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Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
7 January 1955 (USA) moreTagline:
Suddenly you realize murder is at your elbow! - and there's no way out! morePlot:
A one handed stranger comes to a tiny town possessing a terrible past they want to keep secret, by violent means if necessary. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations moreUser Comments:
Powerhouse Cast in Taut Drama moreCast
(Complete credited cast)| Spencer Tracy | ... | John J. Macreedy | |
| Robert Ryan | ... | Reno Smith | |
| Anne Francis | ... | Liz Wirth | |
| Dean Jagger | ... | Sheriff Tim Horn | |
| Walter Brennan | ... | Doc T.R. Velie Jr. | |
| John Ericson | ... | Pete Wirth | |
| Ernest Borgnine | ... | Coley Trimble | |
| Lee Marvin | ... | Hector David | |
| Russell Collins | ... | Mr. Hastings, Telegrapher | |
| Walter Sande | ... | Sam, Cafe Proprietor |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
81 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Color (Eastmancolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Western Electric Sound System) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)Certification:
West Germany:12 (f) | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #17154)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
According to one biographer of Spencer Tracy, the script did not originally call for the lead character to be a one-armed man. The producers were keen to get Tracy but didn't think he'd be interested, so they gave the character this disability with the idea that no actor can resist playing a character with a physical impairment. moreGoofs:
Miscellaneous: As the train approaches the town, the horn blows twice, which is the signal for starting up. The mandatory signal for a grade crossing (long, long, short, long) is never blown, although one clearly exists. When the train departs, the conductor makes a confused hand signal to the engineer resembling the horizontal motion that means "stop" rather than the vertical motion that means "go". The engineer never responds with the "long, long" starting signal. moreQuotes:
Pete Wirth: Let's wait and see. There's no danger yet.Reno Smith: No danger yet? This guy is like a carrier of smallpox! Since he arrived, this town has a fever... an infection. And it's spreading!
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Spencer Tracy heads a great cast in this much-admired drama that takes place in the west. It's a rare treat to see Tracy and Robert Ryan in the same film, with scenes together. Two truly top-notch veterans, with exemplary career acting achievements.
The tight script, solid directing (by John Sturges), a powerful score (by Andre Previn) and outstanding Cinemascope photography combine to elevate "Bad Day at Black Rock" to a place among the great films.
One really cannot fully apprecitate this film on a regular size pan-and-scan screen, and even the letterboxed version doesn't adequately convey the impact of its original Cinemascope moviehouse presentation. One only can try today to imagine the original. Yet, a fine film can overcome format, and "Bad Day" still packs a whopper punch.