Flying Padre

Name: Flying Padre
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Released: 1951-03-23
Duration: 9 min
Rating: 5.1
Cast: Bob Hite, Fred Stadtmueller

5.1

March 23, 1951

Documentary

Overview

Stanley Kubrick’s short documentary about Father Fred Stadtmueller, a Catholic priest serving a vast 4,000-square-mile parish in rural New Mexico. To reach his scattered congregation, he pilots his own Piper Cub aircraft, the Spirit of St. Joseph. Over two days, Kubrick follows the “flying padre” as he conducts Mass, mediates between quarreling children, attends a funeral, and airlifts a sick child to medical care—capturing both the challenges and quiet heroism of his daily mission.