Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 1111

With Byrd at the South Pole

193082 minUnited States
Documentary
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
English
This copy runs
82:28
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Julian Johnson · Public domain

Synopsis

Richard E. Byrd's Antarctic expedition is followed from its Little America base toward the South Pole. Expedition footage presents the work and conditions of polar exploration, while intertitles and spoken narration organize the record for a cinema audience.

Cast

DirectorsJulian Johnson

Historical context

The part-talking documentary combines location images with narration by Floyd Gibbons. Its photography received an Academy Award, giving expedition filmmaking an early place among the prizes usually associated with studio productions.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • Richard E. Byrd — Underwood & Underwood; This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3b17378 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing . · Public domain

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection