All Through the Night (1942)

All Through the Night (1942), directed by Vincent Sherman.

It's gamblers vs nazis in a comedy/action picture! What's not to like? The US was not in the war yet but attitudes were changing and Hollywood had definitely picked a side. Constant snappy patter and the old double chase.

Having just done High Sierra (1941) and The Maltese Falcon (1941), Humphrey Bogart continued moving into leading man roles. Casablanca (1942) followed the same year.

I don't remember noticing Kaaren Verne before. She gets credit for her own singing, including the title song by Johnny Mercer. I don't see any mention of her music talents in the online bio material, but she also gets credit for playing classical piano in Kings Row (1942).

Her nightclub outfit really puts the silver in Silver Screen. Honestly, they had such beautiful images in those days, just tossing them off in every film. This one was photographed by the great Sidney Hickox.

At the action climax nazi bad guy Conrad Veidt plans to ram a battleship with a speedboat full of explosives. For some reason he is taking along his Dachshund:

quote

Yes, Mr. Donahue. In a few minutes you and I and Hansel will die.

Cut to the dog, watching with a "Wait, what?" expression. I'm afraid that's the last we see of poor little Hansel.

Peter Lorre and Judith Anderson are additional baddies.

Look for cherubic Jackie Gleason at age 25.

Is this the first mention of the Dachau prison camp in film?

Available on DVD with an edited commentary by the director (99 at the time, his last year) and Bogart biographer Eric Lax.

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