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      The Clay Pigeon

      1949 1h 3m Crime Drama List
      Reviews 38% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings After a long coma, Navy veteran and former POW Jim Fletcher (Bill Williams) finally comes to, only to learn that he's awaiting trial for murder and treason. Jim also suffers from amnesia, but he's sure that he's innocent, so he buys time by escaping the hospital. He then reaches out to Martha Gregory (Barbara Hale), the widow of his best friend from the service, whom Jim's been accused of killing. He convinces her he's not guilty, and the pair investigate Jim's past, with the law in hot pursuit. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Predictable story with an uninspired performance by the lead. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review dave j WWII vet Jim Fletcher (Bill Williams) finally comes out of a coma from the war veterans hospital, and just when he about to be charged for treason regarding ratting for food rations to fellow POW's. He then takes the liberty of escaping to exposing the actual culprits, with the help from Martha Gregory (Barbara Hale). Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member good WWII tale post WWII Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A while back when I reviewed The Crooked Way I remembered seeing this film and thought it was a superior Film Noir. Funny thing memory, upon tracking down a DVD copy I watched The Clay Pigeon and realized that it had a number of flaws in it as well. After World War II in a U.S. Navy hospital, Able Seaman Jim Fletcher comes out of a coma only to discover he is accused of treason and facing a court martial. Suffering from amnesia, the last thing he remembers was a beating from a sadistic guard in a Japanese POW camp, he escapes to the home of his best friend from the Navy only to discover from the man's widow, Martha Gregory (Barbara Hale) that he is accused of turning in a group of American POWs to the Japanese for stealing rations. With Naval Intelligence on his trail and all local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies given his description, Fetcher kidnaps Martha and tries to prove his innocence. Like many RKO Film Noir offerings, this film is short, well-paced, and looks great. There are sinister thugs chasing Fletcher and Martha who have something to do with a gang of chiselers in Los Angeles and that sinister Japanese prison guard shows up again in America, indicating that the real traitor is close at hand. The problem is, the real traitor is pretty obvious to the audience and should be obvious to a smart couple of amateur detectives like our protagonists. Its not a bad entry but from what I hear Somewhere in the Night is the ultimate amnesiac World War II veteran Film Noir and I am more intrigued since I hear that it inspired the Horror Noir Angel Heart.. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Clay Pigeon

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis After a long coma, Navy veteran and former POW Jim Fletcher (Bill Williams) finally comes to, only to learn that he's awaiting trial for murder and treason. Jim also suffers from amnesia, but he's sure that he's innocent, so he buys time by escaping the hospital. He then reaches out to Martha Gregory (Barbara Hale), the widow of his best friend from the service, whom Jim's been accused of killing. He convinces her he's not guilty, and the pair investigate Jim's past, with the law in hot pursuit.
      Director
      Richard Fleischer
      Production Co
      RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 3m