Long Day's Journey into Night
by Eugene O'Neillliterary work· published 1956
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Long Day's Journey into Night is a play in four acts written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939–1941 and first published posthumously in 1956. It is widely regarded as his magnum opus and one of the great American plays of the 20th century. It premiered in Sweden in February 1956 and then opened on Broadway in November 1956, winning the Tony Award for Best Play. O'Neill received the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for Drama posthumously for Long Day's Journey into Night. The work is openly autobiographical in nature. The "long day" in the title refers to the setting of the play, which takes place during one day. It has been called the finest work of American theater, by critic Pauline Kael. A Moon for the Misbegotten is a sequel to the play.
Adaptations (5)
Long Day's Journey into Night has been adapted 5 times, across film and television film, from 1962 to 2025. The most recent is Long Day's Journey Into Night (2025).
Long Day's Journey into Night1973 · film · 161 min · dir. Peter Wood · IMDb ↗IMDb8.1On a day in the summer of 1912, the family of retired matinee idol James Tyrone grapples with the morphine addiction of Tyrone's wife Mary, the illness of their youngest son Edmund, and the alcoholism and debauchery of the older son Jamie. As day turns into night, guilt, anger, despair, and regret threaten to destroy the family.
Long Day's Journey into Night1987 · television film · 170 min · dir. Jonathan Miller · IMDb ↗IMDb7.2Originally staged (with these actors) in 1986 at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theater (appearing first on Showtime cable television in April 1987, and then for free on PBS stations' American Playhouse series in May 1988), 'Long Day's Journey Into Night' is Eugene O'Neill's award-winning and classic play about a day in the life of a dysfunctional family. Wealthy but unsatisfied former thespian James (Jack Lemmon) lives with his morphine-addict wife, Mary (Bethel Leslie), and their two tormented sons, Jamie (Kevin Spacey) and Edmund (Peter Gallagher). As nightfall approaches, truth and madness fight for control over a family tearing itself apart. A landmark production from theater legend Jonathan Miller, this searing drama is a bold, electrifying powerhouse you'll never forget. (Lemmon was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in Mini-Series or Made-for-TV Movie the following year.)
Long Day's Journey into Night1996 · film · 173 min · dir. David Wellington, Diana Leblanc · IMDb ↗The remaining members of a once-great American family succumb to addictions, selfishness and disease.
Long Day's Journey Into Night2025 · film · dir. Jonathan Kent · IMDb ↗Over the course of a day, a married couple, Mary and James Tyrone, and their two sons, Jamie and Edmund, grapple with Mary's morphine addiction and confront each other over the past in a series of emotionally tense and volatile exchanges.
