All Night Long (1962)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Basil Dearden

Writers (WGA):

Nel King (written by) and
Paul Jarrico (written by) (originally as Peter Achilles)

Release Date:

17 April 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The film, based on Othello, is neatly positioned as a vehicle to showcase some of the best Jazz musicians of the period - including Dave Brubeck and Charlie Mingus. |

Plot Keywords:

Musician | Jazz | Miscegenation | Drummer | Pianist

Cast

Patrick McGoohan	...	Johnny Cousin
Keith Michell	...	Cass Michaels
Betsy Blair	...	Emily
Paul Harris	...	Aurelius Rex
Marti Stevens	...	Delia Lane
Richard Attenborough	...	Rod Hamilton
Bernard Braden	...	Lou Berger
Harry Towb	...	Phales
María Velasco	...	Benny
Dave Brubeck	...	Himself - Piano
John Dankworth	...	Himself - Alto Sax
Charles Mingus	...	Himself - Bass
Bert Courtley	...	Himself - Trumpet
Keith Christie	...	Himself - Trombone
Ray Dempsey	...	Himself - Guitar

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Rank Organisation, The

Quotes:

Johnnie Cousin: Me? Oh, I belong to that new minority group: white American jazz musicians. They're going to hold a mass meeting in a phone booth.
[laughs]

Movie Connections:

Featured in "TCM Underground: All Night Long (#1.52)" (2008)

Groovy Inter-Racial Jazz Drama

For lovers of jazz and racial harmony, this groovy British movie has it all. Some of the best jazz musicians of the era. Blacks and whites getting along just fine. And a fascinating performance by Patrick McGoohan -- who plays a scheming drummer hell-bent on splitting up an inter-racial marriage in order to form his own band.

The movie is set in the docklands area of London with a plot loosely based on Shakespeare's "Othello". The acting and direction are generally good with noirish cinematography. But the main attraction is the jazz -- with such luminaries as Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, and Charlie Mingus happily jamming throughout the movie.

Paul Harris delivers an impressive performance as an African-American band leader with a stage presence similar to Morgan Freeman. The rest of the cast are natural and convincing, especially the lovely Maria Velasco, who is in another inter-racial relationship. But the movie belongs to McGoohan, whose deeply flawed character, insanely brilliant drumming (not dubbed!), and maniacal scheming are a wonder to behold.

This minor classic is available as a high-quality German all-region DVD (Die Heisse Nacht) with an English sound track.