Clash by Night
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Movie Reviews of Clash by Night
Movie Review: "Sizzling performance by Stanwyck ... Firtz Lang (Director)"
Summary: 4 Stars
RKO Radio Pictures presents "CLASH BY NIGHT" (1952) (105 min/B&W) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Returning to live with her brother, Joe (Keith Andes), at her family's home in a small fishing village, Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) has reached rock bottom --- Reeling from the pain of her previous romances, Mae slowly pieces things together and begins dating Jerry (Paul Douglas), a simple-minded fisherman --- But more suited to Mae's previous tastes is Jerry's slick, boozy pal Earl Pfeiffer (Robert Ryan), a film projectionist who makes his feelings for her known right away despite the fact that he is married --- Mae spurns his advances and decides to marry Jerry --- Meanwhile, Joe has grown close to ditsy factory worker Peggy (Marilyn Monroe) --- Some time later, Mae and Jerry have had a baby, and things appear happy, but Mae is not in love with Jerry, and soon finds herself in Earl's arms.
Taut direction by Fritz Lang and a sizzling performance by Barbara Stanwyck -- This is noir at its best.
Under the production staff of:
Fritz Lang [Director]
Clifford Odets [play "Clash by Night"]
Alfred Hayes [Screenwriter]
Harriet Parsons [Producer]
Norman Krasna [Producer]
Jerry Wald [Producer]
Roy Webb [Original Film Music]
Nicholas Musuraca [Cinematographer]
George Amy [Film Editor]
Carroll Clark [Art Director]
Albert S. D'Agostino [Art Director]
BIOS:
1. Fritz Lang [Friedrich Christian Anton Lang] [Director]
Date of Birth: 5 December 1890 - Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]
Date of Death: 2 August 1976 - Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California
2. Barbara Stanwyck (aka: Ruby Catherine Stevens)
Date of Birth: 16 July 1907 - Brooklyn, New York
Date of Death: 20 January 1990 - Santa Monica, California
3. Paul Douglas [aka: Paul Douglas Fleischer]
Date of Birth: 11 April 1907 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 11 September 1959 - Hollywood, California
4. Robert Ryan [aka: Robert Bushnell Ryan]
Date of Birth: 11 November 1909 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of Death: 11 July 1973 - New York City, New York
5. Marilyn Monroe [aka: Norma Jeane Mortenson]
Date of Birth: 1 June 1926 - Los Angeles, California
Date of Death: 5 August 1962 - Los Angeles, California
the cast includes:
Barbara Stanwyck - Mae Doyle D'Amato
Paul Douglas - Jerry D'Amato
Robert Ryan - Earl Pfeiffer
Marilyn Monroe - Peggy
J. Carrol Naish - Uncle Vince
Keith Andes - Joe Doyle
Silvio Minciotti - Papa D'Amato
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 105 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros. Pictures ~ (07/05/2005)
Movie Review: Superb. Really Superb.
Summary: 4 Stars
Viewed: 10/08
Rate: 8
10/08: Clash by Night starts off with a slow first half before picking up the pace and ends strongly at a high note. The performances by Barbara Stanwyck (whom I doubt that she put in much of effort), Robert Ryan (who can do better), Marilyn Monroe (in a limited role), and Keith Andes (who got lucky by being limited) are fine, but it's Paul Douglas who steals the show. I feel for his character and sympathize with him. The direction by Fritz Lang isn't that bad, but he tends to waste time on very little trivial things like seagulls, fishes, seals, and too many secondary characters. By the way, there is no way that a pretty girl like Marilyn Monroe would work in a fish factory. At any rate, it's undoubtedly the performances that elevated the film, and I strongly considered a rating of `4' for a while until I began to see the central point of the film. I seriously do not think that Clash by Night is a film noir but very heavy in drama. After all, just because the movie is shot in black-and-white doesn't mean it is film noir. Otherwise, Ordinary People would certainly have to be classified as one regardless. As a special note, Keith Andes three years before now committed suicide. I wonder how it is possible for somebody like him to have a nice looking body as his and still smoke heavily. The same goes for everybody as well minus the bodies, of course. I have a hard time believing in Mae Doyle's attraction to Earl due to his smarmy leechlike personality. Had Robert Ryan been replaced by Lawrence Tierney or maybe Marlon Brando, I will believe it more. After all, they are very irresistible yet dangerously bad. The most interesting subtext of Clash by Night is the relationship between Joe Doyle and Peggy which made me to think the differences between this one and the relationship of Mae and Jerry's. There is some kind of a "step-back" perspective changer when the former shows up and then steps out to allow the main characters to do their work. More importantly what Clash by Night offers is its strong message in saving the relationship by straightening out the priorities and easing the selfishness; in short, the film is a reverse version of A Doll's House. All in all, Clash by Night is a solid drama picture with enough satisfaction coming from the performances.
Movie Review: Clash By Night
Summary: 4 Stars
Alright adaptation and transplantation (from New York City to Monterrey, California) of Clifford Odets' stage-play CLASH BY NIGHT. Barbara Stanwyck plays hardened woman who returns to hometown where good-boy Paul Douglas meets, squires and marries her. Best friend bad-boy Robert Ryan has plans of his own, though.
