Clash by Night

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Clash by Night
Clash by Night DVD cover
Directed by	Fritz Lang
Produced by	Jerry Wald Norman Krasna
Written by	Clifford Odets (play) Alfred Hayes
Starring	Barbara Stanwyck Paul Douglas Robert Ryan Marilyn Monroe J. Carrol Naish Keith Andes
Music by	Roy Webb
Cinematography	Nicholas Musuraca
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Release date(s)	June 18, 1952 (U.S. release)
Running time	105 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Clash by Night is a 1952 black-and-white film noir/drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas and Robert Ryan, with an effective appearance by Marilyn Monroe. The movie was based on a play by Clifford Odets, adapted by writer Alfred Hayes. The play takes place in a coastal city, the movie in a fishing village. This was the first film in which Monroe was credited before the movie's title. During the shooting, the now famous naked calendar photos of Monroe surfaced and reporters hounded the actress during the filming of the movie. The film, including the long documentary-like fishing and canning opening scene, was shot at Cannery Row in Monterey, California. The film was directed by Fritz Lang.

[edit] Plot

Mae returns home to her small town after breaking up with a rich man. What follows is a love triangle between Mae (Stanwyck), fisherman Jerry (Douglas) and film projectionist Pfeiffer (Ryan), even though Mae and Jerry have a baby together.

Many critics consider Robert Ryan's role as an important entry in the film noir cycle. Ryan was chosen by director Fritz Lang due to Ryan's extensive acting work with the likes of Jean Renoir, Max Ophuls, Fred Zinnemann, Joseph Losey, Edward Dmytryk, and other film luminaries.

Stanwyck's role was one of the best of her career, establishing the actress as a force to be reckoned with. Director Peter Bogdanovich provided the commentary on the recently released DVD, and lauded Ryan as a "magnificent" actor.