Discover
That Mothers Might Live is a 1938 American short drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann. In 1939, at the 11th Academy Awards, it won an Oscar for Best Short Subject (One-Reel). 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.
Original Release
04/30/1938
US Release
04/30/1938
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Shepperd Strudwick | Dr. Semmelweis |
| Rudolph Anders | Doctor |
| King Baggot | Passerby |
| William Bailey | Passerby |
| Barbara Bedford | Nun Reading Book |
| Ralph Brooks | Medical Student at Lecture |
| Mary Howard | Young Stricken Mother |
| Leonard Penn | Semmelweis' Assistant |
| Beatrice Roberts | Passerby |
| Edward Van Sloan | Hospital Chief of Staff |
Directors
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Shepperd Strudwick | Dr. Semmelweis |
| Rudolph Anders | Doctor |
| King Baggot | Passerby |
| William Bailey | Passerby |
| Barbara Bedford | Nun Reading Book |
| Ralph Brooks | Medical Student at Lecture |
| Mary Howard | Young Stricken Mother |
| Leonard Penn | Semmelweis' Assistant |
| Beatrice Roberts | Passerby |
| Edward Van Sloan | Hospital Chief of Staff |
| E. Alyn Warren | Professor |
| John Nesbitt | Self - Narrator / Narrator (voice) |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| John Nesbitt | Producer |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1939 | Oscar | Best Short Subject, One-reel | Won |
