''The Night We Called It a Day'', also known as ''All the Way'', is a 2003 Australian-American

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by Paul Goldman, starring

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

and

Melanie Griffith Melanie Richards Griffith (born August 9, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career in the 1970s, appearing in several independent thriller films before achieving mainstream success in the mid-1980s. Born in Manhattan, New York City, ...

as Barbara Marx. It also features

Portia de Rossi Portia Lee James DeGeneres (born Amanda Lee Rogers; 31 January 1973), known professionally as Portia de Rossi, is an Australian-American former actress. She played Nelle Porter on the American drama series '' Ally McBeal'' (1998–2002), for w ...

Joel Edgerton Joel Edgerton (born 23 June 1974) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his appearance in the ''Star Wars'' films ''Attack of the Clones'' (2002) and ''Revenge of the Sith'' (2005) as a young Owen Lars, a role he reprised i ...

, Rose Byrne and

David Hemmings David Edward Leslie Hemmings (18 November 1941 – 3 December 2003) was an English actor and director. He is best remembered for his roles in British films and television programmes of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the 1966 mystery film ...

. The movie is based on the true events surrounding Sinatra's 1974 tour in Australia. When the singer calls a local reporter (de Rossi) a "two-bit hooker", every union in the country black-bans the star until he issues an apology.

Plot

In 1974, Rod Blue is a surfer with shoulder-length hair in

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

who also stages rock concerts, unsuccessfully most of the time. Needing a big idea, he decides to fly to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, make himself more presentable and try to persuade

to come to Australia to sing. Sinatra takes a liking to the kid, overhearing him express why Sinatra's music means so much to him and to everyone. With his lawyer Mickey Rudin and right-hand man

Jilly Rizzo Ermenegildo "Jilly" Rizzo (May 6, 1917 – May 6, 1992) was an American restaurateur and entertainer. Career As a young man, Rizzo worked with his father delivering Italian ice to cafes. Rizzo opened Jilly's Saloon, a lounge on West 49th Stree ...

in assent that a trip like this would be a good thing at this point for the singer's career, Sinatra agrees to go. At the airport in Australia, members of the media ask blunt and impolite personal questions as soon as Sinatra and his companion, Barbara Marx, step off their private jet. One of the prying reporters is Hilary Hunter, who angrily claims that Sinatra or someone in his entourage spat on her as they went by. Rod and his new assistant, Audrey Appleby, who has known him since their youth and long had a crush on him, do their best to make Sinatra's party comfortable in the penthouse of a Sydney hotel. Audrey strikes up a fast friendship with Barbara, who praises Sinatra as a lover but doesn't wish to rush him into marriage. Before going to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

for the tour's first show, Rod suggests to Sinatra that the Australian press can be very sensitive to criticism, so the singer should try to avoid the subject. Doing it his own way as usual, Sinatra proceeds to further insult the woman reporter from the airport, calling her nothing more than a "two-dollar whore." A restaurant needs to be his way, too, with its chef insulted by Barbara's meddling about how Frank's food needs to be prepared. Trade unions instantly react. Banding together, they decide to cut off all services to Sinatra immediately, including food, drink and maid service at his hotel. Newspapers mock the singer with headlines like "Frankie, Go Home," but even that is problematic, inasmuch no one is willing now to supply fuel for his jet, either. An apology is demanded, but the best Sinatra is willing to do is permit Rudin to try to work out a satisfactory compromise with

Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and union organiser who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991, holding office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (A ...

, the trade union's leader (and Australia's future prime minister). Audrey, meantime, becomes furious at finding Rod kissing reporter Hilary, after which Rod gets into a bloody fistfight with Sinatra's sidekick, Rizzo, who refuses to release tapes of the concert that Rod has already pre-sold. It is ultimately proposed that Sinatra will do a benefit concert for the trades people, but as soon as he gets back on stage, rather than apologize for calling the reporter a two-dollar hooker, he says: "I overpaid." Enjoying himself nevertheless, the singer calls Barbara up to the stage, introducing her to Australia as "the girl I'm going to marry."

