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23 out of 23 people found the following review useful:
Great giallo!, 5 January 2005

Author: George_Bush from Odense, Denmark

The reporter Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel) is found dead somewhere in Cold War Prague and brought to the morgue, but he is not really dead – his mind works, but he cannot move. Now he tries to figure out how he ended up in the morgue. Most of the movie is told through Moore's flashbacks from the morgue where an old friend of his is trying to revive him because he suspects something is wrong with the body since rigor mortis have not set in.

The next hour of the movie is very slow moving – through the flashbacks we learn that Moore had a girlfriend, Mira (played by the gorgeous Barbara Bach), who he loved very dearly. At a party she disappears without a trace and Moore starts his own investigation when the Prague police (almost dressed like the Gestapo) is of little help. His investigation leads him from place to place and he discovers that Mira is not the only missing girl in Prague. As he gets closer to the truth about the missing girls someone tries to stop him and the people who are willing to help him. It looks like a giant conspiracy… And the twist ending is magnificent and gruesome at the same time!

*****SPOILERS*****

The truth is that a satanic cult is behind it all. They sacrifice young people at giant orgies – we are so "lucky" to catch a glimpse at an orgy so we are treated to loads of old people having sex! Moore discovers the truth and is drugged. The effect of the drug is pretty gruesome since it is like being buried alive – he appears to be dead and cannot move, but his mind will be fully working! In the end the doctors at the morgue realizes that Moore must be dead and any attempt to revive him is abandoned. Instead they are going to perform an autopsy on him. Just before the autopsy is going to begin Moore gains a little control over his hand – sadly the doctor performing the autopsy is a member of the cult and he kills him! Pure evil!

*****END SPOILERS*****

Short Night of the Glass Dolls is a very unusual giallo mainly because of the pace. It is remarkably slow moving and lacks the stylish and vicious killings, which almost defines the giallo genre. The overall feeling of the movie reminds me a lot more of Roman Polanski's The Tenant (1976) and Rosemary's Baby (1968). The Anchor Bay DVD from The Giallo Collection is brilliant and the 11-minute interview with director Aldo Lado is very informative. Especially his views on how the movie reflects on how the political elite buries people alive (reassigning them for example) when they come too close to the truth about the elite (hey, he is from Italy!), and how the old generation (the elite) lives of the blood of the young generation (the young has to fight the wars the elite engages in). Aldo Lado also directed the giallo Who Saw Her Die? (1972), which is also part of the box set. Both movies have a brilliant score by Ennio Morricone, but they are used very differently – in Who Saw Her Die? it was almost vulgar and in Short Night of the Glass Dolls the score is used very subtle. This has to be my favorite giallo so far! Go see it!

My rating: 8/10

12 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Transcends the the typical giallo, a stunning classic, 17 July 2002

Author: hippiedj from Palm Desert, California

Aldo Lado's directorial debut known by its English title Short Night Of Glass Dolls is a unique, cerebral experience. For those in the United States that have been searching, in 2002 it has been released on DVD by Anchor Bay -- I got mine as part of a four-disc "Giallo Collection" that also contains Lado's second feature Who Saw Her Die?

Short Night Of Glass Dolls was originally titled Short Night Of The Butterfly (also a song in the film), but right before its release another film came out with with the word butterfly in its title, thus the retitling of this one. Malastrana is a title Lado was originally going to call this film but at the insistence of others involved, it was then on to Short Night Of The Butterfly. Too bad Short Night Of Glass Dolls was the main choice, as the Butterfly title would have made much more sense to the story.

Jean Sorel stars as an American reporter found allegedly dead, and yet we hear his thoughts as he is examined in a morgue. His memories take us back to the beginning where he tries to find out the reason for his girlfriend's disappearance (played by a very young Barbara Bach). What follows is not your typical giallo, but a very thought provoking mystical mystery. It evokes the tone of films like Suspiria and The Tenant, and was made years before those. It really does transcend the typical Italian giallo -- most are just murder mysteries with a cast of characters that all have skeletons in the closet and you have to sort through their hangups to see if they have relevance as to "who done it." Here, there is much more going on amidst political unrest and metaphors for "power being fed by the blood of the young." I usually yawn at heavy political stuff the likes of Lina Wertmuller, but Aldo Lado's take is a nicely blended comment as well as visually stunning storytelling.

