Yellow Jack (play and film)
Encyclopedia
Yellow Jack is a 1934 play and a 1938
Hollywood movie, both co-written by Sidney Howard
and Paul de Kruif
(the former a Pulitzer
- and Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter; the latter a well-known microbiologist
and author
).
The plot line followed the true story of the famous "Walter Reed Boards" in which Major Walter Reed
of the U.S. Army heroically pursued the conquest of yellow fever
(called “yellow jack”) in Cuba in 1898-1900. It tells the story of the U.S. Army Medical Corps doctors who expanded previously ridiculed theories proposed by Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay
as to the cause of the fever being bites by infected Aedes aegypti
mosquitoes. It also portrayed the stories of the brave soldiers who volunteered to be human "guinea pig
s" to risk their lives by allowing themselves to be bitten and contract the deadly disease. (See History of yellow fever
).
The play and screenplay were adapted for television by Celanese Theatre (1952) and Producers' Showcase
(1955), in episodes both again titled “Yellow Jack”.
1938 in film
The year 1938 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of "Dorothy" in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. Ray Bolger is cast as the "Tinman" and Buddy Ebsen is cast as the "Scarecrow". At Bolger's insistence,...
Hollywood movie, both co-written by Sidney Howard
Sidney Howard
Sidney Coe Howard was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1925 and a posthumous Academy Award in 1940 for the screenplay for Gone with the Wind.-Early life:...
and Paul de Kruif
Paul de Kruif
Paul Henry de Kruif was an American microbiologist and author of Dutch descent. Publishing as Paul de Kruif, he is most noted for his 1926 book, Microbe Hunters...
(the former a Pulitzer
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
- and Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter; the latter a well-known microbiologist
Microbiologist
A microbiologist is a scientist who works in the field of microbiology. Microbiologists study organisms called microbes. Microbes can take the form of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
).
The plot line followed the true story of the famous "Walter Reed Boards" in which Major Walter Reed
Walter Reed
Major Walter Reed, M.D., was a U.S. Army physician who in 1900 led the team that postulated and confirmed the theory that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species, rather than by direct contact...
of the U.S. Army heroically pursued the conquest of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
(called “yellow jack”) in Cuba in 1898-1900. It tells the story of the U.S. Army Medical Corps doctors who expanded previously ridiculed theories proposed by Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay
Carlos Finlay
Carlos Juan Finlay was a Cuban physician and scientist recognized as a pioneer in yellow fever research.- Early life and education :...
as to the cause of the fever being bites by infected Aedes aegypti
Aedes aegypti
The yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread the dengue fever, Chikungunya and yellow fever viruses, and other diseases. The mosquito can be recognized by white markings on legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the thorax...
mosquitoes. It also portrayed the stories of the brave soldiers who volunteered to be human "guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
s" to risk their lives by allowing themselves to be bitten and contract the deadly disease. (See History of yellow fever
History of yellow fever
The evolutionary origins of yellow fever most likely lie in Africa.It is assumed that the virus originated from East or Central Africa and spread from there to West Africa. The virus as well as the vector Ae. aegypti, a mosquito species, were probably brought to South America by ship after 1492...
).
The play and screenplay were adapted for television by Celanese Theatre (1952) and Producers' Showcase
Producers' Showcase
Producers' Showcase is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth Monday at 8 p.m. ET for three seasons, beginning October...
(1955), in episodes both again titled “Yellow Jack”.