All Night Long (1962)

A party intended to celebrate the first year anniversary of a jazz musician (Paul Harris) and his wife (the cabaret singer Marti Stevens), a retired jazz singer, unravels into a disaster when a drummer (Patrick McGoohan) manipulates the musician into thinking his wife is unfaithful. A contemporary take on Shakespeare's OTHELLO, director Basil Dearden creates an authentic jazz atmosphere that replicates the jazz scene in early 1960s London. The interracial relationships are presented matter-of-factly and, in fact, aren't addressed at all! It helps that he has the real thing in jazz greats like Dave Brubeck, Charlie Mingus and Johnny Dankworth who perform as well as populate the milieu. It's rather clever in its transformation of 17th century Venice to the London jazz scene and one can't help but admire the dexterity of Nel King's and Paul Jarrico's script. But if one is familiar enough with the original Shakespeare, after awhile one also becomes aware of the contrivance of the screenplay in setting everything up. Shakespeare's play took place over a period of months while the film takes place all in one night so it seems forced rather than a natural outcome of a slowly subtle build up. Overall, the performances are good. With Richard Attenborough, Betsy Blair, Keith Michell and Maria Velasco.