Birth of a Baby

BIRTH OF A BABY. (1937, sound, 72min, b&w, 35mm) Sponsor: American Committee on Maternal Welfare inc. production Co.: Special pictures Corp. director: Al E. Christie. producer: Jack H. Skirball. Writers: Arthur L. Jarrett, Burke Symon. Camera: George Webber. Editor: Sam Citron. Cast: Eleanor King, richard Gordon, ruth Matteson, William post Jr. resources: Copy- right Lp7675 1Jun37; “Film on a Birth put up to regents,” NYT, Mar. 20, 1938, 48; “Birth of a Baby Aims to reduce infant Mortality rate,” Life, Apr. 11, 1938, 33–37; “regents uphold Ban on Birth Movie,” NYT, Apr. 15, 1938, 17; “Bar White House Showing of Film Birth of a Baby,” CT, Apr. 19, 1938, 3; nelson Bell, “debated Film now on View at the rialto,” Wash Post, oct. 6, 1938, X15; Bosley Crowther, “Learning by Seeing,” NYT, Apr. 24, 1938, 149; Geraldine Sartain, “the Cinema Explodes the Stork Myth,” Journal of Educational Sociology 12 (nov. 1938): 142–46; Sex Ed, 59–62; Exploitation, 187–91. Holdings: uCLA. Film commissioned by a committee representing 16 medical and maternal welfare organiza- tions to disseminate information to prospective parents on prenatal health and the care of newborns. Birth of a Baby begins with a lecture on prenatal care and shows the birth of a child in close-up. “We gave dramatic continuity to a shelf of medical textbooks,” said pro- ducer Jack Skirball in an interview reported in the New York Times (April 24, 1938). note: Birth attracted the ire of censorship boards. When Life magazine published stills from the movie on April 11, 1938, the issue was banned from newsstands in scores of cities, a move that prompted newspaper editorials to come out in favor of the film. Eleanor Roosevelt announced that there would be a screening at the White House, but the showing was squelched. Although the film eventually played theatrically in 15 states, it was enjoined from public exhibition in some areas and only screened in New York State beginning in 1942, after the birth scene was removed.

(1937, sound, 72min, b&w, 35mm) Sponsor: American Committee on Maternal Welfare inc. production Co.: Special pictures Corp. director: Al E. Christie. producer: Jack H. Skirball. WritErS: Arthur L. Jarrett, Burke Symon. Camera: George Webber. Editor: Sam Citron. Cast: Eleanor King, richard Gordon, ruth Matteson, William post Jr. resources: Copy- right Lp7675 1Jun37; “Film on a Birth put up to regents,” NYT, Mar. 20, 1938, 48; “Birth of a Baby Aims to reduce infant Mortality rate,” Life, Apr. 11, 1938, 33–37; “regents uphold Ban on Birth Movie,” NYT, Apr. 15, 1938, 17; “Bar White House Showing of Film Birth of a Baby,” CT, Apr. 19, 1938, 3; nelson Bell, “debated Film now on View at the rialto,” Wash Post, oct. 6, 1938, X15; Bosley Crowther, “Learning by Seeing,” NYT, Apr. 24, 1938, 149; Geraldine Sartain, “the Cinema Explodes the Stork Myth,” Journal of Educational Sociology 12 (nov. 1938): 142–46; Sex Ed, 59–62; Exploitation, 187–91. Holdings: UCLA. Film commissioned by a committee representing 16 medical and maternal welfare organiza- tions to disseminate information to prospective parents on prenatal health and the care of newborns. Birth of a Baby begins with a lecture on prenatal care and shows the birth of a child in close-up. “We gave dramatic continuity to a shelf of medical textbooks,” said pro- ducer Jack Skirball in an interview reported in the New York Times (April 24, 1938). note: Birth attracted the ire of censorship boards. When Life magazine published stills from the movie on April 11, 1938, the issue was banned from newsstands in scores of cities, a move that prompted newspaper editorials to come out in favor of the film. Eleanor Roosevelt announced that there would be a screening at the White House, but the showing was squelched. Although the film eventually played theatrically in 15 states, it was enjoined from public exhibition in some areas and only screened in New York State beginning in 1942, after the birth scene was removed.