Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

A one-armed 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

japanese american | stranger | town with a secret | world war two veteran | post world war two | 

---

Taglines:

They're going to kill you...with no hard feelings!

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller | Western

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 May 1955 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Bad Day at Hondo

Filming Locations:

Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,271,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,966,000, 31 December 1955

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,788,000, 31 December 1955

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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 (Eastman Color)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Spencer Tracy's last film for MGM, with the exception of How the West Was Won (1962), for which Tracy supplied the narration.

---

Goofs

After the chase when Tracy is driving the Jeep he arrives in town with a very dusty suit coat. Walking to the garage his coat is clean with no dust.

---

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 ...
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in ER: The Right Thing (1996)

User Reviews

" It isn't just that a man is dead, it's the fact , no one seems to care "

Spencer Tracy had a wonderful gift for the theater, his on screen persona was often able to offer audiences quality entertainment. Regardless of the many characters, Tracy's talent always shown through and became memories for his many fans. Here is one exceptional example. The movie, Directed by John Sturges, is called " Bad Day at Black Rock. " It relates the story of John Macreedy, (Spencer Tracy) a U.S. Army veteran who decides to visit the town of Black Rock, the hometown of a Japanese friend killed during the war. However upon arrival, he is greeted with suspicion, resentment and apathy. The longer he stays, the more questions he has to ask. Unfortunately, everyone he questions has been told not to talk to him. Led by Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), others are intimated not to co-operate with the stranger, The exceptional cast includes Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine, Anne Francis and Lee Marvin. Though the vast scenic desert, surrounds this forgotten town, it nevertheless allows the foreboding atmosphere to commit itself to a linger secret which prevails and haunts the towns folks. An excellent film for a time when true drama could fit well into a pleasant afternoon. ****