Design for Death
Design for Death | |
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Directed by | Richard Fleischer |
Written by |
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Produced by |
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Narrated by | |
Edited by |
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Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 48 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Design for Death is a 1947 American
Following the war, Peter Rathvon at
The film was given wide release in January 1948; a review in Daily Variety characterized it as "a documentary of fabulous proportions ... one of the most interesting screen presentations of the year".[3] Bosley Crowther, writing in The New York Times, was not complimentary; he wrote that the film "makes the general point that too much control by a few people is a dangerous – a 'racketeering' – thing and that another world war can be prevented only by the development of responsible, representative governments throughout the world. That is a valid message, but the weakness with which it is put forth in a melange of faked and factual pictures and in a ponderous narration does not render it very forceful".[4]
In his memoir, Elmo Williams maintains that he and Geisel created Design for Death nearly in its entirety, and that the credits for Fleischer and Warth were nominal ones.[2] Rogell, Fleischer, and Warth received the Academy Awards for the film.
Copies of Design for Death are apparently rare. Geisel thought that they had all been destroyed.
Cast
- Kent Smith as Narrator
- Hans Conried as Narrator
References
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (2009). "NY Times: Design for Death". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
- ^ ISBN 0-7864-2621-7.
- ^ ISBN 0-679-41686-2.. Secondary reference; primary reference hasn't yet been confirmed.
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (June 11, 1948). "'Design for Death', Factual Film About the Japanese, Opens at Victoria -- 'Bad Sister' Also Arrives". The New York Times.
- ^ Unger, Leslie (October 4, 2005). ""Oscar's Docs" Begin to Shift Focus Beyond WWII". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008.
- ^ "Independent Lens. THE POLITICAL DR. SEUSS. The Film". Public Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
- ^ "Dr. Seuss Collection: Films". Mandeville Special Collections Library, University of California - San Diego. Retrieved December 22, 2008.
External links
- Design for Death at IMDb