Before big-beat pop and blues rock became the rage in London in 1963, jazz was still hip music for young adults. In 1961, All Night Long was filmed in London and released the following year. The jazz-themed neo-noir drama directed by Basil Dearden starred a range of British and American actors: Patrick McGoohan (Danger Man, The Prisoner), Marti Stevens, Paul Harris, Keith Michell, Richard Attenborough and Betsy Blair.
The story is a reboot of Shakespeare's Othello and is set in a London jazz club. The action takes place in a single evening, during an anniversary party. The black-and-white movie features several major British jazz musicians, including Tubby Hayes and Johnny Dankworth. It also showcases American jazz artists Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus, who were in the U.K. at the time in '61 and were recruited to play roles in the film. The movie also features one of the finest brassy jazz scores. [Photo above of Paul Harris and Marti Stevens in All Night Long]
A special thanks to Bill Kirtz who found a link to the rare movie. To view All Night Long, go here...
