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All Through the Night (2019) movie poster

Characters & Themes

All Through the Night (2019) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2019 · 97 mins · Persian
Directed by
Farzad Motamen
Starring
Elnaz Shakerdoost, Afsane Chehreazad, Amir Jafari, Azade Samadi, Mehdi Soltani, Sina Hejazi

Mahtab goes to Davood’s residence to find a trace of Davood Moradi, the last person related to his sister Maryam before his long sleep, to find answers to his questions.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Characters explained (9)
  2. 2 Where & when it takes place
  3. 3 Themes & meaning (4)
  4. 4 Character & meaning questions
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Every angle

9 main characters · contains spoilers

All Through the Night Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of All Through the Night (2019), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Alfred 'Gloves' Donahue

    A sharp, hard-edged Broadway gambler who becomes a reluctant leader against the Nazi plot. His street-smarts and nerve push him to take bold actions to protect others, even as he navigates criminal ties. He embodies a mix of charisma, ruthlessness, and a growing sense of responsibility.

    • 🧩 Gangster
    • 🎖️ Leader
  • Leda Hamilton

    A young singer with a hidden past and the Jewish name Uda Hammel, whose fate intertwines with Gloves. She oscillates between fear and resolve, ultimately playing a key role in uncovering the conspiracy. Her resilience under pressure drives crucial choices in the chase.

    • 🎤 Performer
    • 🧬 Identity
  • Hall Ebbing

    Antique dealer and mastermind behind the Nazi fifth columnists. He manipulates events from behind the scenes, chasing Leda and evading capture as the net tightens. His escape and final confrontation catalyze the film's explosive climax.

    • 💼 Antagonist
    • 🗺️ Espionage Network
  • Pepi

    Piano player at the nightclub who acts as a liaison for the Nazi faction. He orchestrates the abduction of Leda and commits violent acts before being killed by his own side when he refuses to continue the suicide mission. His duplicity heightens the sense of danger.

    • 🎭 Double-Crosser
    • 🎵 Musician
  • Marty Callahan

    Co-owner of the club and a mob-connected figure who initially distrusts Gloves. He shifts to ally against the Nazi threat, illustrating how common enemies can unite disparate factions. His involvement helps coordinate the final effort to stop the conspirators.

    • 🕴️ Mobster
    • 🤝 Ally
  • Ma Donahue

    Gloves's mother, a perceptive and superstitious widow who senses that danger surrounds her family. Her concern about the missing baker and the Milkman threads the personal stakes into the broader plot. She represents the civilian cost of wartime shadow games.

    • 👩 Mother
    • 🧭 Intuition
  • Mr. Miller

    The baker whose missing status triggers the investigation; his death reveals a deeper network at work. His creation—Gloves' beloved cheesecake—serves as a recurring symbol of comfort disrupted by violence. His fate ties the everyday to the extraordinary danger of the time.

    • 🥧 Baker
    • 💀 Victim
  • Sunshine

    One of Gloves' men who is captured earlier in the plot and later helps in the escape. His presence underscores the manpower and camaraderie behind Gloves' operation. He contributes to turning the tide against the captors.

    • 🧒 Sidekick
    • 🗡️ Action
  • Barney

    An associate who aids in coordinating with the police and pursuing leads. His role reinforces the theme of collaboration across different groups to resist the Nazi threat. He helps bridge the gap between crime worlds and law enforcement.

    • 🤝 Ally
    • 👮 Lawful Cooperation

Last updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:44

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Setting

Where and When Does All Through the Night Take Place?

The setting of All Through the Night (2019): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

1942

The story unfolds during World War II, a period when the United States faced the threat of Nazi espionage on the home front. Wartime paranoia colors every encounter, from street corners to secret rooms. References to Dachau and a battleship in New York harbor anchor the narrative in the early 1940s context.

