| The Spiral Road | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Mulligan |
| Screenplay by | John Lee Mahir Neil Paterson |
| Based on | the novel byJan de Hartog |
| Produced by | Robert Arthur |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Russell Harlan |
| Edited by | Russell F. Schoengarth |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Color process | Eastmancolor |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal International |
Release date |
|
Running time | 140 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2 million (US/Canada)[1] |
The Spiral Road is a 1962 American adventure-drama film directed byRobert Mulligan and starringRock Hudson,Burl Ives,Gena Rowlands, andGeoffrey Keen.[2][3] The film was released byUniversal-International in the United States in 1962, the same year that Mulligan's other movieTo Kill a Mockingbird became a critical and commercial success.
The movie was filmed inSuriname and was shot inEastmancolor.
Dr. Anton Drager travels to Java to study the effects of leprosy under an expert on the subject, Dr. Brits Jansen. The two physicians have many of the same views scientifically, but are philosophically a mismatch because of Drager's atheism and Jansen's Christianity.
After being married to his sweetheart Els, Drager must trek into the jungle to track down Frolick, a drunken river master who is lost. Frolick has been driven mad by a shaman called Burubi. Drager eventually comes across Frolick, but ends up killing him in self-defense.
After rescuing another doctor, in the same region, Drager becomes lost in the wild. He nearly dies and has lapsed into a coma by the time he is rescued. Drager's ordeal comes to change his perceptions, turning him into a Christian.
While many critics and audiences were impressed with the setting and scenery of the film, there was general consensus that the script was lacking[4] and that Mulligan's other films, particularlyTo Kill a Mockingbird, were better.
Michael E. Grost of Classic Film and Television wrote: "Weird but wildly inventive tale of doctors in the jungle, with good visuals."[5][6]
Universal released this film on DVD in 2006 as part of theRock Hudson Screen Legend Collection, a three-disc set featuring four other films (Has Anybody Seen My Gal?,A Very Special Favor,The Golden Blade, andThe Last Sunset). Universal then re-released this film in 2015 as a stand-alone DVD as part of itsUniversal Vault Series. There is also a Region 2 DVD release of this film.