Clash by Night

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Clash by Night

1952

1h 45m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

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16 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

After being away for 10 years, Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) returns to her California hometown following an affair with a married politician, which came to an end when he died and his relatives sued for her inheritance. Mae begins dating Jerry (Paul Douglas), an amiable fisherman, while his bitter best friend, Earl (Robert Ryan), a cynic married to a burlesque dancer, finds himself attracted to her. Mae and Jerry marry, but soon she gets bored and starts an affair with just-divorced Earl.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Clifford Odets' Clash by Night, presented on Broadway over a decade earlier, reaches the screen in a rather aimless drama of lust and passion.

Mar 26, 2009

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

The Clifford Odets screenplay seems to have roused the realist in director Fritz Lang: the backwater atmosphere is as authentic as it is oppressive.

Feb 9, 2007

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Tony Rayns

Time Out

A very Langian picture of the dangerous undercurrents in emotional relationships, excellently acted by the three principals.

Jun 24, 2006

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Fairly engrossing until its weak-kneed and unconvincing conclusion.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 17, 2023

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Nell Dodson Russell

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Clash by Night is the kind of dramatic corn that housewives sick of washing diapers and wiping noses will love because it will send them home to the old man with the feeling that if Stanwyck can put up with such a dope, so can they.

Dec 16, 2021

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Tony Sloman

Radio Times

What is surprising is that this inexpensive RKO melodrama is from once revered migr director Fritz Lang, who fails to disguise the inherent dullness of the original material or to mask the obvious studio backdrops and poor matching front projection.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 15, 2014

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Bill B

Dull. I was drawn into watching this because of Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe and Fritz Lang. Turned it off before it ended; the characters alternated between obnoxious and boring. I had no interest to see their ultimate fate.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/24

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Matthew R

Barbara Stanwyck KILLS it, per usual! Marilyn Monroe is quite a standout in her supporting role!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

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Steve D

One of our greatest actresses meets one of our worst. Gives me whiplash but it is interesting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/24/23

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david f

This movie threatened to become dark a few times when a drifter sister comes back to her small fishing-industry hometown, marries her brother's boss, a simple fisherman who's burdened with having to support his doddering father and alcoholic uncle, then gets flirty with her new husband's offensively strange film projectionist friend. Marilyn Monroe is beginning to shine here in a small role of the girlfriend of the brother who stayed in the small town while her sister went off for a while. At times the film is romantically torrid, at other times, quite conservative. The latter happens right at the Hollywood Happy Ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

The artistic Fritz Lang (directed Metropolis and M) directs the 1952 film Clash by Night starring Academy Award nominee Barbara Stanwyck. Sounds like a good movie but sadly I was left disappointed. Clash by Night was not that good because of the lazy writing in my opinion and honestly the movie would of been probably better if Fritz Lang took control of the screenplay. Is it one of the worst movies ever made? Definitely not. Is it one of the most disappointing films ever made (where one gave it high expectations before even seeing it)? Definitely is. I'm truly disappointed.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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deke p

1952! Lots actual scenes of 1952 MONTEREY (California) Wharf & CANNERY ROW. For that alone I live it. All star cast. MARILYN MONROE, Robert Ryan, Stanwyk. Other than that it was a soap opera. I've seen it a time or two, including late night TV 7.8.2021

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Fritz Lang

Director

Barbara Stanwyck

Mae Doyle D'Amato

Paul Douglas

Jerry D'Amato

Robert Ryan

Earl Pfeiffer

Marilyn Monroe

Peggy

J. Carrol Naish

Uncle Vince

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Synopsis

After being away for 10 years, Mae Doyle (Barbara Stanwyck) returns to her California hometown following an affair with a married politician, which came to an end when he died and his relatives sued for her inheritance. Mae begins dating Jerry (Paul Douglas), an amiable fisherman, while his bitter best friend, Earl (Robert Ryan), a cynic married to a burlesque dancer, finds himself attracted to her. Mae and Jerry marry, but soon she gets bored and starts an affair with just-divorced Earl.

Director: Fritz Lang
Producer: Harriet Parsons
Screenwriter: Alfred Hayes
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 45m

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