The Long Night (1947)
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46% of users liked it
(534 ratings)
Based upon the French film Le Jour Se Lève, The Long Night opens in the in the midst of a dire situation: ex-serviceman Joe Adams (Henry Fonda) finds himself holed up in his apartment, surrounded by policemen who soon open fire in a relentless and determined manner. Adams has been accused of murder,… More Based upon the French film Le Jour Se Lève, The Long Night opens in the in the midst of a dire situation: ex-serviceman Joe Adams (Henry Fonda) finds himself holed up in his apartment, surrounded by policemen who soon open fire in a relentless and determined manner. Adams has been accused of murder, and as his apartment is riddled with bullets, he flashes back to how this all came about. It began when Adams met Jo Ann (Barbara Bel Geddes), who, it turns out, grew up in the same orphanage at the same time as he. They soon fall in love, but things are complicated when a magician named Maximilian (Vincent Price) enters the picture. He tells Adams that he is Jo Ann's father, but that he doesn't want her to know this. Maximilian begins spending a lot of time with Jo Ann, which makes Adams feel vaguely unsettled. He discovers that Maximilian lied -- that he is not her father but is someone who has been trying to seduce her for a long time. Maximilian goes to Adams' apartment to taunt him, with the result that Adams shoots him, thus bringing about the current state of affairs. As Adams has been recalling all of this, a crowd has gathered, including Jo Ann. She leads the crowd in protesting the police's actions, and a riot brews. With tension continuing to rise, Jo Ann desperately tries to find a way to rescue the man she loves. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi
- Directed By
- Anatole Litvak
- Written By
- John Wexley
- Genres
- Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1947 Wide
- On DVD
- Jul 18, 2000
- Studio
- Kino on Video
Critic Reviews
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Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
Henry Fonda had a number of classic film roles, but it is incredibly exciting to see the raw sensitivity and confidence he delivers in Long Night , which ranks among the very best of his performances, all the more so because of its relative obscurity.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Had the wonderful shimmering look of noir through cinematographer Sol Polito's wonderful black-and-white photography, but its story is flat.
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Cast
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Henry Fonda
as Joe Adams
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Barbara Bel Geddes
as Jo Ann
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Vincent Price
as Maximilian
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Ann Dvorak
as Charlene
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Howard Freeman
as Sheriff
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Elisha Cook Jr.
as Frank
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Moroni Olsen
as Chief of Police
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Queenie Smith
as Janitor's Wife
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David Clarke
as Bill
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Charles McGraw
as Policeman
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Patty King
as Peggy
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Murray Alper
as Bartender
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Pat Flaherty
as Sergeant
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Byron Foulger
as Man With Bike
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Mary Gordon
as Old Lady
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Jack Overman
as Man
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Richard Reeves
as Cop
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Ray Teal
as Hudson
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Will Wright
as Janitor
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Davis Roberts
as Freddie
