Short Night of Glass Dolls – 1971
Corta notte delle bambole di vetro, La
Director
Aldo Lado

Writers
Ernesto Gastaldi (screenwriter)
Aldo Lado,

Cast
Ingrid Thulin
Jean Sorel
Mario Adorf
Barbara Bach

Review by Wayne Malin

Not really a giallo but pretty good

American reporter Gregory Moore (played by French Jean Sorel) is in Prague with fellow reporters Jessica (Ingrid Thulin) and Jack (Mario Ardof). He prepares to leave and go to England with Czech girlfriend Myra (Barbara Bach). However she suddenly disappears without a trace. Moore starts to investigate but the police try to block him, his friends tell him to forget her and a mysterious man is following him…

This is advertised as an Italian giallo but I don’t think it really is. At the end it becomes one but about 85% of the movie is just a thriller–a good thriller but not a giallo. The title means next to nothing (as the director says in a short interview on the DVD). It was supposed to be called “Short Night of the Butterfly” (which does work) but it had to be changed at the last minute. “Glass Dolls” was just picked out of thin air. The film is hurt by poor dubbing–some of the dialogue is virtually incomprehensible. I had to keep turning the volume up and down to hear! That aside this is a good movie. The plot is complex and it’s beautifully directed. The DVD of this has a gorgeous transfer. The acting is good by everybody–especially Sorel and Thulin. There’s also a beautiful score by Ennio Morricone that perfectly fits the film. All in all a good strong thriller worth catching.