All Night Long (1981) Universal/Comedy RT: 87 minutes Rated R (language, sexual content, adult situations) Director: Jean-Claude Tramont Screenplay: W.D. Richter Music: Richard Hazard and Ira Newborn Cinematography: Philip Lathrop Release date: March 6, 1981 (US) Cast: Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Dobson, William Daniels, Ann Doran, Terry Kiser, Vernee Watson, Chris Mulkey, Annie Girardot, Tandy Cronyn, Charles Siebert, Richard Stahl, Faith Minton, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Bonnie Bartlett, Hamilton Camp. Box Office: $4.4M (US)
Rating: **
The late 70s/early 80s saw the release of several adult-oriented comedies like All Night Long. You know the ones I’m talking about, the ones that deal with adult topics like adultery, divorce and the ever popular mid-life crisis. Off the top of my head, I remember Middle Age Crazy, The Last Married Couple in America, Just Tell Me What You Want, Starting Over, A Change of Seasons and An Unmarried Woman (the best of these titles).
I remember watching All Night Long at my grandparents’ house one afternoon in April ’82 and thinking that it was just okay. At 14, I obviously couldn’t relate to the protagonist’s issues but I wasn’t about to pass up watching an R-rated movie that I wasn’t allowed to see the year before. I recently revisited this movie and discovered that while I could now understand the main character’s problems better, I didn’t think the movie was all that funny. As a matter fact, it’s pretty lame. I may have chuckled once or twice during it, but I found the overall movie a rather forgettable affair.
The only memorable thing about All Night Long is the complete lack of chemistry between the two leads. I’m not even sure what Barbra Streisand is doing in such an inconsequential movie that began life as a low budget comedy. Lisa Eilbacher (An Officer and a Gentleman) was originally supposed to star opposite Gene Hackman (Superman II) until Streisand’s agent (the director’s wife) suggested her client for the role. The movie’s weak box office take just about covered Babs’ $4 million salary. It’s since been suggested that the singer/actress fired her agent because All Night Long flopped at the box office. I just can’t imagine what attracted her to this project, especially since her character is a singer/songwriter with absolutely no talent. Having Barbra Streisand play somebody who can’t sing is like having Sylvester Stallone play a pacifist. It’s a total waste!
Corporate executive George Dupler (Hackman) finds himself demoted to overnight manager of an all-night drugstore after flipping out in his boss’ office (he throws a chair through a window) about once again being passed over for a promotion. This bit of misfortune doesn’t go over well with his wife Helen (Ladd, Wild at Heart) seeing that their marriage is already on the rocks. Then he finds out that his oddball 18YO son Freddie (Quaid, Breaking Away) is having an affair with an older, married woman. Her name is Cheryl Gibbons (Streisand) and she’s married to a fireman (Dobson, Knots Landing) with a volatile temper. She also happens to be Helen’s sister-in-law (Cheryl’s husband is the brother of Helen’s sister), but the movie doesn’t really call attention to this fact. It’s a bit icky when you think about it.
Anyway, Cheryl develops an interest in George after he voices his disapproval of her relationship with Freddie. At first, he resists her eccentric charms, but eventually starts to develop an interest in Cheryl. Freddie soon finds out about their affair and creates a scene at home that results in George moving out and Helen filing for divorce. Meanwhile, things aren’t going much better for him at work with his less-than-capable staff, the weird customers (one of whom tries to rob the place) and the corporate executives constantly breathing down his neck. If George wants to straighten out this mess that is his life, he’s going to have to make some pretty serious decisions.
If it weren’t for all the profanity, All Night Long could just as easily have been a made-for-TV movie. It’s about as mediocre as a movie can get and still be considered a feature film. It’s hardly the worst movie I’ve ever seen, but this isn’t the kind of movie that will likely be placed on any type of list other than one listing the most egregious wastes of talent.
I have to admit that I don’t worship at the altar of Babs; I haven’t liked every single thing that she’s done. I couldn’t stand Yentl or The Mirror Has Two Faces. But I do think that she has a tremendous singing voice. Everybody knows this which makes me wonder why director Jean-Claude Tramont thought he could pass her off as somebody who can’t sing. Ms. Streisand has a gift for comedy, but you wouldn’t know it based on All Night Long. Even though she sports a blond do a la Marilyn Monroe, she doesn’t come off as particularly scatterbrained like the 1950s sex symbol.
Hackman does his usual professional job and comes off as likable even though he’s fooling around on his wife. But like I said, there’s no chemistry between him and Babs which renders this movie somewhat pointless, don’t you think? As for the rest of the cast, they do fine but Quaid’s character is both weird and annoying.
The best parts of All Night Long are when Hackman attempts to deal with the weirdos that come into the drug store on a nightly basis. That might actually make for a decent comedy, but Tramont drops this plotline about midway through the movie to focus on less interesting things. My final verdict? Although it runs only 87 minutes, the movie only feels like it lasts all night long.
