| Windom's Way | |
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Original trade ad
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| Directed by | Ronald Neame |
| Written by | Jill Craigie |
| Based on | novel by James Ramsey Ullman |
| Produced by | John Bryan John Hawkesworth executive Earl St. John |
| Starring | Peter Finch Mary Ure |
| Cinematography | Christopher Challis |
| Edited by | Reginald Mills |
| Music by | James Bernard |
Production | J Arthur Rank Organisation |
| Distributed by | Rank Organisation |
Release dates |
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Running time | 108 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Windom's Way is a 1957 British thriller film directed by Ronald Neame and starring Peter Finch and Mary Ure. Made in Eastman Color, it is set during the Malayan Emergency.
Dr Alec Windom is a British doctor who works in a village in Malaya. He is visited by his estranged wife Lee.
The film was based on a 1952 novel by James Ramsey Ullman, which was reportedly inspired by Dr. Gordon S. Seagrave, who was imprisoned for allegedly helping the Karen people. The novel was set in the fictitious island state of Papaan.[1][2][3]
Ullman says he wanted to tell the story how "in between man – call him the liberal – can get caught between the rollers of fanaticism or authoritarianism on either side; the case of a man trying to do his job and be a human being among other human beings and how hard this is in the twentieth century."[4] Ullman admitted the story of Seagrove "was somewhere in the back of my mind" when he wrote the book.[4]
The book was a Literary Guild choice and became a best seller in the US.[5] Ullman wrote a first draft of a play based on the book.[4]
Film rights to Windom's Way were bought by Carl Foreman, who wrote the script. He sold the rights to this and two other properties to Earl St John of Rank Film Productions, who in January 1955 announced it as part of its schedule for that year (but it would not be made for another two years).[6]
The script was rewritten and 'Anglicized' by Anthony Perry. Perry's draft was considered too "political" and was rewritten by Jill Craigie to be softened. However, the resulting work was considerably more left-wing than Rank's other colonial war films of this time such as The Planter's Wife and Simba.[7][8]
Ronald Neame had just left The Seventh Sin (1957) during production. He was contacted by his old producing partner John Bryan who suggested Neame make Windom's Way with Peter Finch.
Finch made the film immediately after returning from Australia where he made Robbery Under Arms. Part of the location shoot took place in Corsica. The rest was filmed at Pinewood.[9]
Neame says Corsica was a "difficult location".[10]
"It was not a successful picture, I'm afraid", said Neame later. "I think it fell between two stools, neither politically profound nor exciting enough as an action film. John just liked the book very much and I would have directed anything to get back to the studios again."[11]
"The finished film may have had too many messages for people to stay interested", Neame later wrote. "It was neither a hit nor a disgrace."[10]
Variety called it "a slowish but well-made intelligent drama".[12]
The New York Times said the film was "without any topical teeth" in which Windom's "political sympathies, like the geography, are so vague that one need have no fear of being subverted by associating with him in this film. All one needs to worry about, precisely, is being a little provoked and bored."[13]
The film was nominated for four British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards in 1958.[14]
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Films directed by Ronald Neame
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