Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

A one handed stranger comes to a tiny town possessing a terrible past they want to keep secret, by violent means if necessary.

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Millard Kaufman (screen play), Don McGuire (adaptation),

Stars:

Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Spencer Tracy	...	John J. Macreedy
Robert Ryan	...	Reno Smith
Anne Francis	...	Liz Wirth
Dean Jagger	...	Tim Horn
Walter Brennan	...	Doc Velie
John Ericson	...	Pete Wirth
Ernest Borgnine	...	Coley Trimble
Lee Marvin	...	Hector David
Russell Collins	...	Mr. Hastings
Walter Sande	...	Sam
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Walter Beaver	...	Cafe Lounger (unconfirmed)
Billy Dix	...	Cafe Lounger (unconfirmed)
Mickey Little	...	Cafe Lounger (unconfirmed)
K.L. Smith	...	Cafe Lounger (unconfirmed)

Storyline

From the time John J. Macreedy steps off the train in Black Rock, he feels a chill from the local residents. The town is only a speck on the map and few if any strangers ever come to the place. Macreedy himself is tight-lipped about the purpose of his trip and he finds that the hotel refuses him a room, the local garage refuses to rent him a car and the sheriff is a useless drunkard. It's apparent that the locals have something to hide but when he finally tells them that he is there to speak to a Japanese-American farmer named Kamoko, he touches a nerve so sensitive that he will spend the next 24 hours fighting for his life.

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Plot Keywords:

train | japanese american | secret | sheriff | stranger | 

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Taglines:

M-G-M's SUSPENSE STORY OF THE YEAR! (original print ad - mostly caps)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 January 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bad Day at Hondo

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Western Electric Sound System) 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

MGM's president Nicholas Schenck was actively opposed to the film, as he felt the storyline was subversive.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Reno Smith: You don't know anything about Komoko, now do you, Tim?
Sheriff Tim Horn: I do not. That's the point.
Reno Smith: The point is, what you don't know won't hurt you.
Sheriff Tim Horn: Maybe there's something that I ought to know. Maybe there's something that I ought to ask you, before the stranger comes back here and starts breathing down my neck.
Reno Smith: Tim, you're just a lost ball in the high weeds! I told you a long time ago, nothing happened for you to worry about.
Sheriff Tim Horn: Thing is, I do worry. Maybe I ain't much else, but I'm sure a worrier. And I'm ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Teenagers from Outer Space (1992)

User Reviews

Powerhouse Cast in Taut Drama

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.