The Glass House [DVD]

I was interested in this 1972 television film "The Glass House" because it is based on a story by Truman Capote. I have also been watching crime film. The movie is set entirely in a prison and follows a new prison guard, Brian Cortland, and a new convict, Jonathan Page, a political science professor convicted of manslaughter, as they arrive in the institution on the same day. Both men quickly become mixed up with the leader of a prison drug gang, Hugo Slocum, and his thugs.This film is brutally raw and realistic in its portrayal of prison life with its violence, tension, and repression. It builds dramatically, with powerful acting and realistic settings. (It was filmed in a Utah State Prison). Director Tom Gries received an Emmy Award and the film received several other honors.I was drawn into the film. It is undoubtedly well-done, but disturbing. It gave me more than I wanted.Robin Friedman

The TV movie adaptation of Truman Capote's novel brings the horrific realities of prison life like no other film does. The movie addresses the various hardships that an individual can face while doing time in prison. The hardships can stem from being exposed to a tight brutal gang network within or from a corrupt correctional system. The movie is in essence seen through the eyes of rookie correctional officer Brian (Clu Gulager). Brian is at first enthusiastic about his new job as a prison guard. It however does not take long before he becomes disillusioned with the police corruption he witnesses. The movie itself however centers on two new inmates, Jonathan Paige (Alan Alda) a college professor convicted of manslaughter and Allan Campbell, a young teenager arrested for drugs. Jonathan and Allan quickly become friends despite their different backgrounds. Unfortunately Allan also befriends Hugo Slocum (Vic Morrow) the prison gang leader who has in fact taken a physical liking toward him. In the meantime, Jonathan accepts a position as a pharmacist and meets Lennox (Billy Dee Williams), a black idealist. It is in the pharmacy that Jonathan first collides with Hugo by refusing to become a fellow supplier in the drug trafficking business. Jonathan further draws Hugo's ire when he begins to protest Hugo's advances on Allan. The building tension between Jonathan and Hugo is such that both Lennox and Brian notice and become involved in their own way. It is only a matter of time before Jonathan decides that he has no alternative but to have a deadly confrontation with Hugo.The movie as a whole is very grim and unsettling. There is at least one rape and one suicide scene in addition to the various gang hit killings throughout the movie. It is a movie well worth watching although some viewers may find it to be depressing and disturbing.In a bizarre coincidence, there is a scene in which Vic Morrow's character states that he can get anything he wants in the prison except for a helicopter and a woman. It is a tragic irony that 10 years later, a helicopter propeller would kill Vic Morrow while he simultaneously held a girl during the filming of the Twilight Zone the Movie.The Glass House is as accurate a portrayal of prison life as can be put to film according to former inmates. Movies such as "The Shawshank Redemption" which are appealing and well known do not accurately or fully depict the harsh realities of the brutal interaction between the various sorts of prisoners. It is a pity that this movie is not better known. It is perhaps for this sad fact that "The Glass House" was only released on DVD for a limited time.

The prison is like a college men's dormitory. Handsome young men (mostly white) with perfect hair and good builds meander around their open well-decorated single-occupancy jail cells, interacting with the other dudes. One man (Vic Morrow) tries to bully everyone else. Alan Alda is a college professor who ends up there, doesn't like it, adapts and then runs into trouble. Billy Dee Williams, the token black man, serves no purpose whatsoever. This was probably quasi-shocking for TV in 1972. The film means well but ii is just not very believable and is hard to take seriously. I gave it *** for effort.

As a former CO who tried to clean up the system I can tell you that this movie represents TDCJ in a very real waymeven though it was not filmed there, the song remains the same.

Underlying meanings cannot be seen clearly by bystanders, its like looking through a thick glass panel where everything on the surface look glossy but what lurks beneath requires deeper insights into the system and human nature. A prison lock-up that does more harm than good gets the "big" cover up from people on the take, and people who wants to see justice done but were held back by the legal system. So everyone in the know, turns a blind eye believing that thorny issues will resolve itself. Vic Morrow was at his "chilling" best as Hugo Slocum, inmate leader. Failing to intimidate fellow inmates and naive new arrivals, Slocum would resort to violence, often resulting in death or severe injuries to his victims. Vic Morrow's portrayal of Slocum was three-dimensional. On the surface, Slocum looked every bit the disgusting leader, nothing-will-faze-him type. In the next instant, he was showering his affection on a young naive newcomer whom he thought would be a good substitute for the lack of the feminine touch in a man only prison. When Slocum failed to get the boy's cooperation, he let the other inmates have a go (brute force was used), I felt a sense of nausea surging through me, not so much the graphics, but the thought of what actually happened really turned my insides out. At this time, the camera panned to Slocum lying on his cell bed cringing and feeling restless, but whatever remorsefulness that Slocum may have had, did not make him attempt to stop it. Not recommended for children under 16. "Violence lovers" however, will be greatly disappointed for the lack of action. It is an art film with serious undertones. Not for the faint hearted. Superb acting especially by Vic Morrow and good support from Alan Alda, Billy Dee Willams and to a lesser extent, Glu Gulager.

Suspenseful, gritty & sometimes uncomfortable... the acting is first-rate - Morrow is creepy & funny at the same time while Alda is always excellent!!! The storyline is exciting with an uncompromising ending & the themes in the movie will be familiar to anyone who watches prison movies, but it's the fine cast & direction that make this a movie to remember. According to Alan Alda in his autobiography "Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - and Other Things I've Learned" - the film was shot in a real prison using real inmates as extra's & two prisoners even took Alda hostage, but apparently the two prisoners were only joking!!!

Excellent 70's prison drama which has lost some of its impact in the wake of Shows like OZ and more brutal cinema Prison movies but with Great writing and excellent acting, its worth 90 Minutes of anyone time.

great deal, thank you

This is one of my favorite film Vic Moro was superb so as Av Alda, this a very rare movie to findI consider it to be better than Capote Oscar winning movieRare movie to find

loved it