The Man in the Glass Booth

A 1975 film starring Maximilian Schell as highly eccentric, possibly insane Jewish New York City businessman Arthur Goldman. We are introduced to Goldman as he issues orders to his assistant Charlie Cohen over business, rants about the death of his father in Auschwitz at the hands of SS Colonel Karl Dorf, whom he barely survived, and seems paranoid that Dorf remains alive, trying to finish him. Goldman compares himself to Jesus Christ and generally comes off as a raving, nearly mad man. Then his paranoid fantasies seem to be justified, as the same car is seen across from his building numerous times, and he finally orders Charlie to go confront its occupants. They turn out to be Israeli agents, who burst into his apartment with guns drawn, accusing him of being Dorf, and displaying medical evidence which they say prove it. Proudly admitting it now, Dorf is taken back to Israel and put on trial for crimes against humanity, where he defends himself (in SS uniform) from inside of a glass booth, hence the title.


 * Hannibal Lecture: Dorf delivers several epic ones, most while on trial.
 * Large Ham: Schell is an incredible example, hamming it up nonstop in the film as Goldman/Dorf, chewing the scenery furiously.
 * The Reveal: It seems the prosecution has an open and shut case against Dorf at first, particularly since he corroborates all the evidence they present, with pride..
 * What Happened to the Mouse?:.