The Secret Land
The Secret Land is a 1948 American documentary film about a United States Navy expedition code-named "Operation Highjump" to explore Antarctica and to evaluate its potential for military operations in 1946.[2] It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.[3][4]
| The Secret Land | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Produced by | Orville O. Dull |
| Written by | Harvey S. Haislip William C. Park |
| Narrated by | Robert Montgomery Robert Taylor Van Heflin |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Edited by | Fredrick Y. Smith |
| Distributed by | MGM |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $216,000[1] |
| Box office | $576,000[1] |
Summary
The Secret Land, produced by Orville O. Dull, was filmed entirely by military photographers (both USN and US Army) and was narrated by actors Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, and Van Heflin.
It features Chief of Naval Operations Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in a brief scene where he is discussing Operation Highjump with admirals Richard E. Byrd and Richard H. Cruzen prior to their departure.
The film has a wide range of scenes depicting the operation. These include the rescue of a crew of a crashed aircraft and the discovery of an Antarctic "oasis" which is free of snow.
The film has re-enacted scenes of critical events, such as shipboard damage control and Admiral Byrd throwing items out of an airplane to lighten it to avoid crashing into a mountain.
It won the 1948 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Reception
The film earned $395,000 in the US and Canada and $181,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $10,000.[1]
Cast
- Robert Montgomery - Narrator (voice) (as Comdr. Robert Montgomery, U.S.N.R.)
- Robert Taylor - Narrator (voice) (as Lt. Robert Taylor U.S.N.R.)
- Van Heflin - Narrator (voice) (as Lt. Van Heflin, A.A.F., Ret.)
- James Forrestal - Himself (as James V. Forrestal)
- Chester W. Nimitz - Himself
- Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd - Himself (as Admiral Byrd)
- Richard H. Cruzen - Himself (as Admiral Cruzen)
- Robert S. Quackenbush - Himself (as Captain Quackenbush)
- George J. Dufek - Himself (as Captain George Dufek)
- Paul A. Siple - Himself (as Dr. Siple)
- Charles W. Thomas - Himself (as Captain Thomas)
- Richard E. Byrd Jr. - Himself
- Vernon D. Boyd - Himself (as Captain Boyd)
- Charles A. Bond - Himself (as Captain Bond)
- David E. Bunger - Himself (as Commander David E. Bunger)
- John E. Clark - Himself (as Captain Clark)
See also
- Survival film, about the film genre, with a list of related films
References
- The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study
- "AFI: The Secret Land". AFI. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- Chowther, Bosley. "NY Times: The Secret Land". NY Times. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
External links
- The Secret Land at IMDb
- The Secret Land is available for free download at the Internet Archive