted Huff. Baxter speculates that Kubrick may have worked on the project as a cameraman or even simply a stills photographer.
Famous quotes containing the words world, assembly and/or youth:
“A book is like a child: it is easier to bring it into the world than to control it when it is launched there.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)
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“Hardly ever can a youth transferred to the society of his betters unlearn the nasality and other vices of speech bred in him by the associations of his growing years. Hardly ever, indeed, no matter how much money there be in his pocket, can he ever learn to dress like a gentleman-born. The merchants offer their wares as eagerly to him as to the veriest “swell,” but he simply cannot buy the right things.”
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