CLASH BY NIGHT

SYNOPSIS: A woman desperate to find her place in the world, settles for a man she doesn't love and a life she doesn't want, for a place to call home. Her decision to leave her husband for another man brings about disasterous results.

BOTTOM LINE: CLASH is a volatile melodrama anchored by Stanwyck's unyielding turn as a cynical woman who tries to settle for the life of a happy homemaker, but is unable to be content with the simple roles of wife and mother. Mae returns to the small fishing town where she grew up because she no longer has any options. Her plans to make it in the big city never amount to much, so she's forced to come home, much to the resentment of her younger brother (Andes) and the excitement of his girlfriend (Monroe), who wants to be like Mae. Her sophisticated ways quickly catch the eye of two local men – Jerry (Douglas), an honest, hard-working fisherman and Earl (Ryan), a smart aleck with too much ambition and brains for this town. Desperate for a safe existence, Mae agrees to marry Jerry, even though she doesn't love him. His life seems complete upon the birth of their daughter, however, Mae's restlessness and secret passion for something better, namely Earl, brings nothing but trouble to their quiet family life. This is a look at the darker side of love and the dangers of making major life choices for the wrong reasons. Only when threatened with the loss of her daughter does Mae realize how good her life was. Emotions run high in this bitter tale where love almost wins out in the end. A powerful, yet relentlessly dark flick uplifted by good performances.