CinemaOSMovie · 1938 · 0h 10m

That Mothers Might Live

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That Mothers Might Live is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann. The short is a brief account of Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis and his discovery of the need for cleanliness in 19th-century maternity wards, thereby significantly decreasing maternal mortality, and of his struggle to gain acceptance of his idea. Although Semmelweis ultimately failed in his lifetime, later scientific luminaries advanced his work in spirit like microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who provided a scientific theoretical explanation of Semmelweis' observations by helping develop the germ theory of disease and the British surgeon, Dr. Joseph Lister who revolutionized medicine putting Pasteur's research to practical use. In 1939, at the 11th Academy Awards, the film won an Oscar for Best Short Subject (One-Reel).

Directed byFred Zinnemann

Play
Status
Released
Runtime
0h 10m
Language
EN
Released
April 30, 1938
Studios
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Featuring

Cast & crew

10 credited
Starring

John Nesbitt

Narrator (voice)

Shepperd Strudwick

Shepperd Strudwick

Dr. Semmelweis

Rudolph Anders

Rudolph Anders

Doctor (uncredited)

King Baggot

King Baggot

Passerby (uncredited)

William Bailey

William Bailey

Passerby (uncredited)

Barbara Bedford

Barbara Bedford

Nun Reading Book (uncredited)

Ralph Brooks

Medical Student at Lecture (uncredited)

Mary Howard

Mary Howard

Young Stricken Mother (uncredited)

Leonard Penn

Leonard Penn

Semmelweis' Assistant (uncredited)

Beatrice Roberts

Beatrice Roberts

Passerby (uncredited)

Creative team
Directed by
Fred Zinnemann
Fred Zinnemann
Written by
Herman Boxer
Produced by
John Nesbitt

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