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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. Although Semmelweis ultimately failed in his lifetime, later scientific luminaries advanced his work in spirit like microbiologist Louis Pasteur, who provided a scientific theoretical explanation of Semmelweis' observations by helping develop the germ theory of disease, and Dr. Joseph Lister, who revolutionized medicine by putting Pasteur's research to practical use.

Cast

• Shepperd Strudwick as Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis (as Sheppard Strudwick)
• John Nesbitt as Narrator (voice)

References

1. "The 11th Academy Awards (1939) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2011.
2. "New York Times: That Mothers Might Live". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Baseline & All Movie Guide. 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2008.
3. "That Mothers Might Live". TopTenREVIEWS. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2013.

External links

• That Mothers Might Live at IMDb

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• 1938 films
• 1938 drama films
• 1938 short films
• American drama short films
• American black-and-white films
• Biographical films about physicians
• Biographical films about scientists
• Films directed by Fred Zinnemann
• Live Action Short Film Academy Award winners
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films
• 1930s English-language films
• 1930s American films
• Films scored by David L. Snell
• English-language drama short films
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