The Glass Wall (1953)

Peter, a WW II 'displaced person' about to be deported jumps ship in New York harbor in an effort to find an ex-G.I named Tom whom he helped during the war and can prove Peter's right to ... See full summary »

Director:

Maxwell Shane

Writers:

Ivan Tors (screenplay), Maxwell Shane (screenplay)

Stars:

Vittorio Gassman, Gloria Grahame, Ann Robinson

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vittorio Gassman	...	Peter Kaban
Gloria Grahame	...	Maggie Summers
Ann Robinson	...	Nancy
Douglas Spencer	...	Inspector Bailey
Robin Raymond	...	Tanya aka Bella Zakoyla
Jerry Paris	...	Tom
Elizabeth Slifer	...	Mrs. Hinckley - Landlady
Richard Reeves	...	Eddie Hinckley
Joe Turkel	...	Freddie Zakoyla (as Joseph Turkel)
Else Neft	...	Mrs. Zakoyla
Michael Fox	...	Inspector Toomey / Narrator
Nesdon Booth	...	Monroe - Taxi Driver (as Ned Booth)
Kathleen Freeman	...	Zelda - Fat Woman
Juney Ellis	...	Girl friend
Jack Teagarden	...	Musician

Storyline

Peter, a WW II 'displaced person' about to be deported jumps ship in New York harbor in an effort to find an ex-G.I named Tom whom he helped during the war and can prove Peter's right to legal entry in the United States. It is a race against time for if he can't Tom within 24 hours and prove his case, he will be branded a fugitive and will be permanently disqualified for U.S. citizenship. His quest leads him to befriending Maggie, a down-on-her-luck factory worker whom he rejuvenates through his good faith; a visit to a jazz club where Shorty Rogers and his band and trombonist Jack Teagarden are playing, and an interlude with a good- hearted burlesque dancer, Tanya Zakoyla, takes him to her mother's home for food and rest. The climax comes at dawn in the United Nations building (the "glass wall" of the title) where he goes to plead his case and that of all displaced persons.

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Plot Keywords:

immigrant experience | america | world war two | immigrant | immigration

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Taglines:

THE 10-HOUR MANHUNT...that tore New York apart!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 July 1953 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Die gläserne Mauer

Filming Locations:

United Nations - First Avenue at 46th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the beginning of the trailer, Shelley Winters is shown and her name is displayed to introduce audiences to her then-husband, Vittorio Gassman on his American debut. Winters isn't otherwise involved in the movie.

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Goofs

During his first solo, trombonist Jack Teagarden's hand movements don't match the music on the soundtrack.

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Quotes

Mrs. Zakoyla: Don't forget, your dead father was a lousy foreigner!

User Reviews

Times Square, New York

This film is a tribute by the amazing cinematographer, Joseph Biroc, to New York of the 50s. It's a movie that is stunning to watch as it serves to document the fun that New York was in that period after WWII. The splendid night photography of the Times Square area before the arrival of the seediness of the ensuing years, and today's theme park feeling, makes us forget that that it served as the mecca of entertainment and night life in Manhattan. We get to watch the crowds and some of the films that were playing at the time.

The director, Maxwell Shane, presents a story that might have been dramatic at the time, but in the global village, where illegal aliens are all over the city and the country, this movie shows a dated take on things since everything is different now. This is the era that Arthur Miller presented in "A View from the Bridge" about the illegal immigrants. America wasn't a tolerant nation at the time!

Vittorio Glassman, one of Italy's best actors, plays the stowaway that comes to America only to be refused entrance. No one can believe his story of survival in the European concentration camps. When he escapes into the streets of Manhattan we get the feel of what the town was like. Mr. Glassman whose body of work in the Italian cinema was unique, shows an interesting portrait as the man who is not wanted in America.

Gloria Grahame, as the girl out of luck in the naked city, plays the woman who befriends Kaban and believes him. Jerry Paris is Tom, the former G.I. who was helped by Kaban in Europe. Robin Raymond is Tanya the stripper with a heart of gold who takes Kaban home out the kindness of her heart.

The scenes at the United Nations are magnificently staged. The chase to a recently inaugurated building is one of the best things of the movie. Finally, everything that went wrong is put to order and Kaban is redeemed as a hero and a man who has told the truth from the beginning.