As usual, Stanwyck nails it as the bad-girl who knows she's bad but wants to reform and enjoy the good life fishing boat captain Douglas can provide. Ryan pretty much keeps pace with her from the mean end of the love triangle. Douglas is... well... Jerry D'Amato is supposed to be a big, naïve, uncomprehending lug whose love is whole-hearted and, unfortunately, blind. This is a sticky melodrama and Douglas simply isn't very convincing. In fact, he goes over the top a time or three and practically beaches this trawler on his own. I've watched this one twice, first al dente and the second time, weeks later, with the Peter Bogdanovich commentary track. Both times, when it came time for Douglas to play his big `betrayed' scenes I couldn't help wondering what William Bendix (Yes, Douglas WAS that painful to watch), or, more perfectly, what Broderick Crawford would have done with the role. That Douglas's flounderings don't sink this one has more to do with the offsetting strength of Stanwyck and Ryan and the welcome presence of a young Marilyn Monroe in a minor role than with any compensating strengths on his part.
I'm not giving a strong four stars to CLASH BY NIGHT. More like 3.500001 stars. The Monterrey location adds welcome authenticity to the story and Bogdanovich's commentary (with archived audio tape comments by the director, Fritz Lang) helpfully explains Lang's technique and approach. Although this movie is bundled in a film noir collection it doesn't revolve around a crime or contain a whole lot of thrills. It has a bad-boy and a bad-girl who probably have a basketful of Freudian issues, but they don't bubble to the surface in the traditional noir fashion. Noir... I mean `nor' do I remember the shadow of a venetian blind falling across any agonized face. It IS a roiling, somewhat turgid melodrama with some very good performances.
Movie Review: A drama many years ahead of its time!
Summary: 4 Stars
This review is for the 2005 Warner Brothers DVD.
The storyline revolves around Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwick) who returns to a Northern California fishing community after a ten-year hiatus. She left that town hoping to find a wealthy or prestigious man to marry, but her dreams never materialized. Upon returning she runs into an old acquaintance, Jerry D'Amato (Paul Douglas), at a bar and they later start dating even though they have very little in common. Jerry is hardworking and stable, yet a boring simpleton. Mae is fickle and shallow. Jerry introduces Mae to his best friend Earl (Robert Ryan) who is cantankerous yet very extroverted - pretty much the exact opposite of Jerry. From this point on in the movie, the human dynamics these three people go all over the map and develop into an enthralling plot for the viewer.
I was initially taken off guard with the way the film ended, but I couldn't get it out of my head for the rest of the day and realized it took a very brave direction with the issues it confronted. Furthermore, the movie is probably more representative of today's social landscape than it was when the film was made and has some hard-hitting commentary for the consequences of people's actions. There is however, one scene that is clearly politically incorrect by today's standards where Earl imitates a Chinese person. The movie also contained some refreshing scenes of a young Marilyn Monroe who plays the girlfriend of Mae's brother. Overall I give the film a solid recommendation for viewing.
The DVD is remastered but not restored and as a result, the black and white transfer is sharp but occasionally tiny spots of film deterioration can be observed. The sound is fine. The DVD comes with commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, with audio interview excerpts of director Fritz Lang.
PLEASE NOTE: Before buying this DVD, consider buying the Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 2 which contains this movie plus four other highly recommended movies at a very reasonable price.
Movie: B
DVD Quality: B
Movie Review: It's A Hardknock Life After All
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a review of CLASH BY NIGHT (1952)which was directed by Fritz Lang and released by RKO Pictures. CLASH BY NIGHT was released on DVD by Turner Home entertainment in 2007.
In CLASH BY NIGHT Mae Doyle, played by Barbara Stanwyck, returns home to the small west coast fishing village she left a couple of years before when she went to New York City. She comes back with a "wised up" attitude having lost her dreams for a happy life with the man of her dreams and now content to settle for a pleasant if non-exciting existance.
Mae Doyle moves back into the family home, now owned by her fisherman brother, Keith Andes, who works on a boat owned by his friend, Jerry D'Amato, played by Paul Douglas. Mae and Jerry hit it off and niave Jerry is more smitten than Mae but she is practical enough to see a future with the large, gruff, fisherman. But Jerry makes the mistake of introducing Mae to his friend, the town's movie projectionist, Earl Pfeiffer, played by Robert Ryan. Earl is a cynic and not shy around Mae, not by a long shot. After a year, Mae and Jerry get married but Earl's wife leaves him and Mae hooks up with Earl for an extramarital affair.
Once again we are gently dunked into the pool of noirish despair, surrounded by the darkness of the bad choices made by the leading characters of this dark and disturbing film and struggling to get out of this terrible situation without doing anything to make evverything worse. Because of that, CLASH BY NIGHT may be one of Fritz Lang's least popular later films, despite the presence of the young Marilyn Monroe playing a young woman trying to learn about life from these somewhat less than admirable characters.
CLASH BY NIGHT is worth seeing if you are into noir, Fritz Lang, or feeling maybe a little TOO optimistic. Actually, despite its lack of popularity, CLASH BY NIGHT is a very good film and well worth seeing.
I give it Four Stars.