Location

New York City, Central Park, East River, New York Harbor

Set on the wartime streets of New York City, with scenes spanning a restaurant, nightclub, an antique auction house, police stations, and the harbor. The city serves as a front for clandestine Nazi activity and gangster intrigue, turning everyday venues into potential crime scenes. Central Park and the East River provide iconic backdrops for chases and confrontations as the plot unfolds.

  • 🗽 New York City
  • 🧭 War-time setting
  • 🕵️ Crime drama
  • 🧨 Espionage atmosphere

Last updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:44

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4 major themes

All Through the Night Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is All Through the Night (2019) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Espionage

    Nazi fifth columnists operate under the guise of legitimate businesses, turning everyday places into fronts for their schemes. Clues appear in maps, radios, and coded notes, driving the tension as characters try to uncover who can be trusted. Deception and counter-surveillance define much of the plot.

  • Loyalty

    Allies from rival worlds—gangsters and police—must unite against a common, invisible enemy. Suspicion lingers, yet cooperation becomes essential to thwart the Nazi plot. The story highlights how loyalty can transcend past conflicts when freedom is at stake.

  • Courage

    Characters risk everything in daring escapes, impersonations, and direct confrontations with well-armed foes. Key moments—like steering a boat toward danger and defying threats at close quarters—test their resolve. Courage under pressure fuels the action from their first encounter to the final showdown.

  • Identity

    Leda’s hidden Jewish identity and dual names influence whom she can trust and how she is perceived. The tension between allegiance and survival drives personal decisions and reveals the consequences of persecution. The past of characters becomes a compass for their choices in the present crisis.

Last updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:44

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Character & theme questions

All Through the Night Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about All Through the Night (2019): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is All Through the Night set?

The movie is set in New York City during World War II, with scenes taking place in restaurants, nightclubs, antique auction houses, police stations, and along the harbor. Iconic locations like Central Park and the East River serve as backdrops for chases and confrontations, as the city becomes a front for clandestine Nazi activity.

  • new york city
  • setting
  • world war 2
  • locations
  • wartime
Q2

When does the story take place?

The story is set in 1942, during World War II. This was a period when the United States faced significant threat from Nazi espionage on the home front. References to Dachau and a battleship in New York harbor anchor the narrative in the early 1940s context.

  • 1942
  • world war 2
  • time period
  • 1940s
  • wartime era
Q3

What are the main themes in All Through the Night?

The movie explores several interconnected themes: espionage, where Nazi fifth columnists operate under legitimate business fronts; loyalty, as rival factions (gangsters and police) must unite against a common enemy; courage, shown in daring escapes and confrontations; and identity, particularly through Leda's hidden Jewish identity and dual names.

  • themes
  • espionage
  • loyalty
  • courage
  • identity
  • world war 2
Q4

Who is Gloves Donahue?

Alfred 'Gloves' Donahue is a sharp, hard-edged Broadway gambler who becomes a reluctant leader against the Nazi plot. Using his street-smarts and nerve, he takes bold actions to protect others while navigating his criminal connections. He embodies charisma, ruthlessness, and a growing sense of responsibility.

  • gloves donahue
  • alfred
  • character
  • leader
  • gangster
Q5

Who is Leda Hamilton?

Leda Hamilton is a young singer with a hidden past, also known by her Jewish name Uda Hammel. Her fate becomes intertwined with Gloves as she oscillates between fear and resolve. Her resilience under pressure drives crucial choices throughout the chase, and her identity shapes whom she can trust in the dangerous wartime environment.

  • leda hamilton
  • uda hammel
  • singer
  • identity
  • Jewish
Q6

Who is Hall Ebbing?

Hall Ebbing is an antique dealer and the mastermind behind the Nazi fifth columnists operating in New York. He manipulates events from behind the scenes, pursuing Leda and evading capture as the conspiracy unravels. His escape and final confrontation with the protagonists catalyze the film's climactic showdown.

  • hall ebbing
  • villain
  • Nazi
  • mastermind
  • antique dealer
Q7

How does the espionage theme play out in the film?

