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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1940
Runtime1h 09m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresDrama
Votes4
DirectorPare Lorentz
WritersPare Lorentz
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.5 out of 10
Cast8 credited
Also Known AsThe Fight for Life
About The Fight for Life
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.
Directed by Pare Lorentz, The Fight for Life leans on a strong ensemble — Myron McCormick, Storrs Haynes, Will Geer — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1940.
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