The Glass House (1972) (TV)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Tom Gries

Writers:

Truman Capote (story)
Wyatt Cooper (story)

Release Date:

4 February 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young guard and a college professor convicted of manslaughter both start their first day in prison.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Manslaughter | Professor | Violence | Accident

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Vic Morrow	...	Hugo Slocum
Clu Gulager	...	Brian Courtland
Billy Dee Williams	...	Lennox
Kristoffer Tabori	...	Allan Campbell
Dean Jagger	...	Warden Auerbach
Alan Alda	...	Jonathon Paige
Luke Askew	...	Bibleback
Scott Hylands	...	Ajax
Edward Bell	...	Sinclair
Tony Mancini	...	Steve Berino
Roy Jenson	...	Officer Brown
Alan Vint	...	Bree

Also Known As:

Truman Capote's the Glass House

Runtime:

120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company:

Tomorrow Entertainment

Trivia:

Alan Alda on his autobiography "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed -- and Other Things I've Learned" claims that this movie was shoot in real prison with real prisoners as extras. During the filming of the movie it's director Tom Gries made jokes with prisoners that they should take Alan Alda as their hostage because that is the only way they can escape from prison. On the last day of shooting, two prisoners approached Alda and put an improvised knife on his throat telling him that he is their hostage. Luckily prison guard arrived shortly after and carefully negotiated with prisoners to let Alan Alda go. They let him loose telling him that they were just joking. Alda also states that no prisoner was punished for the incident.

Take yourself to 1972 and this is a dam good genre piece.

Anybody visiting this for the first time now who can't take themselves back to 1972 {the time of the films release} are going to be screaming formulaic. Luckily as a fan of the genre and holding a steadfast belief that a viewer should always get a mindset of a films original release period, I wouldn't dream of calling this formulaic.

This is something of genre perfection because the makers realise that incarceration should be stifling, the viewer should feel a level of oppression to get on side with the nature of the film, and here they achieve that with a feeling of simmering menace bubbling under the surface, you know that things are going to go pear shaped and it's the waiting that drives you on in an uneasy state.

All the pieces are in place for classic prison drama, tough nasty bad guy exuding menace {a wonderful creeper turn from Vic Morrow}, the screw who is the lone voice of authority who cares {take a bow Clu Gulager), the good guy main protagonist who we are rooting for {a fine heartfelt turn from Alan Alda), and a story that doesn't veer to nonsense {from the pen of one Truman Capote}.

The violence is shocking, and of course rape and suicide is prominent, all the things to make the viewer stunned and saddened in equal measure are here, but most of all the film triumphs with its ending, there is no cop out here and the makers were brave enough to not slip into maudlin pay off that so many genre films tend to do.

For 2007 there is nothing new here, but for 1972 and a TV movie, this is well worth.

8/10