Cast

as Barbara Marx *

as Hilary Hunter *

as Rod Blue * Rose Byrne as Audrey Appleby *

as Mickey Rudin * David Field as

* Victoria Thaine as Penny *

Stephen O'Rourke Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

as Jilly Rizzo *

Nicholas Hope Nicholas Hope (born 25 December 1958) is a British-born Australian actor. Born in Manchester, England, Hope's family emigrated to the steel and ship building town of Whyalla, South Australia, where he was educated by the Christian Brothers. ...

as Phil *

George Vidalis George Vidalis is an Australian actor who has appeared in many television series and films. George is best known for his role as Manolis in the comedy series Acropolis Now. George has appeared in such television series as Blue Heelers, Underbel ...

as Vinny *

Peter Demlakian Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

as Ruby *

Tony Barry Tony Barry (28 August 1941 – 21 December 2022) was an Australian actor and activist best known for his television and film roles. Personal life Barry was born in Ipswich, Queensland, on 28 August 1941. He had one son. Barry was an environmen ...

as Ralph Blue *

Vincent Ball Vincent Martin Ball OAM (born 4 December 1923) is an Australian retired character actor of radio, stage and screen, active in the industry for nearly 55 years (with a brief return) firstly in Britain and then his native Australia. He has also ...

as Rex Hooper *

Jennifer Hagan Jennifer Hagan is an Australian actress who was the acting tutor at the National Institute of Dramatic Art from 1991 until 1997. For three decades she was a leading player with professional theatre companies throughout Australia notably for th ...

as Doris *

Nicholas Papademetriou Nicholas Papademetriou is an Australian actor of Greek Cypriot descent with many television, film and theatre credits. He is a graduate of Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. He has had an extensive career in film and television si ...

as Luigi * Tom Burlinson as Frank Sinatra (singing voice)

Production

The film was loosely based on true events. Barbara Marx had been divorced from

Zeppo Marx Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx (February 25, 1901 – November 30, 1979) was an American comedic actor, theatrical agent, and engineer. He was the youngest and last survivor of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers f ...

in 1973, a year before the

concert appearance in Australia depicted in this film. She and Sinatra got married in 1976 and remained together for the rest of his life.

, a restaurateur who became close friend and associate of Sinatra, was killed on his 75th birthday by a drunk driver in 1992. Milton A. "Mickey" Rudin was the singer's attorney; he died of pneumonia in December 1999, a year and a half after Sinatra's death from natural causes. The labor leader portrayed in the film,

, became prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. Sinatra's hotel in 1974 was the Boulevard in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

, where his suite and those of his entourage were on the 23rd floor. His tour, his first in Australia in 15 years and billed as "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back," was scheduled to include two shows in

, followed by three in Sydney. In his first show, according to news reports from 1974, Sinatra referred on stage to the media as "parasites" and "bums" and to women specifically as "the broads of the press, the hookers of the press," then adding, "I might offer them a buck and a half, I'm not sure." The character of Rod Blue in the film is fictional, as is the love story involving his assistant. Robert Raymond was the 1974 tour's promoter. '' The Night We Called It a Day'' was the first song Frank Sinatra recorded in 1942. The film's title was changed in North America to '' All the Way'', a song Sinatra recorded in 1957. Sinatra's singing voice for this film was provided by the Australian actor Tom Burlinson, who previously had recreated the vocals for a 1992 American television miniseries called ''

Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

'' produced by the singer's daughter, Tina Sinatra.

Box office

''The Night We Called It a Day'' grossed $502,561 at the box office in Australia.''Film Victoria - Australian Films at the Australian Box Office''
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References

External links

* *
''The Night We Called It a Day'' at the National Film and Sound Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Night We Called It a Day 2003 films Australian comedy-drama films 2003 comedy-drama films Films about Frank Sinatra Films set in 1974 Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams 2003 comedy films 2003 drama films 2000s English-language films