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The Secret Land
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Wikipedia article
'The Secret Land' is a feature-length 1948 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. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
Summary
'The Secret Land' was filmed entirely by USN and US Army military photographers, and was narrated by actors Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, and Van Heflin. It was produced by Orville O. Dull.
An early scene features Chief of Naval Operations Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz discussing Operation Highjump with admirals Richard E. Byrd and 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.
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 when one engine of the aircraft he was in failed and the other began to falter under the excess load.
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.
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. Cruzen as Himself (as Admiral Cruzen)
* Robert S. Quackenbush as Himself (as Captain Quackenbush)
* George J. Dufek as Himself (as Captain George Dufek)
* Paul A. Siple as Himself (as Dr. Siple)
* Charles W. Thomas as Himself (as Captain Thomas)
* Richard E. Byrd Jr. 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)
See also
* Survival film, about the film genre, with a list of related films
References
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