"Basil Dearden's neglected 1961 British film tells the story of Othello in jazz terms...Among the musical highlights is a rare duet by Charles Mingus and Dave Brubeck; among the other musicians are John Dankworth and Tubby Hayes. A rare treat for jazz buffs."
- Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

"All Night Long (1961) is a real curiosity.. big pull for jazz fans is the sheer wealth of talent jamming their way through the night, from some hardcore bongo playing to the cool piano vibes of Dave Brubeck, complete with Buddy Holly specs and amateur dramatic credentials...Without the presence of McGoohan this could so easily have spiralled into tedium, but each conniving evil twist is a delight to watch...An oddity to be sure, but a fascinating one, even for those whose taste in music doesn't swing to jazz. Man. It's like a beat scene Jools Holland show with a plot full of intrigue, jealousy and rivalry."
- Colin Odell & Michelle le Blanc, Kamera.co.uk

"If you have to pick one from the film fake book, this is it, daddy-o...What unfolds are the lyrics from Othello with some new accompanying chords...William K. Everson, wrote, "The music is the thing." And All Night Long is long on the lineup, including Charles Mingus in his first film appearance, along with Dave Brubeck on piano, Johnny Dankworth on sax, and drummer Allan Ganley, who taught McGoohan how to terrorize the tom-toms. These guys are not just on the soundtrack, but in the scene, rolling out cool jams as Aurelius gets the axe."
Steve Seid, University of California, Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive

"Cheeky updating of Othello with jazz accompaniment, played a shade too grimly by an excellent cast. An interesting misfire."
- Halliwell's Film & Video Guide

"Who ever thought Patrick McGoohan, the phlegmatic star of 'Danger Man' and 'The Prisoner', would give vent to his ruinous self-loathing with a rattling drum solo? Or that Richard Attenborough would be called upon to meet and greet the greats of post-war jazz with a cheery, "hey cats!", then slope off for a crafty joint? Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck and Johnny Dankworth were all persuaded to leave the smoky dives of Soho for Pinewood to appear in this vanished curio by Victim [1961] director Basil Dearden, which is essentially one long jam session through which weaves an earnestly melodramatic thriller."
- Jon Fortgang, Channel 4 Film

"Jazz meets Shakespeare in a pre-swinging London - that's All Night Long. In fact, if you're a fan of classic jazz, this is pretty much an essential document of the era, featuring the likes of Dave Brubeck, Johnny Dankworth, Tubby Hayes, Charlie Mingus and a host of other names from the day, all jamming away in the background of the main plot.
- Cinedelica (http://www.cinedelica.com/2007/04/dvd_review_all_.html)

"Much disparaged by the Monthly Film Bulletin in 1962, from today's perspective All Night Long is an enjoyable curio: a not entirely successful but nonetheless entertaining attempt at restaging Shakespeare's Othello in the context of a fashionable London jazz party hosted by wealthy proto-yuppie Richard Attenborough, who appears to have anticipated the fashion for converting Docklands warehouses into loft apartments by a good two or three decades...The performances are generally convincing, though the nearly forty-year-old Attenborough's attempt at portraying a youthful finger-snapping hipster will never go down as one of his finest hours, and the dialogue is more than somewhat contrived ("Oh baby, you're huffin' and you're puffin' over nothin'!"). But Patrick McGoohan is a suitably malevolent Johnny Cousin, in reckless pursuit of his doomed dreams, while Paul Harris' Aurelius Rex is a fine study in wounded dignity. Probably wisely, little attempt is made at involving the real-life musicians in the main story, though they acquit themselves well with what little dialogue they're given."
- Michael Brooke, Granda International (http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/439560/)

"A ludicrous combination of Othello and jazz jamboree that falls flat on both counts."
- David Meeker, Jazz in the Movies

Compiled by Jeff Stafford