The Vanishing Prairie

"A tribute to nature untouched by today."

1954 1h 11m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 33

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Story of the American Prairie as it was when vast herds of bison and elk grazed.

“A tribute to nature untouched by today.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Disney PlusSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Winston Hibler
Narrator

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: James Algar
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

72 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "True-Life Adventures Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by James Algar, shot by Cleveland P. Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lloyd L. Richardson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A tribute to nature untouched by today.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0047642 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

James Algar directs. Cleveland P. Grant behind the camera. Lloyd L. Richardson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
272 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "True-Life Adventures Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by James Algar, shot by Cleveland P. Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Lloyd L. Richardson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Marketing tagline: "A tribute to nature untouched by today.".
8IMDB entry: tt0047642 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 33 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Cleveland P. Grant
Editing: Lloyd L. Richardson
Runtime: 71 min · 1h 11m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,750,000
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Vanishing Prairie (1954)

Awards

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

True-Life Adventures Collection

In 1940 Walt Disney got the idea for the first ever nature documentary True Life Adventures during animal studies for his upcoming film Bambi. Instead of imitating the natural through animation, he could just use what was already there. When the sun rises and light enters through the eyelids the body is triggered to begin its wake-up cycle, including the release of cortisol. By the time the light is at full brightness, sleepers wake up on their own. An alarm is not needed anymore.