''The Story of Menstruation'' is a 1946 10-minute

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

animated film Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

. It was commissioned by the International Cello-Cotton Company (now

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) and was shown in a non-theatrical release to approximately 105 million American students in health education classes. In 2015, it was selected for preservation in the

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...

History

It was part of a 1945 to 1951 series of films that Disney produced for American schools. Gynecologist Mason Hohn was hired as a consultant to ensure that the film was scientifically accurate. Hohn was hired to increase the likelihood that school doctors and nurses would allow the film to be shown. Hohn's involvement led to a stronger emphasis on biology than other marketing by ICCC. ''The Story of Menstruation'' increased its reputation when it received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It was one of the first commercially sponsored films to be distributed to high schools. It was distributed with a booklet for teachers and students called ''Very Personally Yours'' that featured advertising of the

Kotex Kotex is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products, which includes the Kotex maxi, thin and ultra thin pads, the Security tampons, and the Lightdays pantiliners. Most recently, the company has added U by Kotex to its line of menstrua ...

brand of products, and discouraged the use of tampons, where the market was dominated by the Tampax brand of tampons from Tampax Inc. In 2015, the United States

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

selected the film for preservation in the

, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Plot

The film uses animated diagrams to detail the

menstrual cycle The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs ...

. The film's narrator, who is not identified in the credits, informs the viewer that "there is nothing strange or mysterious about menstruation", and it shows women engaged in such activities as bathing, riding a horse, and dancing during their menstrual cycles. The film's narration by actress Gloria Blondell also provides advice to avoid constipation and depression, and to always keep up a fine outward appearance.Film Threat review
/ref> ''The Story of Menstruation'' is believed to be the first film to use the word "

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

" in its screenplay. Neither sexuality nor reproduction is mentioned in the film, and an emphasis on sanitation makes it, as Disney historian Jim Korkis has suggested, "a hygienic crisis rather than a maturational event". The menstrual flow was depicted as snow white instead of blood red. The film's copyright was renewed by Walt Disney Productions on December 3, 1973.Renewal registration no. R564909, Dec. 3, 1973. recorded in

References

External links

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''The Story of Menstruation''
at D23's Disney A to Z {{DEFAULTSORT:Story Of Menstruation, The 1946 animated films 1946 short films 1946 films American animated short films American social guidance and drug education films 1940s Disney animated short films Menstrual cycle Sponsored films Disney educational films United States National Film Registry films 1940s educational films 1951 films 1950s English-language films 1940s English-language films 1950s American films

History

Plot

See also

References

External links