All Through the Night (1942) starring Humphrey Bogart, Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre
Synopsis
In All Through the Night, Humphrey Bogart plays a New Yorker with underworld connections who battle Nazi saboteurs planning to sink a battleship.
Review of All Through the Night
All Through the Night is a serious World War II drama – with lots of comedic dialog. The basic premise is that a gang of mobsters find about about Nazi saboteurs in New York City. They try to warn the police, but aren’t believed … which you really can’t blame the police for, given the crooks’ history. So the mobsters — with all their flaws, they’re still Americans — take matters into their own hands.
All Through the Night is well-done, with Conrad Veidt and Peter Lorre providing the heartless Nazi villains. Humphrey Bogart is the lead, with William Demerest as his right-hand man, with numerous comedic mobsters.
It’s well-done, balancing tension and comic relief, delivering a patriotic World War II film that’s still enjoyable decades later. I recommend it. Be sure to check the funny movie quotes from All Through the Night as well.
Cast of characters
- ‘Gloves’ Donahue (Humphrey Bogart, Casablanca). The protagonist, a low-level criminal with quick wits. He’s not a traditional hero, but he is a patriotic American. And, when the Nazis frame him, it makes him all the more eager to stop them.
- Ebbing (Conrad Veidt, Whistling in the Dark). The leader of the Nazi saboteur ring. Cold, calculating, and remorseless. A role that Conrad Veidt played many times – but never better than here.
- Leda Hamilton (Kaaren Verne, Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon). The beautiful young foreigner that’s being blackmailed by Ebbing.
- Mrs. Donahue (Jane Darwell, The Grapes of Wrath, Mary Poppins). Gloves’ mother, whose paranoid feelings … keep turning out to be right.
- Barney (Frank McHugh, Miss Grant Takes Richmond). One of Gloves’ gang. He’s competent, but mostly played for comedy. He’s just gotten married, but instead of being on his honeymoon he’s wrapped up with fighting Nazis. How to explain to his bride …
- Pepi (Peter Lorre, The Comedy of Terrors). Ebbing’s evil henchman – an excellent performance, the type of character that Peter Lorre played frequently in his early career.
- Sunshine (William Demarest, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, My Three Sons). Gloves’ right-hand man, who’s equal parts drama and verbal comedy. A very good performance.
- Starchy (Jackie Gleason, Soldier in the Rain, The Honeymooners). A member of Gloves’ gang, comedy relief.
- Waiter (Phil Silvers, The Jungle Book). Strictly comedy.
- Spats Hunter (Wallace Ford, Harvey). Another gang member.
