Long Day's Journey into Night (1962 film)


Long Day's Journey into Night is a 1962 American drama film adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's 1956 play. It was directed by Sidney Lumet, and produced by Ely Landau, with Joseph E. Levine and Jack J. Dreyfus Jr. as executive producers. The screenplay was not adapted, but used directly from O'Neill's play, the music score by André Previn, and the cinematography by Boris Kaufman.
It was shot at Chelsea Studios in New York City. The exteriors were shot on City Island.
The film has been restored and preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Plot and themes

The film concerns a fateful, heart-rending day in August 1912 at the seaside Connecticut home of the Tyrone family.
One theme of the play is addiction and the resulting dysfunction of the family: All three males are alcoholics, and Mary is addicted to morphine. They all constantly conceal, blame, resent, regret, accuse, and deny in an escalating cycle of conflict with occasional desperate and half-sincere attempts at affection, encouragement, and consolation.

Cast and characters

Producer Ely Landau did a version of The Iceman Cometh for TV. This impressed the widow of Eugene O'Neill enough for her to give him the screen rights to Long Day's Journey. The cast and director formed a cooperative and agreed to work for a lower fee in exchange for a percentage of the profits. The film was reportedly shot for $435,000 over 37 days, two days over schedule. Lumet later wrote that the total budget was $490,000.

Reception

Joseph E. Levine bought the film for distribution, but said he lost money on it. "You cannot stay in business by making O'Neill pictures", he said. Lumet later wrote that "there actually were some profits."

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryNomineeResult
Academy AwardsBest ActressKatharine Hepburn
Cannes Film FestivalPalme d'OrSidney Lumet
Cannes Film FestivalBest ActorRalph Richardson
Jason Robards
Dean Stockwell
Cannes Film FestivalBest ActressKatharine Hepburn
Directors Guild of America AwardsOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion PicturesSidney Lumet
Golden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Motion Picture – DramaKatharine Hepburn
Laurel AwardsTop Female Dramatic PerformanceKatharine Hepburn
Mexican Cinema JournalistsBest Foreign ActressKatharine Hepburn
National Board of Review AwardsLong Day's Journey into Night
National Board of Review AwardsBest ActorJason Robards