I really enjoy films from that period of time, as the actors are not so "GQ" looking, nor are they too young for the parts they're playing. The moustached Jean Sorel is nicely cast and easy to sympathize with, you'll find yourself really hoping he solves the mystery and gets out alive. The locations are used well and extremely scenic (another reason I love giallos from the early 1970s). Add to that a really well-written story along with a wonderful Ennio Morricone score and it just couldn't get any better than that! Even the famous "group" scene is handled so well that it does not come across as gratuitous or cheap.

Short Night Of Glass Dolls is very accomplished filmmaking, and now that it has been restored and looking better than ever on DVD, those with a hunger for something very unique will be quite satisfied.

12 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Complex but overall "paralyzing" giallo!, 8 February 2006

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

Aldo Lado's directorial debut is a mixed bag of confusion and greatly innovating ideas but, eventually, it's the director's ingeniousness that triumphs, and he makes this "Short Night of the Glass Dolls" a must-see experience for Italian horror fans, more particularly the admirers of typical gialli. Lado's intelligent script combines different styles like typically Hitchcockian thrillers, detective stories and near the end even pure occult horror! American reporter in Prague Gregory Moore is pronounced dead in a local hospital but his brain functions are very much alive and slowly reconstructing the fiendish conspiracy that put him into this disturbing medical condition. Gregory's stunningly beautiful girlfriend Mira vanished shortly after a social gathering and, during his private investigation, he discovers that many prominent citizens hide macabre secrets. I realize this is a very basic description of the story, but it really is all I can say without revealing essential clues. The actual denouement, albeit far-fetched, is truly unexpected and the grand finale at the hospital left me completely speechless…which is a rare event! Even though it was only his first horror effort, Aldo Lado proves himself to be a master when it comes to building up tension and he has a talented eye for imaginative camera-work. The classy location of Prague provides this film with one of the most beautiful settings in European horror cinema ever and Lado could also count on mesmerizing musical guidance by Ennio Morricone. The song entitled "Short Night of the Butterflies" is a real beauty. Highly recommended to fans of atmospheric, story-driven horror movies.

6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
a kafkaesque giallo, 24 June 2007

Author: andrabem from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A street sweeper finds a man, apparently dead, lying in a park. An ambulance is called. The camera shows the route followed by the ambulance: A grey city is revealed with old buildings and statues. A feeling of gloom and sadness permeates the screen, underlined still more by the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack of Ennio Morricone. Welcome to Prague, the city of Kafka.

At the hospital, the doctors, after examining the body, declare him to be dead. But he's not really dead! Even if he doesn't show signs of life, he's conscious and screams silently (he can't move or talk) for them to save his life. In fact, as his body doesn't show the rigor mortis or putrefaction signs usual in the dead, they think that maybe he's not really dead and decide to try to reanimate him.

On searching his effects, the hospital attendants discover that he is Gregory Moore (Jean Sorel), an American reporter. The film is divided in two parts - the remembrances of Gregory Moore and the attempts of the hospital staff to revive him.

After Gregory's girlfriend Mira (gorgeous Barbara Bach) mysteriously disappears, he decides to investigate on his own to discover what lies behind it. As his investigation progresses, the local police become gradually more hostile. Something horrible is happening. But the people that could shed some light on this story either refuse to speak or are "removed". Gregory is now on what could be his final journey. What happened to him? The atmosphere of mystery, fear and perplexity surrounding Gregory is excellently portrayed in "La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro". If you want to know more, see the film. It's a very good giallo.

"La Corta Notte delle Bambole di Vetro"'s cast (Jean Sorel, Ingrid Thulin, Barbara Bach, Mario Adorf) adds still more charm to the film. It's interesting to say that Ingrid Thulin appeared in Bergman's "The Silence" (1963) that takes its place in a strange and mysterious city of eastern European appearance!

Highly recommended!

