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Rey Scott (January 9, 1905 – February 12, 1992) was an American journalist, documentary filmmaker, and cinematographer best known for directing the 1941 Academy Award-winning documentary Kukan. His work provided rare visual documentation of China's resistance during the Second Sino-Japanese War and military operations in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Scott was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Eldorado Scott and Helen Courtney. Census records show the family later moved to Los Angeles, where Scott began his career as a journalist and photographer in the 1930s.[3]
Career
[edit]Pre-war work
[edit]In 1937, Scott relocated to Hawaii as a journalist for the Honolulu Advertiser, where he documented tourist life and collaborated with labor activist Roy Cummings during newspaper unionization efforts.[4] His career shifted when a Chinese refugee implored him to document Japan's invasion of China.[1]
Kukan and wartime documentation
[edit]Partnering with Chinese-American playwright Li Ling-Ai, Scott co-produced Kukan (苦干, "courage") using a handheld 16mm Bolex camera. He captured the August 1940 bombing of Chongqing from the U.S. Embassy rooftop, later smuggling footage out in bamboo poles.[1] The film's unprecedented depiction of China's ethnic diversity – featuring Miao, Muslim, Tibetan, and Han communities – earned a 1941 Honorary Oscar, directly leading to the creation of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature category in 1942.[5] President Franklin D. Roosevelt reportedly canceled appointments to view the full 90-minute documentary during a White House screening.[1]
Military service
[edit]After Pearl Harbor, Scott joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps under Captain John Huston, filming nine combat missions over Kiska Island for Report from the Aleutians (1943). Though discharged early due to health issues, his frontline footage contributed to the film's New York Film Critics Circle Award and Oscar nomination.[6]
Post-war life
[edit]Scott worked briefly for the Kansas City Star before establishing Rey Scott Studios in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1950), specializing in yacht photography and portraits for Gold Coast Magazine's "Portrait of the Month" feature.[1] He married Lenore (maiden name unknown) and had three sons: Raymond, Mark, and Oreon.[3]
Legacy
[edit]Scott's Kukan remained lost until 2009 when a damaged print was discovered in Hawaii. Its restoration by the Academy Film Archive and documentation in Robin Lung's Finding Kukan (2016) revived interest in his pioneering work.[7] The Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum preserves 97 lantern slides from his 1937 Nanking expedition and personal archives, curated through his friendship with museum founder Allan McElhiney.[1][8]
Key contributions include:
- First use of handheld combat footage in documentary filmmaking:cite[2]
- Early documentation of China's ethnic minorities pre-Communist era:cite[2]
- Influencing U.S. public opinion about China prior to Pearl Harbor:cite[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Rey Scott". Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale Museum. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Kukan". Wikipedia. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Rey Gilmore Scott (1905-1992)". WikiTree. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "The Power of the Press, Part 2". Nested Egg Productions. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Honorary Award to Rey Scott". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ Duncan, Dean (2021). "Report from the Aleutians". The Documentary Film Reader. Oxford University Press. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-19-752836-4.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ Kenny, Glenn (2 December 2016). "Restoring a Lost Chapter of Cinematic History". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Major Archival Discovery". Nested Egg Productions. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Rey Scott at IMDb
- NASFL Museum profile