The Birth of a Baby

The Birth of a Baby is a 1938 American educational film about childbearing.^[2][3][4][5] It was directed by famed Canadian producer of silent shorts Al Christie.^[6] The film stars Eleanore King, Richard Gordon, Ruth Matteson, and Josephine Dunn. The film's original negative was lost in the Fox vault fire of 1937.^[7]

The Birth of a Baby
Directed by	A. E. Christie
Written by	Burke Symon Arthur Jarrett
Produced by	Jack H. Skirball
Starring	Eleanore King Richard Gordon Ruth Matteson Josephine Dunn
Cinematography	George Webber
Production companies	Christie Productions The American Committee on Maternal Welfare, Inc.
Distributed by	Special Pictures Corporation
Release date	1938 (1938)
Running time	72:00
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$50,000[1]
Box office	$750,000 (rentals)[1]

Cast

• Eleanore King as Mary Burgess
• Richard Gordon as Dr. Wilson
• Ruth Matteson as Julia Norton
• Josephine Dunn as Mrs. Bromley
• William Post Jr. as John Burgess
• Frederica Going as Mrs. Perry
• Helen Hawley as Mrs. Burgess
• Kathleen Comegys as Mrs. Wilson
• Robert Ober as Mr. Case
• Edith Gresham as Mrs. Case
• Walter Gilbert as Mr. Perry

Censorship

The film featured scenes of actual childbirth and this caused issues for the Hays Office. The filmmakers tried to get around the need for a Seal of Approval from the Hays Office by appealing directly to local and state censorship boards for approval to show the film in mainstream theaters.^[8][9] The film was banned in New York State in 1939 by a court ruling that scenes of childbirth were too indecent for public entertainment.^[9]