When Alexander Armsworth (Steve Shaw) and his family move into an antebellum Louisiana mansion, he and his friend Blossom (Katy Kurtzman) discover that the property is haunted by the ghost of Inez Dumaine (Olivia Barash) who cannot rest in peace until Alexander and Blossom solve the riddle that will break the spell that has trapped her in the mansion. A well-told and engaging ghost story from the later years of the original Wonderful World of Disney, Disney has brought it back into print after nearly 20 years of unavailability through its Disney Generations Collection. Unfortunately, the transfer appears to be an ancient heirloom.
Child of Glass (1978)
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Year: 1978
Rated: NR
Length: 94 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Languages: English 2.0 mono
Subtitles: none
MSRP: $19.99 (available on demand via Amazon.com)
Film Release Date: May 14, 1978
Disc Release Date: December 8, 2011
Review Date: December 14, 2011
"Sleeping lies the murdered lass, vainly cries the child of glass. When the two shall be as one, the spirit's journey will be done."
The Movie:
4/5
For nearly three decades before it had its very own cable channel, bought ABC, or became a major force in series television production, the Disney studio’s television presence consisted of a Sunday night anthology series that aired under several titles but is colloquially known as The Wonderful World of Disney. Hosted by Walt Disney until his death in 1966, the format was a mix of cartoon compilations, specials designed to promote Disneyland (and later Walt Disney World), edited versions of B-budget live-action titles, and such original material as this much-loved curio from the post-Walt era.
Based on Richard Peck’s 1975 novel The Ghost Belonged to Me, the film is set in modern-day Louisiana, where the well-to-do Armsworth family: Emily (Barbara Barrie), her husband Joe (Biff McGuire), and their children Connie Sue (Denise Nickerson) and Alexander (Steve Shaw), have just moved into an antebellum mansion that used to belong to a river pirate. When Alexander sees a little girl named Inez Dumaine (Olivia Barash) and her dog, he soon discovers that they are ghosts; the pirate killed and condemned them to spend eternity roaming around the plantation. Now, Alexander and his best friend Blossom Culp (Katy Kurtzman) must break the spell before Halloween or it will become permanent. The only way to do this is to solve a riddle that Inez told Alex. With the assistance of Blossom’s eccentric grandmother Lavinia (Nina Foch), who warned them about the ghost in the first place, the two of them must help Inez rest in peace without disturbing Emily’s Old South cotillion. Meanwhile, the Armsworths must deal with an alcoholic caretaker (Anthony Zerbe) who resents rich families like them and vows revenge after his dismissal.
Released on video in the 1980s and unavailable until now, the film developed a bit of a cult following from those who had fond memories watching it on TV or who managed to get the video before it went out of print (or, like me, paid out the nose for a used copy). Luckily, the film holds up better than most of the studio’s post-Walt material thanks to its compelling story and eerie yet good-natured tone that provides some genuinely frightening moments. The film was shot on location to provide a greater feeling of authenticity, but there are still some technical seams that show. Since it was made for television, it didn’t get the special effects budget that the studio’s A-budget pictures of the latter half of the decade, such as Pete’s Dragon or The Black Hole, would have gotten, but the modest production values and comparatively primitive special effects add a sort of raggedy charm. Director John Erman (Roots) handles his cast well, with the best performance coming from Steve Shaw as a believable and sympathetic lead. His delivery is the most natural and sincere, yet is still every bit as professional as the rest of his cast. Barbara Barrie is fine in a role that reminds me of a lot of women I have come across growing up in North Carolina, while Nina Foch is charming as the quirky, over-the-top Aunt Lavinia.
The Video:
2/5
Like other studios, Disney has teamed with Amazon.com to create an MOD program called "Disney Generations Collection" to bring long-unavailable and never-before-released titles to DVD. However, unlike MGM, Warner Bros. and Sony, Disney has little interest in making their MOD titles meet the basic technical standards of the 21st century. Presented at the 1.33:1 aspect ratio of its original TV presentation, Child of Glass could use some digital Windex. Dirt and dust is ever-present with unusual blotches during two transitions, contrast is higher than necessary with crushed blacks and slightly blooming highlights. The color is average with warm fleshtones and strong greens, yet some shots look slightly washed out; at least two shots seem to be taken from other sources than the rest of the film, which can be jarring. There is no way this master was made after 1990; it’s interlaced, has motion blur caused by poorly applied 3:2 pulldown, and even ends with a mid-1980s international TV syndication logo. Disney has apparently claimed that the original negative was lost to vinegar syndrome, but that does not preclude the existence of another preprint element that could produce a better transfer than this.
The Audio:
2.5/5
The film’s soundtrack is a 2.0 mono affair that reflects the limitations of the source material. Dialogue is compressed and boxy in a way unique to 1960s and 1970s Disney films and sound effects ambience is wanting at times, but the music sounds clear enough with average fidelity overall. You won’t be using it to push your sound system to the max, but you won’t be straining to hear the dialogue or complaining about it as much as the video.
The Extras:
0/5
Unsurprisingly, there’s not even a ghost of an extra on this disc.
