A Reel Retro Review: THE LONG NIGHT (1947)

With no new films to review for the foreseeable future, Reel Speak will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week. Not just for the sake of filling time, but to hopefully introduce some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence. 

The genre of film noir has been around for so long (it started in the 1940’s), that many of us often struggle to put a solid definition on it. For most of us, as long as it’s black-and-white, uses lights and shadows, and has an element of mystery…it classifies. The genre was at its peak in the 1940’s and 50’s, and one of the many films lost in the shuffle of time is THE LONG NIGHT; a mystery starring three future Hollywood legends. 

Maximillian the Great (Vincent Price), a magician, is apparently murdered on the top floor of an apartment building by Joe Adams (Henry Fonda). As Joe barricades himself in his room and the police surround him, a standoff that lasts the night begins…

THE LONG NIGHT starts off with a literal bang, with the body of Maximillian tumbling down the stairs after a gunshot. The mystery of the film isn’t so much who-dun-it, but why-dun-it. After it becomes clear that Joe was the one who pulled the trigger, the film moves into an extended flashback that runs up to the murder. A love triangle is revealed, with Maximillian and Joe competing for the affections of Jo Ann (Barbara Bel Geddes). It’s a battle of wits, with the successful rich magician considering himself above and better than Joe, who is just a humble factory worker wanting to get by. 

Directed by Anatole Litvak, THE LONG NIGHT not only plays with mystery but with a subtext of life after war. Joe is a WWII veteran, and is one of many characters in the film who came home from war not really knowing what to do with themselves. It’s a look at small-town American life in a period of transition, which plays a heavy factor in Joe going down a dark and bloody path. Litvak films a great looking movie, with all the shadowy characteristics of film noir present at all times. Pacing is brisk and the dialogue between Maximillian and Joe sharp as a razor as the two men battle each other. 

Acting is excellent. The film is a treat to see future legends Henry Fonda and Vincent Price share the screen. Both are young men here and they are well before the years earned them that legend status. Barbara Bel Geddes is in her first film role here, and is a joy to watch. 

True to most film noir, THE LONG NIGHT is a tragedy, and serves as a cautionary tale of what can happen in any town in America. Human frailty is the real lesson, and makes this a fine example of an old genre. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it. 

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Reel Facts: THE LONG NIGHT is a remake of the French film LE JOUR SE LEVE (1939), and was a financial failure at the box office. The film was the big screen debut for Barbara Bel Geddes, who went on to a career that would span five decades. She would win Tony Awards on Broadway, star in Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO (1958), and would win several Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for her long-standing role in television’s DALLAS (1978-1990).