Short Night of the Glass Dolls

Short Night of the Glass Dolls Poster Available DVDs Poster Art Press Kit Fun Facts File:Wdeulogo.jpg <flashmp3>http://www.grindhousedatabase.com/files/ennio%20morricone%20-%20Macabre%20Discovery.mp3</flashmp3> "Macabre Discovery" by Ennio Morricone File:Short night of the glass dolls 3.jpg

Also Known As

• Das Todessyndrom (Germany)
• La Corta notte delle bambole di vetro (Italy)
• Malastrana (Italy / Germany)
• Je suis vivant! (France)
• Paralyzed (USA)
• Unter dem Skalpell des Teufels (Germany)

Main Details

• Released in 1971
• Color
• Runtime: 93 min
• Aspect Ratio: (2.35:1)
• Not Rated
• Production Co: Dieter Geissler Filmproduktion, Doria G. Film, Dunhill Cinematografica, Jadran Film, Rewind Film, Surf Film

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Aldo Lado
• Written by Aldo Lado, Ruediger von Spiess
• Starring: Ingrid Thulin, Jean Sorel, Mario Adorf, Barbara Bach, Fabijan Sovagovic, José Quaglio, Relja Basic, Piero Vida, Daniele Dublino, Sven Lasta, Luciano Catenacci, Michaela Martin, Vjenceslav Kapural, Jürgen Drews, Semka Sokolovic-Bertok (as Semka Sokolovic), Sergio Serafini, Franca Sciutto, Hrvoje Svob, Joza Seb, Petar Dumicic, Rikard Brzeska (as Riki Brzeska), Vladimir Bosnjak (as Velimir Bosnjak), Petar Buntic, Ivo Kadic
• Produced by Enzo Doria, Luciano Volpato, Dieter Geissler (uncredited)
• Original Music by Ennio Morricone
• Cinematography by Giuseppe Ruzzolini
• Film Editing by Jutta Brandstaedter, Mario Morra

Film Review

Template:Ennio Morricone

When you just dip into the credits you will have a smile on your face. We've got: Jean Sorel, Ingrid Thulin, Mario Adorf, Barbara Bach, Ennio Morricone and director Aldo Lado (who made his directorial debut with this film). He also directed: Who Saw Her Die? (1972), Night Train Murders (1975) and Action Winners (1976). If you're expecting alot of violence and stuff like that (which is normal for a Giallo) then I have to disappoint you. It's more of a thriller with a mystery touch to it the Italian way. And now to the story...

...the American journalist Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel) gets found dead somewhere in Prague. The doctors declare him dead. But for one doctor it is still a mystery why the rigormortis didn't occur. But no, he is not really dead. He still can think and see everything that happens around him. But he can't speak or move his hands. So he has to go through the normal procedure every dead body has to go through, (people talking about stealing his shoes, doctors who are giving up on him and so on). While experiencing all that he starts to reminisce about what happened. His girlfriend Mira (Barbara Bach) had suddenly dissapeared without saying a word, leaving her passport at his home and even all her clothes. Gregory doesn't trust the police so he tries to investigate on his own with a little help from Jacques Versain (Mario Adorf). He finds an occult consortium that has killed many young women's before. Later on he's laying on a table in a medicine school for an autopsy. One of the doctors he sees is one of the guys in the mysterious occult consortium. Will he wake up? Will he die?

Short Night of the Glass Dolls is something more like a Psycho-Thriller the mystery way. You can put it into the Giallo genre 'coz the flair is there. The film is just unique. The story is marvelous. Imagine it... everybody thinks you are dead but you can still see and hear everything that happens around you (that's frightening). Aldo Lado made a unique film here. And yes you can put his name with ones like: Fulci or Bava. Now I have to write something about Mario Adorf. He's a German actor, born in Switzerland and raised in Germany. He's also one of the few German actors that are internationally known and played in the 50's, 60's and 70's in so many international films. Mostly you people will remember him or saw him in Italian Mafia and Giallo films. Most of you will recognize him from the polizio classic Milano Calibro 9 (1972). Nowadays he plays only in German movies & TV. As usual he gave a great performance in this film. Only bad thing was, I've seen the English dubbed version of the movie and his voice sounds horrible. Maybe its because I'm used to his German voice. That's how it is with the dubbing. Can't write much about the movie score (which is by Ennio Morricone) because you don't hear much of it throughout the film. By the way, there's a scene in the film with alot of nudity. Old grandpas and grandmas having an orgy (and yes they are fully nude). I had to close my eyes from time to time throughout that scene, otherwise I would have gone blind! (haha!). Anyways, this film is definitely a must see for all Italian cinema fans. Yes Sir!

Reviewed by GBS - 06/05/08