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
The Communist giallo, 2 December 2006

Author: Red-Barracuda from Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Short Night of Glass Dolls is an unusual gialloesque thriller set in Prague in Czechoslovakia. The film has a Central European ambiance that is unfamiliar to giallo cinema. The oppressive Communist backdrop is unsettling. The Prague of this film is one of decay, reflected by the fact that a number of the populace have disabilities – a blind man and woman, a man with no legs and a man suffering a seizure. The story involves an American journalist, Gregory Moore, who is discovered dead in a square in the city. Except he isn't actually dead. He merely appears that way but is instead in a state of paralysis where he is powerless to alert anyone to his dilemma. From this point the film alternates between Moore's situation in the mortuary where he has been scheduled to go under the knife in a public autopsy and a series of flashbacks that tell the story of how he got into his current predicament. It transpires that Moore's girlfriend had suddenly vanished from his house one night when he was called away on a false lead. The authorities prove unhelpful in the subsequent search and Moore then goes on his own search, discovering that there had been a series of other girls who had went missing under similarly mysterious circumstances. Events lead to Klub 99, a mysterious society where chamber music is celebrated. The search leads to a trail of murder and dark secrets that push Moore to the edge of madness, leading to an unforgettable ending.

This is a slow paced thriller with little sex or violence. But it is not a weak movie at all. It's a little oddity that has a giallo feel despite not really being a full-on giallo. In this respect it is similar to The House With Laughing Windows, in that it is a dark little gem of a movie that goes against the conventions of the genre and is an original piece of work; like that movie, too, this is little seen, which is a shame. One of the things this film has got in common with other early 70's giallos is its crazy title – Short Night of Glass Dolls is possibly the most meaningless of the lot! The movie benefits from an Ennio Morricone score. The maestro was knocking out scores to these kind of movies ten to the dozen and this is another strong effort. It alternates between dramatic orchestral work, menacing jazz compositions and breathy, wordless female vocals courtesy of the legendary Edda dell'Orso. The soundtrack goes a long way in creating an atmosphere of suspense. Acting is pretty solid. Jean Sorel is a good lead and Barbara Bach, although not given much to do, is quite stunning. José Quaglio is also memorably vampiric. Aldo Lado handles the whole film well. His use of flashback scenes and recurring motives of chandeliers and butterflies is clever and well done. Despite not a great deal happening in the first half of the movie, Lado gradually pulls us into the mystery. And the ending really is very good.

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
An atmospheric, chilling and gripping thriller, 20 February 2007
Author: DVD_Connoisseur from England

Aldo Lado's first movie, "Short Night of Glass Dolls" is an effective and atmospheric giallo from the early '70s. Jean Sorel plays the cop who, it appears, "wakes up" dead. Paralysed in his body and unable to communicate with the outside world, we see the events leading up to this situation unfold in his memory as, in the present, an autopsy is started to be prepared for him.

The film contains a memorable cast. The delightfully beautiful Barbara Bach plays Sorel's missing love interest, Mira. The late Ingrid ("Salon Kitty") Thulin appears as work colleague and ex-lover, Jessica. Mario Adorf is excellent as the friend and fellow cop, Jacques.

The film is fast paced and the premise is gripping but I found the film less satisfying overall than many other giallo movies. Worthy of a viewing, without a doubt, but not in the same league as Argento's finest efforts.

With a score by Ennio Morricone and impressive cinematography by Giuseppe Ruzzolini, "Short Night" is a hauntingly beautiful and memorable film.

A strong 7 out of 10.

3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Inventive spin on the giallo formula, 3 June 2005

Author: Bjorn (jbjorns) from Iceland

A body is discovered on the streets of Prague. Only hours before an autopsy is performed on him, we learn he's not really dead, but trapped inside his body and trying desperately to recall the events leading up to this predicament. And hopefully avoid the autopsy.

This Aldo Lado directed giallo has a lot going for it. Not a traditional giallo, but rather an inventive spin on the formula. It's cleverly written, decently acted and quite suspenseful at times but somehow misses the bull's eye. It drags a bit, could have used some trimming perhaps. Also, the end solution is bit of a letdown, but maybe that's just me. I found it a bit much, the buildup was better than the conclusion. But a big thumbs up for the chilling ending.

