poster

The Fight for Life

53.33% | Mar 07, 1940
Drama History

The Fight for Life was documentary filmmaker Pare Lorentz' first "dramatic" film, utilizing the talents of several top New York stage actors. A tribute to the Chicago Maternity Center and its efforts to provide the best possible care for destitute mothers, the film is based on the book of the same name by Paul de Kruif. Myron McCormick plays the largest role as a dedicated intern, while others in the cast include such theatrical heavywrights as Will Geer, Dudley Digges and Dorothy Adams. The film's many vignettes range from the tragic (a mother dying in childbirth in the opening scene) to the exultant (another mother rescued from the brink of death in a disease-ridden tenement). Filmed in Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, Fight for Life is a worthwhile effort, though Lorentz seems more comfortable with the "actuality" scenes than with the dramatized passages.

Top Billed Cast

Featured Crew

crew
Pare Lorentz
Director
crew
Louis Gruenberg
Original Music Composer
crew
Pare Lorentz
Screenplay
crew
Paul De Kruif
Original Story
crew
Tommy Atkins
Associate Producer
crew
Pare Lorentz
Producer
crew
Louis Gruenberg
Music
crew
Floyd Crosby
Cinematography
crew
Elizabeth Meyer
Associate Producer
crew
William H. Clothier
Assistant Camera
crew
Alexander Smallens
Conductor
crew
King Vidor
Technical Advisor

Images

Videos