Cancer, Research, and Educational Film at Midcentury: The Making of the Movie Challenge: Science Against Cancer

The story of a forgotten health education film, Challenge: Science Against Cancer (1950), and what it tells us about mid-twentieth century North American cancer research, medical filmmaking, and health education campaigns.

In 1949 the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Canadian Department of National Health and Welfare (DNHW) commissioned a film, eventually called Challenge. Science Against Cancer, as part of a major effort to recruit young scientists into cancer research. Both org...