Oscar's Docs: The First Twenty Years of Academy Award-Winning Documentaries - 1941-1960 | Academy Events Calendar

This comprehensive screening series of every short subject and feature to win the Oscar for documentary filmmaking, from the inception of the category in 1941 through 1960, will be held on Monday evenings beginning September 12 and continuing through December 5. Offering a unique opportunity to observe the historical impact and development of the theatrical documentary, the retrospective will feature the best available prints of these films, many of which will be newly struck or restored editions from the documentary collection of the Academy Film Archive. Program handouts will feature comprehensive notes on the making of the films with original still reproductions from the shorts and full-color reproductions of the original feature poster art. In addition to the screenings of the complete shorts and features, the retrospective will also include two separate panel discussion evenings, one on World War II documentaries and another on nature documentaries.

The Academy's Documentary Categories did not begin until the 14th Awards in 1941. But the Academy did recognize non-fiction films (many by notable filmmakers) prior to that, in the Short Subject categories. A 1935 winner, Ivor Montagu’s WINGS OVER MT. EVEREST, showed the first airplane flight over the world’s tallest peak. Fred Zinnemann’s THAT MOTHER MIGHT LIVE, a winner in 1938, dramatized the medical advances made by a noted Hungarian physician. But these films weren’t considered by many to be “documentaries,” a term which then connoted more serious accounts of contemporary issues and events. Read the complete essay.

Hitler Lives? (1945) - 10 min. - This controversial short, a look at the history of German aggression and a warning about its future, was directed by Don Siegel and written by Theodor Geisel (better known as “Dr. Seuss”).

The True Glory (1945) - 87 min. - America’s Garson Kanin and England’s Carol Reed teamed up to make this portrait of the liberation of Europe from the German oppression.

Seeds of Destiny (1946) - 21 min. - This short film took a powerful look at the most innocent victims of World War II – the children of Europe – and their uncertain future.

First Steps (1947) - 10 min. - This compassionate look at physical therapy for ailing children was the first Oscar-winning documentary that wasn’t about World War II.

Design for Death (1947) - 48 min. - Theodore Geisel (aka “Dr. Seuss”) co-wrote and Richard Fleischer directed this controversial look at Japanese culture and how it led to that country’s role in World War II.

Toward Independence (1948) - 30 min. - This short film produced by the U.S. Army looks at the rehabilitation of soldiers injured during the war.

The Secret Land (1948) - 71 min. - “Operation Highjump,” a massive U.S. Navy expedition to explore the military possibilities of Antarctica , was the subject of this Oscar-winning feature.

Nature Documentary Panel – featuring nature documentarians Paul Kenworthy (cinematographer on The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie), Roy Disney (assistant editor on The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie), Alec Lorimore (producer of The Living Sea and Dolphins), and Robert Dickson (film historian and documentary cameraman, who will present an historical overview of nature film documentaries from 1898 – 1948 as an introduction to the evening discussion).

So Much for So Little (1949) - 10 min. - Warner Bros.’ animation department produced and Chuck Jones directed this cartoon short created to explain the U.S. Health department to the general public.

A Chance to Live (The March of Time) (1949) -20 min. - This segment of the long-running March of Time series tells the story of an Irish priest who created Boys Towns for homeless and orphaned children in Italy.

Daybreak in Udi (1949) - 40 min. - This British feature looks at the attempt to build a maternity clinic in a small Nigerian village.

Why Korea ? (1950) - 30 min. - This documentary short explores the historical events leading up to the U.S. involvement in the Korean War.

The Titan: Story of Michelangelo (1950) - 60 min. - Filmmaker Robert Snyder, under the auspices of pioneering documentarian Robert Flaherty, used footage shot for a Swiss-German propaganda film to create this acclaimed look at the legendary artist.

Dark for Halloween

Benjy (1951) - 20 min. - Henry Fonda narrated this fictional story about a crippled boy, written by Stewart Stern and directed by Fred Zinnemann, which was made as a fundraiser for the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.

Kon-Tiki (1951) - 75 min. - This feature covers the 4,000-mile sea voyage from Peru to Polynesia led by explorer/archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl in a home-made raft.

Neighbours (1952) - 7 min. - Groundbreaking filmmaker Norman McLaren used “pixilation” – animation using living people – to create this allegory about war.

The Sea around Us (1952) 61 min. - Blockbuster filmmaker Irwin Allen wrote, produced and directed this adaptation of famed environmentalist Rachel Carson’s book about the world’s oceans.