All Night Long (1963)

Basil Dearden’s 1963 film sets Othello in the London jazz scene of the 1960s. It is is an updated version of Shakespeare's Othello. The black and white film is notable for featuring performances by a number of prominent British and American jazz musicians, including Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus.

Paul Harris is the Othello counterpart in the movie, a bandleader happily married to Desdemona (Marti Stevens). Patrick McGoohan plays the film's Iago character, who wants to have Harris' job. McGoohan hopes to unnerve Harris by spreading rumors that Stevens has been unfaithful.

It relates to the original Othello because because McGoohan is planting the same seeds in Harris about Stevens being unfaithful that Iago planted in Othello about Desdemona.

All Night Long (1963)

Willow, Willow, Willow by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918

The "Willow Scene" is a scene in which it is proven how different of women Desdemona and Emilia are in personality. During the scene, Desdemona and Emilia are talking about how some women may abuse their husbands, and their stances on such an idea. Desdemona is a pure-hearted being and thinks it is horrendous to cheat on your husband. Emilia, however, doesn't share the same idea. 


The Willow song is a song that Desdemona' s mother's maid, Barbary, would sing. Barbary was in love, but her love forsook her. In the scene, Desdemona was feeling the same way about Othello, because she had no idea why he was acting the way he was towards her. 


The lyrics of the song are:


The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow.
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur’d her moans,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften’d the stones;
Sing willow, willow, willow.
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.


Later, Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry  composed music to go with the song. 

Such Sweet Thunder by Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967)

"Such Sweet Thunder" by Duke Ellington (1899-1974) and Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967), is a twelve-part jazz suit that created a milestone between jazz and Shakespeare. It is based on the plays and sonnets that Shakespeare had written. Ellington and Strayhorn gave great attention to the material of Shakespeare and tried to make pictures in the music that would take you into the mood of the play. The pieces show the harmony between Shakespeare's and Ellington's art.