Lado is very stylish at times but Argento he's not. Quite good all the same.

4 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Eyes wide open!, 4 August 2004

Author: Pietro from London

It often happen to see movies in which it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to understand why some people decide to make evil actions. In Kubrick Eyes Wide Shut, for example, it is not clear why so many people decide to act in such a way (I refer to the orgy and rituals of the old mansion) and this is probably because such reason is eventually not functional to the real message of the story. On the contrary, in this obscure but very enjoyable Italian giallo, the ritual has its logical explanation, which is also nicely hidden in the title of the movie (short night...glass dolls...): it is a desperate and illusory attempt to keep young, to fight death. But also, as it has been suggested by the director himself, an attempt of the old generation to live at the expenses of the young ones (a political statement nowadays even more real and rue than it was back in the '70s). Beyond this simple concept, the movie itself develops quite nicely, supported by a good cast and a nice score by Morricone. Prague looks the perfect location and the final is quite unusual and strong... Definitely worth seeing and rediscovering it... another Italian hidden gem from the Seventies!

6 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Very odd and convoluted giallo., 20 July 2006

Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland

Aldo Lado's stylish 1971 giallo "Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is the story of Gregory(Jean Sorel),a reporter who is found dead in a Prague park.However his brain is alive as we can hear his frantic thoughts.It appears that his beautiful girlfriend Mira(Barbara Bach)has vanished without a trace and Gregory,along with his reporter pal Jack(Mario Adorf),work to uncover the secret of a mysterious group of Prague's wealthy elite who operate inside the mysterious Klub 99."Short Night of the Glass Dolls" is a fine Italian giallo.The plot is bizarre and rather unpredictable and there is a decent amount of sleaze.Ennio Morricone again provides the music.It should be noted that this film is pretty hard for me to classify as a giallo in the traditional sense as it contains no black-gloved assassin.Still it's worth checking out for fans of Italian horror.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Drips with atmosphere, 29 October 2009

Author: Tender-Flesh from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

What a pleasant surprise. This early giallo entry was Aldo Lado's first directorial feature and he put a lot of effort into it. What might disappoint slightly is that you don't see a lot in the way of good deaths. Most are done off-screen, which makes this a marginal giallo, at best. However, don't be put off by the "lack of hack." This movie has got the goods and delivers them.

An American journalist, Gregory Moore played by Jean Sorel(who reminds me of Franco Nero a bit), is found at the beginning of the film lying in the grass and being menaced by a hungry crow. Gregory is believed to be dead and so is transported to the hospital. However, while there, the audience is privy to his inner dialogue which seems to prove he is very much alive. The examining doctors are befuddled by his lack of rigidity and other normal signs of recent death. Then we begin to move through flashbacks as Gregory tries to piece together how he got to the hospital and what occurred over the last few days. During the hospital sequence, there are some delicious moments of uncertainty where you wonder whether a possibly still-living Gregory will fall under the scalpel for an autopsy or will he wake up with is innards exposed? I especially liked the part where he was slipped into the cooler until the doctors decided what to do with him and then another body is placed on the rack above him. Super creepy.

The flashback sequences are masterfully spun. Gregory searches desperately for his girlfriend, the pretty-from-the-right-angle Barbara Bach, who's gone missing. He and his journalist friends butt heads with the local police in Prague as they chase shadows in empty plazas and zig-zagging alleys. After putting a few pieces of the puzzle together, Gregory finds a club for lovers of classical music and believes Barbara and other women have met their fate at the hands of the occupants. What follows is a rather strange orgy of black mass rites and political potency. The ending is shocking. The hospital aspect of the plot is very similar to a Twilight Zone episode and also to a Stephen King short story(I doubt King saw this film, but he did say the TZ episode inspired him-which is admirable since it's practically identical---ah, the ability to be published for such nonsense, but I digress).

Ennio Morricone provides the score. While Morricone is always good, the second film by Aldo Lado has a much better score written by Ennio.

There is almost no bloodshed in this film and what you do see is mainly off-camera deaths. This is unusual for 70's horror/thrillers and it's a rare treat to just sit back and take in Lado's meticulous direction.

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