Clash by Night
| Clash by Night | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Fritz Lang |
| Produced by |
Jerry Wald Norman Krasna Harriet Parsons |
| Screenplay by | Alfred Hayes |
| Based on | The play Clash by Night by Clifford Odets |
| Starring |
Barbara Stanwyck Paul Douglas Robert Ryan Marilyn Monroe |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Nicholas Musuraca |
| Edited by | George Amy |
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Production
company |
Wald/Krasna Productions
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| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US rentals) |
Clash by Night is a 1952 American drama film with some film noir aspects, directed by Fritz Lang and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe and Keith Andes. The movie was based on the play by Clifford Odets, adapted by writer Alfred Hayes. This was the first film in which Monroe was credited before the movie's title, albeit with fourth billing.
During the shooting, the now famous nude calendar photos of Monroe surfaced and reporters swarmed around and hounded the actress, creating considerable distraction for the film makers.
Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) returns to her home town, the fishing village of Monterey, California after ten years "back East." Her fisherman brother Joe (Keith Andes) is not particularly pleased to see her, but accepts her back into the family home. His girlfriend Peggy (Marilyn Monroe) is more welcoming. When Joe asks Mae about the rich man she was seeing, she explains he was a married politician. He died and left her some money, but his wife and relatives took her to court and won.
Mae begins to date Jerry (Paul Douglas), a good-natured, unsophisticated fisherman with his own boat. Mae instantly despises Jerry's friend, Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan), a bitter, dissatisfied film projectionist. Mae's politician lover had made her feel more confident in herself; in stark contrast, Earl has a low opinion of women in general and makes no attempt to hide it. His wife is a vaudeville performer who is away frequently on tour.
Earl, sensing a kindred restless spirit, is attracted to Mae right away. Jerry is oblivious to the tension between the two and soon asks Mae to marry him, despite her warning that she is not good for him. Mae decides to accept, even though she does not love or even respect her future husband, for the security and in the hope that she can change.
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Wikipedia