Film Description
Breast Self-Examination (1950)
Sponsors: American Cancer Society; National Cancer Institute, U.S. Public Health Service. Production Co.: Audio Productions Inc. Transfer Note: Scanned from a 16mm print held by the Library of Congress. Running Time: 15 minutes.
First breast-cancer-awareness film released for wide distribution. Promoting self-examination as an early detection technique, the film shows women how to check for breast cancer symptoms.
Note: The ACS reported 1,300 prints in circulation in the first year of release. The film was said to have reached 1 million women over the age of 35. Also distributed in a 16-minute version. Revised version, Time and Two Women, released in 1958.
Resources
“Clinics in Homes for Cancer Urged,” New York Times, Oct. 4, 1950, 35; Ida Jean Kain, “Cancer Movie Demonstrates New, Simple Health Habit,” Los Angeles Times, May 4, 1951, C2; “Life Saver,” Business Screen 13, no. 1 (1952): 49; Walter Ross, “Motion Pictures Worth 10,000 Lives,” Business Screen 20, no. 2 (1959): 28–31.