Dreams of Glass

I would love to see this film which I read is a "forgotten film" which has not been published on VHS or DVD. My main motivation is to see the Smokestack Lightnin ', whose music I know, but which I have never seen in any video document. The song they play in the film is, in my opinion, the best in their repertoire: Well Tuesday. I am very happy to have read the testimony of Art Guy, the drummer of the band. Unfortunately, it was 15 years ago, and I don't know if I could hear from him ...

This low budget film, made by director Robert Clouse a few years before he directed Bruce Lee in ENTER THE DRAGON, is a love story between two high school youths -- Tom (John Demos), the son of a poor fisherman, and Ann (Caroline Barrett), the only child of a wealthy Japanese family. Tom shows his affection by behaving in a totally erratic manner, spending his time scaling telephone poles or taking dips into fountains. Ann responds to his antics with with a bewildered lack of enthusiasm. Writer-director Clouse seems to be more interested in lush, pretty photography than in the plot and characters. After the first scenes the film settles into a monotonous montage of the young lovers, and it becomes increasingly difficult to wait for the inevitable romantic ending.

I thought this was a good story and plot at the time it was made in the 1960's. At that time there existed a lot of racial tension, especially from older adults that were used to traditional family values of yesteryear. During the period of the mid 1960's, the younger generation was not as concerned about racial and ethnic differences. The love generation transcended previous thinking and "imagined rules" of courtship. The theme of this movie tries to capture old family values vs. the new age of "anything goes". Unfortunately, the only time I viewed the movie was at the private screening. My band "Smokestack Lightnin' appeared in the movie in a club scene shot on location in a warehouse in L.A. We performed an original song. I also remember being slightly burned by the smoke machines being used while they were filming the groups performance on stage in the made-for-movie nightclub. I don't remember Danny De Vito, but he probably was there. Art Guy Drummer, Smokestack Lightnin'

Ann is from a prominent Japanese-American family, owners of a famous nursery and greenhouse. Tom is from a blue-collar family of self-employed fishermen. Tom and Ann develop a playful, loving relationship, despite obstacles their families throw in their way.

The action of this film consists mostly of their dates, and their attempts to keep them secret from their families. Tom is a likable `nut case' and high school dropout. Ann is a very conservative 17-year old, but she opens up when she's with Tom. They take us on some original adventures that seem true-to-life, not put-on to get laughs from the audience. Similarly, the actions and concerns of their parents seem real, not stereotypical ala `My Big Fat Greek Wedding.'

We bounce to-and-fro among three contrasting lifestyles. Ann's mother wears pearls, drinks tea from a fine china cup, and travels around town in a chauffeur-driven Cadillac. She insists that her daughter always look `presentable,' and disapproves of her going to dances. Tom's parents, though divorced, each own a small fishing boat, one docked next to the other. They seem to spend most of their time dockside, teasing fellow boat owners, drinking from dawn to dusk, or watching TV. Tom and Ann go skinny-dipping, stow away on a truck hauling bales of straw, and enjoy other teenage pursuits.

So what does all this have to do with dreams of glass? The title is not explained until closing theme song.

Although this movie has no `name' actors (except for a few seconds of a young Danny DeVito), all of the performances are good. Despite the class and racial contrasts, the tone is relatively light throughout. The plot is not original, but the execution is refreshingly different.

I liked this movie far more than the much-ballyhooed Love Story that came out about the same time. Both are about young people in love facing challenges. However, the characters in Dreams of Glass are more credible.

I reviewed this movie as part of a project at the Library of Congress. I've named the project FIFTY: 50 Notable Films Forgotten Within 50 Years. As best I can determine, this film, like the other forty-nine I've identified, has not been on video, telecast, or distributed in the U.S. since its original release. In my opinion, it is worthy of being made available again.