La corta notte delle bambole di vetro (1971)

An American journalist in Prague searches for his girlfriend who has suddenly disappeared.

Director:

Aldo Lado

Writers:

Aldo Lado, Ruediger von Spies (additional dialogue) (as Ruediger von Spiehs)

Stars:

Ingrid Thulin, Jean Sorel, Mario Adorf

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ingrid Thulin	...	Jessica
Jean Sorel	...	Gregory Moore
Mario Adorf	...	Jacques Versain
Barbara Bach	...	Mira Svoboda
Fabijan Sovagovic	...	Professor Karting (as Fabian Sovagovic)
José Quaglio	...	Valinski
Relja Basic	...	Ivan
Piero Vida	...	Kommissar Kierkoff
Daniele Dublino	...	Doctor
Sven Lasta	...	Pravski - Blind Man
Luciano Catenacci	...	Morgue Employee
Michaela Martin	...	Girl with Jacques (as Micaela Martin)
Vjenceslav Kapural	...	Librarian
Jürgen Drews	...	Street Singer
Semka Sokolovic-Bertok	...	Nastassja - Gregory's Neighbor (as Semka Sokolovic)

Storyline

Greg Moore, an American journalist visiting Prague with his girlfriend Mira is found dead. However, he's actually only temporarily paralyzed, but the coroner fails to realize this and proceeds to prepare him for the autopsy. While Moore awaits his doom, he tries to recollect what has happened to him. It all starts when his girl disappears. He asks his friend, a local journalist, for help. They discover that this was just the latest in a series of disappearances of young pretty girls in the area. Their investigation leads them to a strange high profile private club, whose affluent members practice odd ritualistic orgies and bizarre dark rites.

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Plot Keywords:

orgy | female frontal nudity | czechoslovakia | czech republic | woman wearing only a man's shirt | 

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Taglines:

When things are not what they seem...

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy West Germany Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

30 May 1972 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Paralyzed

Filming Locations:

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dieter Geissler Filmproduktion,Doria G. Film,Dunhill Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (Techniscope)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Gregory Moore: [we hear his unspoken thoughts while he is waiting to be taken to the morgue] Dead? I'm dead? Can't be. I'm alive. Can't you tell I'm alive? I've got to make them see. You! Listen to me! Look at me! Can't you hear me? Maybe it's a nightmare. I'll try to wake up. I've got to move. Yeah, a finger. Ca' Can't! I must! Don't leave me like this. Help me! HELP ME!

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Connections

Referenced in Strange Days of Short Night (2001)

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Soundtracks

The Short Night of the Butterflies
Sung by Jürgen Drews

User Reviews

Eyes wide open!

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!