The Spiral Dance 

by Rick LoBello
The Spiral Dance: Reflections on Big Bend National Park, was produced by Harry L Gordon for the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. This vintage film is a work of art and still beautifully evokes a sense of place that is the Big Bend. Narrated by Burl Ives, the Spiral Dance is the first film with sound documentary on Big Bend National Park.
Earlier another amazing nature film was produced without sound by Peter Koch. This footage like the Gordon's footage is worthy of any effort to have it digitized with the best restoration technology.
I met Harry at an evening program in the Chisos Basin at the campground amphitheater when I was a ranger naturalist working for the National Park Service in Big Bend National Park sometime during the late 1970s. Harry told me about the project and we spent hours over the years visiting about good locations to film different animals and sequences. On a number of occasions I helped him film some of the scenes he needed to complete the project.
Learn more about Harry and his films at greaterbigbend...
This film was completed in 1985 and won a CINE GOLDEN EAGLE FILM & VIDEO COMPETITION award.
Spiral Dance: Reflections on Big Bend National Park. 28 minutes
PRODUCTION: Lehr Picture Company -
Alpine, TX
SPONSOR/DISTRIBUTOR: Chihuahuan
Desert Research Institute - Alpine, TX
Producer: Harry L. Gordon
Director: Harry L. Gordon
Writer: Marshall Riggan
Editor: Harry L. Gordon
Camera: Harry L. Gordon
Music: Leo Kottke
Sound: Harry L. Gordon