The Fight for Life
1940 | 69m | English
Popularity: 0.2 (history)
| Director: | Pare Lorentz |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Pare Lorentz, Paul De Kruif |
| Staring: |
| 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. | |
| Release Date: | Mar 07, 1940 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Pare Lorentz |
| Writer: | Pare Lorentz, Paul De Kruif |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | nurse, anemia, receptionist, death of mother, death in childbirth, washing hands |
| Production Companies | |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 19, 2026 Entered: May 04, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Myron McCormick | Dr. O’Donnell |
| Storrs Haynes | Hanson |
| Will Geer | Ballou |
| Dudley Digges | Chefarzt |
| Woody Guthrie | |
| Dorothy Adams | The Young Woman |
| Dorothy Urban | The Grandmother |
| Effie Anderson | The Receptionist |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Pare Lorentz | Screenplay, Director |
| Louis Gruenberg | Original Music Composer, Music |
| Paul De Kruif | Original Story |
| Floyd Crosby | Cinematography |
| William H. Clothier | Assistant Camera |
| Alexander Smallens | Conductor |
| King Vidor | Technical Advisor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Tommy Atkins | Associate Producer |
| Pare Lorentz | Producer |
| Elizabeth Meyer | Associate Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Trending Position