actors are not playing at Ms. Markell's level, the focus on Mae's hollowed-out life is all the more intense. Some of the best moments in Clash by Night, in fact, occur as Ms. Markell stands on the porch, a remote figure commenting on the folly of her existence. Titles The Matthew Arnold poem has been a source for numerous titles, including Norman Mailer's The Armies of the Night and Clifford Irving's On a Darkling Plain. The 1964 British film Clash by Night carries an identical title, but it is a different story, not based on Odets play. Footnotes External links "Preserving television for future viewers" by Jake Ayres. Daily Bruin, May 30, 2007. 1941 plays Broadway plays Plays by Clifford Odets American plays adapted into films Films set in New York City Staten Island in fiction