Final Score:
2.5/5
A fun and diverting ghost story from the Disney anthology TV series, Child of Glass makes its DVD debut in an unimpressive and weedy MOD presentation that reveals the studio’s disregard for its niche catalog titles. I would recommend it just for the film itself and its relative lack of availability since its first and only video release in the late 1980s, but I am not inclined to encourage anyone to reward the studio for its lack of effort.
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Year: 1978
Rated: NR
Length: 94 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Languages: English 2.0 mono
Subtitles: none
MSRP: $19.99 (available on demand via Amazon.com)
Film Release Date: May 14, 1978
Disc Release Date: December 8, 2011
Review Date: December 14, 2011
"Sleeping lies the murdered lass, vainly cries the child of glass. When the two shall be as one, the spirit's journey will be done."
The Movie:
4/5
For nearly three decades before it had its very own cable channel, bought ABC, or became a major force in series television production, the Disney studio’s television presence consisted of a Sunday night anthology series that aired under several titles but is colloquially known as The Wonderful World of Disney. Hosted by Walt Disney until his death in 1966, the format was a mix of cartoon compilations, specials designed to promote Disneyland (and later Walt Disney World), edited versions of B-budget live-action titles, and such original material as this much-loved curio from the post-Walt era.
Based on Richard Peck’s 1975 novel The Ghost Belonged to Me, the film is set in modern-day Louisiana, where the well-to-do Armsworth family: Emily (Barbara Barrie), her husband Joe (Biff McGuire), and their children Connie Sue (Denise Nickerson) and Alexander (Steve Shaw), have just moved into an antebellum mansion that used to belong to a river pirate. When Alexander sees a little girl named Inez Dumaine (Olivia Barash) and her dog, he soon discovers that they are ghosts; the pirate killed and condemned them to spend eternity roaming around the plantation. Now, Alexander and his best friend Blossom Culp (Katy Kurtzman) must break the spell before Halloween or it will become permanent. The only way to do this is to solve a riddle that Inez told Alex. With the assistance of Blossom’s eccentric grandmother Lavinia (Nina Foch), who warned them about the ghost in the first place, the two of them must help Inez rest in peace without disturbing Emily’s Old South cotillion. Meanwhile, the Armsworths must deal with an alcoholic caretaker (Anthony Zerbe) who resents rich families like them and vows revenge after his dismissal.
Released on video in the 1980s and unavailable until now, the film developed a bit of a cult following from those who had fond memories watching it on TV or who managed to get the video before it went out of print (or, like me, paid out the nose for a used copy). Luckily, the film holds up better than most of the studio’s post-Walt material thanks to its compelling story and eerie yet good-natured tone that provides some genuinely frightening moments. The film was shot on location to provide a greater feeling of authenticity, but there are still some technical seams that show. Since it was made for television, it didn’t get the special effects budget that the studio’s A-budget pictures of the latter half of the decade, such as Pete’s Dragon or The Black Hole, would have gotten, but the modest production values and comparatively primitive special effects add a sort of raggedy charm. Director John Erman (Roots) handles his cast well, with the best performance coming from Steve Shaw as a believable and sympathetic lead. His delivery is the most natural and sincere, yet is still every bit as professional as the rest of his cast. Barbara Barrie is fine in a role that reminds me of a lot of women I have come across growing up in North Carolina, while Nina Foch is charming as the quirky, over-the-top Aunt Lavinia.
The Video:
2/5
Like other studios, Disney has teamed with Amazon.com to create an MOD program called "Disney Generations Collection" to bring long-unavailable and never-before-released titles to DVD. However, unlike MGM, Warner Bros. and Sony, Disney has little interest in making their MOD titles meet the basic technical standards of the 21st century. Presented at the 1.33:1 aspect ratio of its original TV presentation, Child of Glass could use some digital Windex. Dirt and dust is ever-present with unusual blotches during two transitions, contrast is higher than necessary with crushed blacks and slightly blooming highlights. The color is average with warm fleshtones and strong greens, yet some shots look slightly washed out; at least two shots seem to be taken from other sources than the rest of the film, which can be jarring. There is no way this master was made after 1990; it’s interlaced, has motion blur caused by poorly applied 3:2 pulldown, and even ends with a mid-1980s international TV syndication logo. Disney has apparently claimed that the original negative was lost to vinegar syndrome, but that does not preclude the existence of another preprint element that could produce a better transfer than this.
The Audio:
2.5/5
The film’s soundtrack is a 2.0 mono affair that reflects the limitations of the source material. Dialogue is compressed and boxy in a way unique to 1960s and 1970s Disney films and sound effects ambience is wanting at times, but the music sounds clear enough with average fidelity overall. You won’t be using it to push your sound system to the max, but you won’t be straining to hear the dialogue or complaining about it as much as the video.
The Extras:
0/5
Unsurprisingly, there’s not even a ghost of an extra on this disc.
Final Score:
2.5/5
A fun and diverting ghost story from the Disney anthology TV series, Child of Glass makes its DVD debut in an unimpressive and weedy MOD presentation that reveals the studio’s disregard for its niche catalog titles. I would recommend it just for the film itself and its relative lack of availability since its first and only video release in the late 1980s, but I am not inclined to encourage anyone to reward the studio for its lack of effort.
