The evolution of Italian Giallo cinema is quite dynamic. With Mario Bava often created as the Godfather of Giallo with early entries such as 1964’s Blood and Black Lace, in the 1970s, a list of other directors made significant contributions. Aiding in the genre’s growing popularity, you had Dario Argento’s 1970 film The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, Lucio Fulci’s sleeper hit Don’t Torture a Duckling, but also other signature features such as Aldo Lado’s Short Night of Glass Dolls from 1971.
Known in Italy as La Corta notte delle bambole di vetro, the film would be the directorial debut of Lado, who took the job after unsuccessfully hiring Maurizio Lucidi and Antonio Margheriti. A blessing in disguise, Lado was given a chance to shine as a filmmaker, creating a distinctive atmosphere that could not be denied throughout Short Night of Glass Dolls. A unique Giallo among others made at the time, you could argue that Lado’s Short Night of Glass Dolls is one of the best films of its type, which you may have missed.
A story that Lado co-wrote with Rüdiger von Spies, Short Night of Glass Dolls touches on topics other films of its ilk had not, like the idea of elitist societal control, corruption, and the maniacal, twisted attempts of authority to conceal the truth. Something that really strikes a nerve in the modern world, where many more are awakening each day to the strong possibility that certain ‘conspiracy theories’ are more real than they ever gave them credit for, Short Night of Glass Dolls has aged exceptionally well.
Summing up the story briefly, in Short Night of the Glass Doll, you have an American Journalist named Gregory Moore (played by famed leading French Actor Jean Sorel) who is found lifeless in a Prague Plaza. Taken to the morgue, he is presumed dead, but in actuality, Gregory is still awake, thinking, but paralyzed, where no one can hear him cry for help. A nightmarish fate for anyone, soon you are drawn into Gregory’s mind’s eye, trying to figure out how he arrived in the state he is. Along the inside, you see his relationship with a lovely young woman named Mira Svoboda (played by Barbara Bach, famous for her role in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me). Unfortunately, Mira soon disappears, leaving him searching for answers, but finding something more heinous and shocking than he could have ever imagined.
Also starring award-winning Swedish Actress Ingrid Thulin and accomplished German Actor Mario Adorf, among others, Short Night of Glass Dolls has an extremely riveting story with so many layers to peel back. Magically well-shot, paced, and presented by Lado, it is exciting to learn that in 2025 the film receives its first-ever 4K Ultra HD release. Put together and arriving in the format on April 29, 2025, through Celluloid Dreams, the relatively young company has done a sensational job in preserving a select list of unique films. Having already released The Case of the Bloody Iris in 2024 in 4K, the addition of Short Night of the Glass Dolls only adds to Celluloid Dreams’ value.
With all of this in mind, Celluloid Dreams does not cut any corners with the Collector’s Edition release. Brought to you as a four-disc set, you get the film transferred in stunning 4K HD on disc one, the same transfer on Blu-ray for disc two, a bonus features Blu-ray with tons of goodies like commentary tracks for disc three, and last but not least the Grindhouse Version (also known as the US Paralyzed Version) as a Blu-ray for disc four.
A lot of material to watch is also packaged in a lovely, high-quality box that includes a must-read book written by Andy Marshall-Roberts outlining the film and Aldo Lado’s career. If this was not enough, if you order the Collector’s Edition directly from celluloid-dreams.net, you also get an original filmstrip of ten frames (newly printed for this release from the original camera negative of the trailer) and a marvelously restored reproduction of the original Italian lobby cards.
Altogether, it is a level of quality that collectors will appreciate for years to come. That is why, whether you are familiar with Short Night of Glass Dolls or are seeking to become more well-versed in your knowledge of Giallo, this is an imperative addition to your collection. That is why Cryptic Rock gives Celluloid Dreams 4K Ultra HD Collector’s Edition release of Short Night of Glass Dolls 5 out of 5 stars.
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