MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH (DVD/LTBX 1.85/1975) DVD

The Man in the Glass Booth
Actor/writer Robert Shaw's powerhouse stage play The Man in the Glass Booth was transferred to the screen as part of the American Film Theatre series. Maximilian Schell plays Arthur Goldman, a Jewish businessmen living in Manhattan in 1965. A group of Israeli underground agents barge into Goldman's office and kidnap him. He is brought to Israel, placed in a bulletproof glass booth, and put on trial. His accusers charge that Goldman is not a Jew, but in fact a notorious Nazi war criminal, guilty of unspeakable crimes against humanity. Robert Shaw's name does not appear in the credits of The Man in the Glass Booth; he was so displeased with Edward Anhalt's screen adaptation that he had his name removed from the project. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast Maximilian Schell as Arthur Goldman Lois Nettleton as Miriam Rosen Luther Adler as Presiding Judge Lawrence Pressman as Charlie Cohn Henry Brown as Jack Arnold Richard Rasof as Moshe David Nash as Rami Martin Berman as Uri Sy Kramer as Rudin Robert H. Harris as Dr. Weisberg Leonidas Ossetynski as Samuel Lloyd Bochner as Churchill Norbert Schiller as Schmidt

Crew John A. Anderson - Costume Designer Arthur Hiller - Director David Bretherton - Editor Joel Schiller - Production Designer Sam Leavitt - Cinematographer Ely Landau - Producer Mort Abrahams - Producer Henry T. Weinstein - Producer Stan Winston - Special Effects Jim di Gangi - Supervisor/Manager Edward Anhalt - Screenwriter Robert Shaw - Play Author

The Man in the Glass Booth
Although people tend to be in two camps about the ultimate quality of The Man in the Glass Booth, it's hard to deny that the film packs a very powerful punch. Although Robert Shaw decried Edward Anhalt's adaptation of his stage play, the fact is that it's a respectful version of the original; the problem is that, as part of the American Film Theatre series, the film by design and intent has been opened up only minimally. Those who prefer their films to be cinematic will likely find Booth somewhat claustrophobic, but director Arthur Hiller actually deserves a great deal of credit for using his camera in such a way as to make the film feel like it's moving even when it's not. Some will have a bigger problem with the screenplay, feeling that it is too manipulative, achieving effects that shock without really digging into deeper moral and dramatic issues. While there is some validity to this, it's also true that this manipulation is enormously effective. Audiences will also be about two minds concerning Maximilian Schell's Oscar-nominated performance. Detractors will complain that he hits one note too often and for too long, and that furthermore that note is shrill. But there's such intensity, power, conviction, and sheer showmanship in his performance that others will be inclined to overlook these complaints. There should be general agreement, however, that Lois Nettleton turns in a subtly nuanced yet surprisingly strong supporting performance and that Lawrence Pressman provides a nicely shaded Charlie. The Man in the Glass Booth's screenplay and central performance have their flaws, but those flaws are inextricable from and add to the film's ultimate impact. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

Maximilian Schell: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Actor (nominated) Maximilian Schell: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: Additional Features: An interview with director Arthur Hiller Theatrical trailer "Robert Shaw and The Man in the Glass Booth," an essay by Michael Feingold, Chief Theatre Critic, The Village Voice The AFT Cinebill for The Man in the Glass Booth Stills gallery An interview with Edie Landau, Executive in Charge, the American Film Theatre Ely Landau: In Front of the Camera - AFT promotional reel, 1974 The American Film Theatre trailer gallery - includes a complete list of the AFT films The American Film Theatre Scrapbook Enhanced for 16x9 TVs DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 117 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. "Why Do I Live?" [9:24] 2. Conspiratorial Glances [10:20] 3. Paranoia [9:38] 4. "It's Now a Rainy Day" [4:39] 5. The Last Supper [7:10] 6. Memories in the Attic [7:15] 7. The Abduction [8:16] 8. "See You in Court, Colonel" [12:10] 9. Prosecutor's Statement [5:43] 10. First Witnesses [10:34] 11. "The Man... Is a Jew" [7:14] 12. No Heroes [5:45] 13. "It Happened out of Love" [5:28] 14. The Doctors [6:20] 15. "Why Did You Do It?" [6:14]