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The Glass Wall ()


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Peter is a refugee who wants to make a better life for himself in America, but he doesn't have the proper papers. Desperate for entry, he jumps ship and flees to New York to search for a World War II veteran whom he helped during the war.

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Cast verified as complete

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Peter
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Maggie
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Nancy
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Inspector Bailey
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Tanya
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Tom
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Mrs. Hinckley
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Eddie Hinckley
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Freddie (as Joseph Turkel)
Else Neft ...
Mrs. Zakoyla
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Toomey
Nesdon Booth ...
Monroe (as Ned Booth)
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Zelda
Juney Ellis ...
Girl Friend
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Jack Teagarden
Shorty Rogers and His Giants ...
Shorty Rogers and His Band (as Shorty Rogers and His Band)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Pedestrian (uncredited)
John Breen ...
Official (uncredited)
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Giggling Man in Arcade (uncredited)
Lynn Craft ...
Bill (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Police News Broadcaster (uncredited)
Sam Finn ...
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Alvin Freeman ...
Street Dancer (uncredited)
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Saxophone Player (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Dock Inspector (uncredited)
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Pedestrian (uncredited)
Lou Krugman ...
Club Manager (uncredited)
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Drummer (uncredited)
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Musician in Men's Room (uncredited)
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Taxi Driver's Pal (uncredited)
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Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
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Louis (uncredited)
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Police Lieutenant Reeves (uncredited)
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Man in Alley with Tall Showgirl (uncredited)
Jose Portugal ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul Ravel ...
Party Guest (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by

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Maxwell Shane

Written by

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Ivan Tors ... (screenplay) and
Maxwell Shane ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Ben Coleman ... associate producer (as Ben Colman)
Ivan Tors ... producer

Music by

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Leith Stevens

Cinematography by

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Joseph F. Biroc

Editing by

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Herbert L. Strock

Editorial Department

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Stanley Frazen ... supervising editor

Production Design by

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George Van Marter

Art Direction by

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Serge Krizman

Production Management

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C.M. Florance ... production manager (as C. M. Florance)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Ben Berk ... assistant director: New York
Richard Dixon ... assistant director

Sound Department

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William A. Wilmarth ... sound (as William H. Wilmarth)

Special Effects by

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David Commons ... special effects
Jack Rabin ... special effects

Visual Effects by

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Bobby Jones ... lighting effects (as Robert Jones)

Music Department

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Gus Levene ... orchestrator (uncredited)
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Hungarian Peter Kuban has just arrived in New York City by stowing away on a ship from Trieste, he expecting to be able to claim refugee status in having spent the previous ten years including during WWII in one internment camp or another, and having saved an American paratrooper during the war at his own risk. However, without proper paperwork and only knowing that paratrooper's given name, Tom, and that in his civilian life is a clarinetist playing the clubs around Time Square, Peter is denied entry into the country, he to be sent back to Trieste on the return sailing first thing the next morning. Knowing that he will be killed if he returns, Peter escapes from the ship, his mission to locate "Tom" who he is sure will verify his story and vouch for him. What Peter is unaware of is that time is paramount in that if he is not back to the ship by the time it sails, regardless of if he finds Tom, he will be forever denied entry into the US in being considered a criminal fugitive. His task is made all the more difficult in that he sustained a serious injury in his escape and that he only has $8 in his pockets on which to survive. A front page newspaper story on his plight may both help and hinder him in some reacting in their own way to the story, those that may want to help him in his basic humanity such that he demonstrated to Tom in the war. Written by Huggo

Plot Keywords
Taglines THE 10-HOUR MANHUNT...that tore New York apart! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Les frontières de la vie (France)
  • Die Gläserne Mauer (Germany)
  • El muro de cristal (Spain)
  • Üvegfal (Hungary)
  • A Torre de Cristal (Portugal)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 82 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Along with Jack Teagarden (trombone) in the nightclub sequence, the band's Jimmy Giuffre (saxophone) on the far left and Shelly Manne (drums) can be seen. Shorty Rogers (trumpet) is leading the band. He and Bob Keene (clarinet) supply off camera solos for the actors. See more »
Goofs The lights above the elevator on the ground floor of the United Nations building indicate that the elevator travels 36 floors in a few (i.e., 3-5) seconds. That kind of acceleration, speed, and braking would injure occupants of the elevator, especially the elderly operator. That distance in that period of time would exceed 60 mph. See more »
Movie Connections References Arch of Triumph (1948). See more »
Quotes Peter: Tell me. Is there not work for everyone here in America?
Maggie: Almost everyone.
Peter: So, how it happens that a girl like you steals a coat?
Maggie: I don't know. I was cold. I needed a coat.
Maggie: [thinking about what she just said] More than that, I was fed up, I guess.
Maggie: [standing up] Did you ever put tips on shoe laces?
Peter: Tip on shoelaces?
Maggie: Yeah. That's what I did for two years.
Maggie: [gesturing about her work] There's a big steal machine here, see, and over here, a giant spool of shoelace. You pull it out like this, twenty-seven inches at a time, all day. And then you stamp a pedal and a ton of steel bangs down, cuts the lace and rolls the tip on. Bang like that, and again. Bang, all day. You're scared you'll smash your finger. At the same time, you gotta keep your eye on the assistant foreman. Because every time he comes by he pinches you. You do this until your brain goes numb, and you get thirty-five bucks a week. And then, all of a sudden, you have an appendix attack, an operation, and you're out flat on your back. And you just can't get back on you're feet. And you get fed up. And you want to strike back at somebody, anybody!
Maggie: [after she heaves a sigh] And you steal a coat.
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