In the actual event, the primary volunteers were Clara Maas, a nurse, and Dr Jesse William Lazear. It is unclear if any soldiers volunteered. Maas contracted the disease but recovered. Later, she allowed herself to be bitten a second time to determine if having the disease provided immunity. She again contracted the disease. She died from this infection. Lazear was the doctor who determined that the disease was mosquito-borne. Without telling others, he allowed himself to be bitten by an infected mosquito. He died from the illness.
The play was based in part on Paul De Kruif's 1926 novel "Microbe Hunters," which had a chapter on Walter Reed's work on yellow fever.
The play opened on Broadway in New York City, New York, USA on 6 March 1934 and had 79 performances. The opening night cast included Sam Levene, who originated his movie role as Busch in the play, James Stewart, Barton MacLane, Eddie Acuff, Eduardo Ciannelli, Robert Keith, Myron McCormick, Millard Mitchell, Robert Shayne and Jack Carr.
This film received its initial television showing in Philadelphia Saturday 6 April 1957 on WFIL (Channel 6), followed by Chicago 20 April 1957 on WBBM (Channel 2), by Altoona PA 22 April 1957 on WFBG (Channel 10), by Binghamton NY 4 May 1957 on WNBF (Channel 12), by Seattle 5 June 1957 on KING (Channel 5), by Syracuse 15 June 1957 on WHEN (Channel 8), by Portland OR 18 June on KGW (Channel 8), by Tucson 15 July 1957 on KVOA (Channel 4), by New York City 3 September 1957 on WCBS (Channel 2), by Honolulu 8 September 1957 on KHVH (Channel 13), by Tampa 10 September 1957 on WFLA (Channel 8) and by Memphis 26 October 1957 on WHBQ (Channel 13); in San Francisco it first aired 3 June 1958 on KGO (Channel 7) and in Los Angeles 2 July 1958 on KTTV (Channel 11).
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