MovieChat Forums > Clash by Night (1952) Discussion > tough chick

tough chick

posted 19 years ago by zygimantas
11 replies | jump to latest

hey, Stanwyck is cool - she plays the hardboiled "seen it all" chick well, her wit is razor sharp and she ALWAYS comes out on top in the repartee. Mae rivals any of Bogart's characters for shoot-from-the-hip glib comebacks.

[–] inoldhollywood 18 years ago

I think Stanwyck is at her best in this hot film!

[–] T-aerial 17 years ago

I think Stanwyck is at her best in this hot film!

I fully agree, however, why this film has such a low rating?

Beacause it's not 100% a "Noir", and more a "Drama"?
The 1-shots and the other camera-shots are excellent, Stanwyck shows her best performance; overall an excellent, underrated film.

[–] msilva7-1 16 years ago

YOU CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR BAD RATINGS IN HERE WHEN THERE ARE MILLIONS OF IDIOTS OUT THERE. YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. GO FIND SOME REAL PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS OF THIS FILM AND THEN MAKE YOUR CONCLUSION.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6095) 7 months ago

In December of 2023 it's a 7, which I think is about right. The second half is all right, but the first half is awfully slow to develop and we can see what's coming a mile away. Audiences today are a lot quicker and want things faster than they did in 1952.

[–] BlueGreen 17 years ago

It's as simple - or as complicated - as that. ;)
It's sexist, but very true to the era (so it's a good thing); and the actors do their best to avoid any unnecessary pathos or "sappiness", as it is usually called by the vulgo...;)

I wonder, too, why it has such a low rating.
I think it's one of the best American films of the era.

[–] AlanSquier 17 years ago

I sure would've expected a higher rating from the 45+ crowd.

I killed him for money and for a woman. I didn't get the money... and I didn't get the woman.

[–] [email protected] (1846) 10 months ago

A 45yr old 17 years ago was born in 1960. And as you can tell there are plenty of folks who refuse to watch films before they were born or even films from the decade they were born in.

[–] candries-1 17 years ago

Stanwyck is very sexy in this. The movie was excellent for the first 45 mins but then it dropped for me. I think it's rated only 7 because the ending became just a bit dramatic, no real resolve somehow. The acting was excellent from everybody but ultimately the story was meek for me.

[–] HoferPM-1 14 years ago

There's a lot of inuendo in this film. Barbara always at her best in these movies. Remember, 1952 had a hard time showing Barbara was bored with Jerry and liked a bit of the rough stuff from Robert Ryan who didn't know how to handle women and finally found a woman who liked the way he offered love, or should I say sex, In the end she realized the safe way was the best !!!!!!!! P.S. Marilyn Monroe was adorable and I loved her hairdo. Barbara Stanwyck had great arms, well defined. Loved this whole movie and saw it when I was a kid so I know it appeals to the over 50 crowd.

[–] HarlowMGM 13 years ago

I think this is Stanwyck's best 1950's film. What's really great about it is that it's one of the very few films of it's era that's a full-blooded sex melodrama with blatantly middle-aged stars. Stanwyck's Mae Doyle has clearly been around the block a few times and still has her passion and fire if not her youth and dreams. I think Barbara deserved an Oscar nomination for this but 1952 was a very tough year, the winner was Shirley Booth in COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA which was Stanwyck's personal alltime favorite film performance.

[–] Speeed (174) 4 years ago

The more movies I see Stanwyk in, the more I respect and admire her. I used to watch her on the TV show Big Valley when I was a kid and didn't think much of her.

But after seeing her in Double Indemnity, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, and then this one, I've grown to appreciate how sharp she is in every role she plays.

If there are any other movies you think I should check out with her in it, I'd love to hear them.