The Glass Mountain (1949/VCI)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Film: C+
Michael
Dennison is a man torn between two women and by a World War in Henry Cass’
ambitious drama The Glass Mountain
(1949) as he tries to go back to his wife (Dulcie Gray) and reestablish his
family unit despite getting deeply involved with another woman (Valentina
Cortesa) who helped him back to health.
The two were developing a relationship, but wants to go back home.
When he
writes an opera (!) furthering his disconnection from that past, the return of
both the Italian beauty and the repressed come roaring out and the consequences
could be serious. Though not a perfect
film and certainly a melodrama, this indie production (from Renown Pictures)
offers a twist by being loaded with music all over the place. Even better, the composer is Nino Rota, 23
years before the worldwide phenomenon The
Godfather. Even when the drama is a
bit much, the music makes up for some of the shortcomings and is a reason to
give this one a look.
The black
and white 1.33 X 1 image is a little soft, but has its moments along with some
consistency in the transfer. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono shows its age and the combination is a generation or two down. Extras include text bios, trailers and the
animated short Claire de Lune in
color, though nothing is there to identify its origins.
- Nicholas Sheffo
