The Secret Land
| The Secret Land | |
|---|---|
Fredrick Y. Smith | |
| Music by | Bronislau Kaper |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $216,000[1] |
| Box office | $576,000[1] |
The Secret Land is a feature-length 1948 documentary film about the United States Navy expedition code-named "Operation Highjump" to Antarctica in 1946.[2] The film, which was shot entirely by USN and US Army military photographers, focuses on the mission to explore the polar region and evaluate its potential for military operations.
The Secret Land was narrated by actors
Plot
The film re-enacts scenes from several critical moments during the operation, such as shipboard damage control and Rear Admiral
Richard H. Cruzen prior to their departure. Also depicted are the rescue of a crew of a crashed aircraft and the discovery of an Antarctic "oasis
" of bare ground and ice-free fresh water lakes atop a thermal bulge deep inland.
Cast
- Robert Montgomery as Narrator (voice) (as Comdr. Robert Montgomery, U.S.N.R.)
- Robert Taylor as Narrator (voice) (as Lt. Robert Taylor U.S.N.R.)
- Van Heflin as Narrator (voice) (as Lt. Van Heflin, A.A.F., Ret.)
- James Forrestal as Himself (as James V. Forrestal)
- Chester W. Nimitz as Himself
- Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd as Himself (as Admiral Byrd)
- Richard H. Cruzenas Himself (as Admiral Cruzen)
- Robert S. Quackenbush as Himself (as Captain Quackenbush)
- George J. Dufek as Himself (as Captain George Dufek)
- Paul A. Sipleas Himself (as Dr. Siple)
- Charles W. Thomasas Himself (as Captain Thomas)
- Richard E. Byrd as Himself
- Vernon D. Boyd as Himself (as Captain Boyd)
- Charles A. Bond as Himself (as Captain Bond)
- David E. Bunger as Himself (as Commander David E. Bunger)
- John E. Clark as Himself (as Captain Clark)
Reception
The film earned $395,000 in the US and Canada and $181,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $10,000.[1]
Awards
The Secret Land won the
Best Documentary Feature oscar at the 21st Academy Awards
in 1948.
See also
- Survival film, about the film genre, with a list of related films
References
- ^ a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study
- ^ "AFI: The Secret Land". AFI. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "The 21st Academy Awards (1949) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
- All Movie Guide. Archived from the originalon May 21, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2008.
External links
- The Secret Land at IMDb
- The Secret Land at the TCM Movie Database
- The Secret Land at AllMovie
- The Secret Land at the American Film Institute Catalog
- The Secret Land is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive
- The Secret Land at the National Archives and Records Administration
