| Series: | ITV Sunday Night Theatre |
| Series No: | 5 |
| Episode: | 20 |
| Director: | Peter Wood |
| Producer: | Cecil Clarke |
| Runtime: | 161 minutes |
"Long Day's Journey Into Night" is a 1973 videotaped television adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's 1956 play of the same name. It was written by Michael Blakemore and directed Peter Wood with Cecil Clarke as executive producer. The recording is a version of Royal National Theatre's 1971 staging of the play, and features Laurence Olivier (Tyrone), Constance Cummings (Mary), Denis Quilley (Jamie), Ronald Pickup (Edmund), and Maureen Lipman (Cathleen).
The play follows one day in the lives of the Tyrone family, each member is troubled and has been damaged by alcohol or other drugs. They have issues with each other that lead to fights and an inability to reconcile with one another.
Olivier had often been asked to take on the role of Tyrone, but was relctuant to take the part of the ageing actor as he felt there were too many traps that would lead to the role being a stereotype of himself as an actor. His concerns proved unfounded and the play was a critical and commercial hit that revived the fortunes of The National Theatre.[1]