The Fight for Life (1940): Cast
The Fight for Life is a 1940 historical drama directed by Pare Lorentz, starring Myron McCormick as Dr. O’Donnell, Will Geer and Dudley Digges. It runs 1 hour 9 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 9m (69 min)
- Director
- Pare Lorentz
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Fight for Life About?
The premise of The Fight for Life without spoilers.
Pare Lorentz’s first dramatic documentary, Fight for Life, spotlights the Chicago Maternity Center’s mission to care for impoverished mothers. Based on Paul de Kruif’s book, the film features New York stage actors such as Myron McCormick as a devoted intern, with Will Geer, Dudley Digges and Dorothy Adams in supporting roles. Its vignettes swing from a tragic childbirth death to a rescued mother in a disease‑ridden tenement, filmed on location in Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland, blending “actuality” footage with staged scenes.
The Fight for Life Themes & Keywords
· 45 tags- death
- maternity
- clinic
- slum
- hospital
- urban setting
- chicago illinois
- poverty
- teaching hospital
- teaching
- low budget film
- 1930s
+33 more Show fewer
- lower class
- blood transfusion
- midwife
- children
- expectant mother
- taking someone's temperature
- newborn
- newborn baby
- germs
- washing hands
- medical doctor
- anemia
- flashlight
- waiting room
- obstetrician
- obstetrics
- heartbeat
- interview
- woman in labor
- receptionist
- blackboard
- childbirth complication
- dying in childbirth
- death in childbirth
- childbirth
- nurse
- baby
- birth
- doctor
- medical
- death of mother
- independent film
- based on book
The Fight for Life Cast & Characters
Myron McCormick leads the cast as Dr. O’Donnell, with Will Geer as Ballou and Dudley Digges as Chefarzt. Directed by Pare Lorentz; 8 actors are credited in all.
- Director Pare Lorentz
-
Myron McCormick as Dr. O’Donnell - Will Geer as Ballou
- Dudley Digges as Chefarzt
- Dorothy Adams as The Young Woman
Also Starring in The Fight for Life
· 4 more- Effie Anderson The Receptionist
- Storrs Haynes Hanson
- Woody Guthrie
- Dorothy Urban The Grandmother
More from Pare Lorentz
More films directed by Pare Lorentz: The River and The Plow That Broke the Plains.
Seen The Fight for Life?
Movies Like The Fight for Life
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Life Begins, That Mothers Might Live and Fight for Your Life.
The Fight for Life FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Fight for Life, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Fight for Life?
The Fight for Life runs 1 hour 9 minutes (69 minutes).
When was The Fight for Life released?
The Fight for Life was released on March 7, 1940.
Who directed The Fight for Life?
The Fight for Life was directed by Pare Lorentz.
More films by Pare Lorentz Who is in the cast of The Fight for Life?
The Fight for Life stars Myron McCormick as Dr. O’Donnell, Will Geer as Ballou and Dudley Digges as Chefarzt, among 8 credited actors.
Does The Fight for Life have a post-credit scene?
No. The Fight for Life has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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