During his apprenticeship at M-G-M,
Fred Zinnemann made a number of short subjects before graduating to feature films and, in time, becoming one of Hollywood's best respected directors. That Mothers May Live, one of his early shorts, is based on the true story of Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (played by
Shepperd Strudwick), a physician from Hungary who first discovered doctors could prevent the spread of certain illnesses by keeping their hands and instruments clean, sparing the lives of many new mothers in the process. That Mothers May Live won an Academy Award as Best One-Reel Short Subject of 1939. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide