The Grain That Built a Hemisphere

1943 DocumentaryAnimation 10 minutes Directed by Bill Justice

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About The Grain That Built a Hemisphere

The cartoon follows corn from a wild grass in Mesoamerica through Native American farming to a staple across North and South America. Walt Disney made it for the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs.

Cast & crew

More about The Grain That Built a Hemisphere

Bill Justice directed. Walt Disney produced it for the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. It runs 10 minutes. Edward H. Plumb wrote the music. It is an animated propaganda short about corn in the Americas.

Themes

  • Corn as a wild grass
  • Native American farming
  • A staple of both Americas
  • corn
  • Mesoamerica
  • Disney
  • animation
  • documentary
  • Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs

Background

Made in 1943 for the U.S. office that handled cultural ties with Latin America during the war.

Music

Edward H. Plumb wrote the music.

Notes

  • The English Wikipedia says it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1943. Wikidata files the nomination under Best Documentary Feature, which does not match a 10-minute short.
  • There is no on-screen cast. The picture is narration and animation.

Scenes

  • The film traces maize from a wild grass to a field crop.
  • The map of the crop runs from Mesoamerica through both continents.

Also available

  • Internet Archive (TheGrainThatBuiltAHemisphere)
  • Wikimedia Commons (The Grain That Built a Hemisphere (1943).webm)