Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Patrick McGoohan | ... | Johnny Cousin | |
Keith Michell | ... | Cass Michaels | |
Betsy Blair | ... | Emily | |
Paul Harris | ... | Aurelius Rex | |
Marti Stevens | ... | Delia Lane | |
Richard Attenborough | ... | Rod Hamilton | |
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Bernard Braden | ... | Lou Berger |
Harry Towb | ... | Phales | |
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María Velasco | ... | Benny |
Dave Brubeck | ... | Dave Brubeck - Piano | |
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John Dankworth | ... | John Dankworth - Alto Sax (as Johnny Dankworth) |
Charles Mingus | ... | Charles Mingus - Bass | |
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Bert Courtley | ... | Bert Courtley - Trumpet |
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Keith Christie | ... | Keith Christie - Trombone |
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Ray Dempsey | ... | Ray Dempsey - Guitar |
This movie, based on William Shakespeare's Othello, is neatly positioned as a vehicle to showcase some of the best jazz musicians of the period, including Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus.
"All Night Long" takes "Othello" and transposes it to a jazz setting in contemporary London, or at least the London of the early sixties. It's a great idea, has a terrific cast and how could any jazz aficianado not like any movie that features this much jazz and a cast that includes Charlie Mingus, Johnny Dankworth and Dave Brubeck all playing themselves but there is a but... In place of Shakespeare we get jive and nothing dates as badly as the kind of hip dialogue that jazz musicians are reputed to have used back then. Cool just isn't cool anymore.
On the plus side, it's a Basil Dearden picture so as well as great jazz, and lots of it, we also get intelligence. Dearden knows the pedigree he has here and treats it with due respect and Patrick McGoohan is superb as the Iago figure. Others in the cast include Richard Attenborough, Betsy Blair, Keith Michell and in the Othello/Desdemona roles, Paul Harris and Marti Stevens. Unfortunately Harris and Stevens are the weakest things about the film; their lack of acting experience shows.
It is, however, a brilliant looking picture. Producer Michael Relph designed it along with Art Director Ray Sim and Edward Scaife supplied the superb black and white cinematography and, as I said, the jazz is terrific. However, it wasn't really successful and is among the least revived of all the Dearden/Relph movies but it's certainly worth seeking out and if you love jazz it is simply unmissable.