Nazi fifth columnists operate under the guise of legitimate businesses, turning everyday places like restaurants and nightclubs into fronts for their schemes. Clues appear in maps, radios, and coded notes, driving tension as characters try to uncover who can be trusted. Deception and counter-surveillance define much of the plot.

  • espionage
  • Nazi
  • conspiracy
  • deception
  • spies
Q8

How does the loyalty theme develop in the story?

Allies from rival worlds, gangsters and police, must unite against a common, invisible enemy. Suspicion lingers throughout, yet cooperation becomes essential to thwart the Nazi plot. The story highlights how loyalty can transcend past conflicts when freedom is at stake, as seen in characters like Marty Callahan shifting from distrust to alliance.

  • loyalty
  • alliance
  • teamwork
  • gangsters
  • police
  • cooperation
Q9

What role does identity play in All Through the Night?

Leda's hidden Jewish identity and dual names influence whom she can trust and how she is perceived by others. The tension between allegiance and survival drives personal decisions and reveals the consequences of persecution. The past of characters becomes a compass for their choices during the present crisis.

  • identity
  • Jewish
  • hidden identity
  • survival
  • persecution
Q10

How is New York City portrayed in the film?

New York City serves as both a recognizable backdrop and a tense wartime environment in the film. The city becomes a front for clandestine Nazi activity and gangster intrigue, turning everyday venues like restaurants and nightclubs into potential crime scenes. The contrast between normal city life and underground danger creates an atmosphere of constant suspense.

  • new york city
  • setting
  • wartime
  • crime
  • atmosphere
Q11

Who are the key supporting characters?

Key supporting characters include: Marty Callahan, a mob-connected club co-owner who becomes an ally against the Nazis; Pepi, a piano player and Nazi liaison who orchestrates Leda's abduction; Ma Donahue, Gloves' mother who senses danger surrounding her family; and Mr. Miller, the missing baker whose death reveals the deeper conspiracy network.

  • marty callahan
  • pepi
  • ma donahue
  • mr miller
  • supporting characters

Movie threads

More Movies Like All Through the Night, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes All Through the Night tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Wartime Conspiracy Thrillers like All Through the Night

Ordinary citizens uncover dangerous enemy plots on the home front. If you liked the urgent hunt for Nazi infiltrators in All Through the Night, you'll enjoy these movies where ordinary citizens face off against hidden enemies on the home front. Discover similar tense investigations, high-stakes chases, and stories of urban resistance in thrilling wartime settings.

  • tense
  • suspenseful
  • urgent
  • paranoid
  • thrilling
  • investigation
  • Tone: tense, urgent, suspenseful
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative typically follows an unlikely hero—a civilian or someone outside official channels—who stumbles upon a conspiracy. They must navigate a web of danger, often forming uneasy alliances, to follow clues, evade capture, and thwart a large-scale threat before it's too late.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared core conflict: a race to expose a hidden enemy cell. They create a specific kind of tension rooted in the violation of home turf, combining the suspense of an investigation with the high stakes of war, resulting in a fast-paced, nerve-wracking experience.

Movies with Improvised Alliances like in All Through the Night

Rival factions must set aside their differences to confront a common, overwhelming threat. All Through the night features gangsters and gamblers uniting against Nazis. Explore more films where rival factions form tense, necessary alliances against a greater evil. Find stories full of moral ambiguity, pragmatic teamwork, and the suspense of collaborating with former enemies.

  • tense
  • pragmatic
  • hopeful
  • uneasy
  • alliance
  • rivals
  • Tone: tense, pragmatic, hopeful
  • Pacing: steady to fast
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative revolves around a external threat so significant that it forces characters with conflicting goals or backgrounds to cooperate. The drama comes from the friction of this uneasy partnership, the need for trust where none exists, and the shared goal that temporarily overrides old grudges.

Why they belong together: This thread captures the unique dynamic of characters overcoming deep-seated animosity for a common cause. The shared element is the compelling tension between personal history and present necessity, creating stories where alliance itself is a source of both conflict and hope.

Every angle

All Through the Night (2019) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about All Through the Night in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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