Actor Kevin Dobson once said about being cast as Barbra Streisand's husband in this movie: "I'd once worked thirteen days as an extra in Funny Girl (1968). I knew I'd work with her eventually. She's wonderful to work with. We rehearsed our parts. I've had such rapport with her. She has a reputation, but I never saw anything but the utmost professionalism."
The UltraSave All-Night Drug Store seen in this picture was so realistic that people went in and tried to shop there. It was explained to them that it was a movie set but one woman exclaimed, "But we NEED a drug store in this area!"
This film's stills photographer Greg Gorman once told Roald Rynning what it was like to work with Barbra Streisand: "Before photographing Barbra the first time, I was a little nervous. I'd heard she was demanding. I was hired only to take stills from [All Night Long (1981)], but I asked to do a special shoot with her. I remember her office called me, asking what other big female stars I had shot. I had to answer I had done none. Nevertheless, one day on the set, Barbra came over. 'I hear you want to take some pictures of me', she said. 'What did you have in mind? What colors do you want to use?' I answered her straight back. Asked her what colors she liked and the interrogation was over. From then on she was terrific. For a photographer it's easy to work with her. She knows her face very well, the angles, the lot. She loves to see my Polaroids and analyze the results. I think a great deal of her success has come from asking questions and being a terrific observer."
This movie was originally conceived as a comeback movie for Gene Hackman. By the time the film was made, he had already "comeback", being seen in a cameo as Lex Luthor again in Superman II (1980). Hackman took a two year break from filming around 1978 stating that he was exhausted having made fourteen movies in a row after The French Connection (1971).
Actress Lisa Eichhorn once said on her being replaced by Barbra Streisand: "I could understand being replaced by Amy Irving or Sissy Spacek. Or someone else of my own age and nature. But Barbra Streisand? I thought All Night Long (1981) was some of my best work."