Put Out the Light, and then Put Out the Light (but not necessarily in that order)

 Having dispatched the Zombie Jane Eyre (and those of you who saw the film will appreciate what an over-simplification that is) we now turn our attention to a Jazz Othello.


All Night Long is a British film from 1962 featuring a very distinguished cast - of actors (Patrick McGoohan, Richard Attenborough) and Jazz musicians (Dave Brubeck, Charlie Mingus, Johnny Dankworth). 

It is also a very deft re-telling of Shakespeare's Othello.

The story unfolds on the night of an anniversary party in honour of famed Jazz musician Aurelius Rex (played by Paul Harris) and noted nightclub singer Delia Lane (Marti Stevens). Over the course of the evening, drummer Johnny Cousin (Patrick McGoohan) sets about systematically convincing Rex that his wife is being unfaithful to him (spoiler: she isn't).

In many respects, All Night Long follows the plot of Othello very closely - but it also departs from the original on a few key points; something that Shakespearian purists of the time were only too happy to point out. Full disclosure: I personally think that this film actually improves the original in a couple of ways. Basically, they took Othello and they fixed it. (Note to Shakespearean Scholars: that's just my personal opinion. I'm not dismissing Shakespeare's original in any way, so please don't hit me with your internets.)

Quite apart from the Shakespearean connection, All Night Long is a treasure trove of performances by some Jazz legends in their prime (and also Richard Attenborough when he was young and cute).




We will be screening All Night Long on Thursday, the 27th of January at the Victoria Park Baptist Church, and as always, the evening will be completely free. 

Come along, all you crazy cats; let's dig some Shakespeare!







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