''The Glass Mountain'' is a 1949 black and white British

romantic film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

drama. It starred

Michael Denison John Michael Terence Wellesley Denison (1 November 191522 July 1998) was an English actor. He often appeared with his wife, Dulcie Gray, with whom he featured in several films and more than 100 West End theatre productions. After a conventiona ...

Dulcie Gray Dulcie Winifred Catherine Savage Denison, (''née'' Bailey; 20 November 1915 – 15 November 2011), known professionally as Dulcie Gray, was a British actress, mystery writer and lepidopterist. While at drama school in the late 1930s she met ...

and

Valentina Cortese Valentina Cortese (1 January 1923 – 10 July 2019) was an Italian actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in François Truffaut's ''Day for Night'' (1973). Personal life Cortese was bor ...

. The film was a popular success of its day, and was re-released in the UK in 1950 and 1953. It features acclaimed classical vocalist

Tito Gobbi Tito Gobbi (24 October 19135 March 1984) was an Italian operatic baritone with an international reputation. He made his operatic debut in Gubbio in 1935 as Count Rodolfo in Bellini's ''La sonnambula'' and quickly appeared in Italy's major opera ...

as himself, with the orchestra and chorus of the Venice Opera House. The theme music by Nino Rota is memorable, and was also a contemporary hit. It was mainly filmed on location in the

Dolomites The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form par ...

and at

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

La Fenice Teatro La Fenice (, "The Phoenix") is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre" and in the history of opera as a whole. Especially in the 19th century, La Fenice beca ...

Opera House. Co-producer Joseph Janni also co-produced another film shot in Italy, the comedy '' Honeymoon Deferred'', in 1951. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' wrote, "most reference books now deride the film, but at a time when Britain was emerging from the war into a period of grey austerity, The Glass Mountain and movies like it were a popular tonic. Set in the beautiful Dolomite mountains, with graceful performers and a nostalgically slow pace, it was one of the most successful British films to that date. The part of the composer was taken by Denison, with whom (Dulcie) Gray starred on stage and screen so many times that the Denisons became one of the "royal families" of the British entertainment scene." A tale from peasant folklore concerns a mountain made of glass and a man's attempts to climb it, to win the love of a princess. For each step he takes, he slides back two steps; so, cleverly, he turns about and climbs it backwards, gaining double elevation with each downward step.

Plot

The film begins in a boat on a river, where a couple find an idyllic riverside cottage to let, but know they cannot afford it. They marry and years pass. The war begins. Struggling composer Richard Wilder (Michael Denison) becomes an RAF Observer in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. His aeroplane is shot down over the Italian Dolomite mountains, and he is found unconscious face down in the snow by Alida (Valentina Cortese), who consequently saves his life. She nurses him back to health. She tells him a local legend about two lovers - one a ghost who leads her faithless partner to his doom over a precipice on the Glass Mountain. The legend also says if you shout the name of the person you truly love, an echo will return. When the war ends, Richard returns to England and his loving wife Anne (Dulcie Gray). He begins composing an opera based on the legend of Dolomite, the Glass Mountain, which has begun to haunt him. On his wife's birthday, he sees a photograph of Alida on the cover of a magazine. Inside, a caption states that Alida Morisini has come to London to receive an honour. He tries to get in touch with her, but she has already left the country. From then on, he becomes more and more miserable. Anne eventually guesses he is in love with someone else; he confesses he loves Alida. Richard returns to Italy - alone - and to Alida. The Teatro

is looking for an opera for their festival, and Tito Gobbi has told them about Richard's (unfinished) one. Meanwhile, Gino, a local man in love with Alida, asks Richard to leave. When he refuses, they fight, but nothing is settled. Richard tries to break up with Alida, but she persuades him not to. Richard's opera is chosen for the festival, so he sends for his lyricist, Bruce McLeod. Bruce tries to convince Alida it is best if she and Richard part. Anne persuades her friend Charles to fly her to the premiere of Richard's opera ''La Montagna di Cristallo'' (''The Glass Mountain'') in

. When they pass near the real Glass Mountain, she asks Charles to show it to her. He obliges, but they crash on the mountain. The opera tells the tragic tale of Antonio and Maria. Antonio promises his beloved Maria that someday they will climb the Glass Mountain together. However, he goes away to the plain and does not return. Finally, Maria climbs the mountain alone and is never seen again. At Antonio's wedding to another woman, he hears Maria's voice and goes to the mountain to be reunited with her. He climbs and then falls to his death. Richard conducts his own work and receives a standing ovation at its conclusion. Afterwards, Richard is told of Anne's accident by Alida. He must then choose between his muse and his wife, as the mythical and modern levels of the legend coincide. Alida sees that he has chosen Anne and bids him goodbye. Richard races to the mountain and insists on going out to meet the rescue party. Gino guides him. The doctor tells him that Anne is badly injured, but should recover. He decides life is meaningless without her.

Cast

as Richard ilder*

as Anne ilder*

as Alida orisini* Sebastian Shaw as Bruce cLeod*

as Himself (Antonio in the opera) *Elena Rizzieri as Herself (Maria in the opera) *

Antonio Centa Antonio Centa (10 August 1907 – 19 April 1979) was an Italian film actor. Career Born in Maniago, Province of Pordenone, Centa was among the most active and popular actors between the mid-1930s and 1943 (when the Italian film industry almost ...

as Gino *F. Terschack as Doctor * Arnold Marlé as Fenice Administrator *Sidney King as Charles

Critical reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' wrote, "Cortese's performance is outstanding; Denison and Gray, husband and wife in reality, handle their familiar relationship well, but the real stars of the picture are the music, with operatic baritone Gobbi, and the beautiful mountain scenery." Bosley Crowther, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic, was unimpressed, writing, "It is pedestrian stuff saved from being banal by a few performances, the authentic backgrounds and some lilting arias." ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'' called it "solidly directed, lavishly mounted romantic tosh." '' Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide'' described it as a "beautifully made film of a British composer who writes an opera, inspired by majestic Italian Alps. A treat for music lovers, with many singers from

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

appearing in opera sequence."

Musical numbers

*"Wayfarer" (Vivian Lambelet and Elizabeth Anthony) first sung by Michael Denison *"La Montanara" (Ortelli and Pigarelli) sung by Tito Gobbi *"The Glass Mountain" ( Nino Rota) sung by Tito Gobbi and Elena Rizzieri *Opera sequences sung by Elena Rizzieri and Tito Gobbi of the Scala Opera House, Milan

References

External links

*
''The Glass Mountain''
on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glass Mountain, The 1949 films 1949 romantic drama films 1940s romantic musical films British black-and-white films British romantic musical films British romantic drama films Films about composers Films about opera Films about shot-down aviators Films directed by Henry Cass Films set in 1938 Films set in the Alps Films set in Venice Films shot in Venice Films scored by Nino Rota British World War II films 1940s British films