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IMDb > Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Bad Day at Black Rock
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Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

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User Rating: 7.9/10 (5,117 votes)
Photos (see all 16 | slideshow)
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
John Sturges
Writers:
Howard Breslin (story)
Don McGuire (adaptation)
(more)
Release Date:
7 January 1955 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Thriller | Western more
Tagline:
Suddenly you realize murder is at your elbow! - and there's no way out! more
Plot:
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 synopsis (warning! may contain spoilers)
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations more
User Comments:
A Classic more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Walter Beaver ... Franklin Krool (uncredited)
Billy Dix ... Ron Bentham (uncredited)
Robert Griffin ... Second Train Conductor (uncredited)
Harry Harvey ... First Train Conductor (uncredited)
Bobby Johnson ... Porter (uncredited)
Mickey Little ... T.J. (uncredited)
Francis McDonald ... Walt Murty Cafe Patron (uncredited)
K.L. Smith ... Sterling Lenard (uncredited)
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Directed by
John Sturges 
 
Writing credits
Howard Breslin (story "Bad Day at Hondo")

Don McGuire (adaptation)

Millard Kaufman (writer)

Produced by
Herman Hoffman .... associate producer
Dore Schary .... producer
 
Original Music by
André Previn 
 
Cinematography by
William C. Mellor 
 
Film Editing by
Newell P. Kimlin 
 
Art Direction by
Malcolm Brown 
Cedric Gibbons 
 
Set Decoration by
Fred M. MacLean  (as Fred MacLean)
Edwin B. Willis 
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Freeman .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller .... recording supervisor
 
Stunts
Danny Sands .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Alvord Eiseman .... color consultant
 
Crew verified as complete



Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Bad Day at Hondo (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
81 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Eastmancolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Western Electric Sound System) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)
MOVIEmeter: ?
^ 8% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In the original short story, MacReedy brandishes a Beretta and brags of his prowess with it, but in the movie, he uses judo - an idea meant to suggest that MacReedy is Japanese-American. more
Goofs:
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. more
Quotes:
Reno Smith: I believe a man is as big as what he's seeking. I believe you're a big man, Mr. Macreedy.
John J. Macreedy: Flattery will get you nowhere.
Reno Smith: Why would a man like you be looking for a lousy Jap farmer?
John J. Macreedy: Ohhh, dadgum, maybe I'm not so big.
Reno Smith: Oh yes you are. I believe a man is as big as what'll make him mad. Nobody around here seems big enough to get you mad.
John J. Macreedy: What makes you mad, Mr. Smith?
Reno Smith: Me? Nothing, nothing...
John J. Macreedy: Ah, you're a pretty big man yourself, then. Yet the... the Japanese make you mad, don't they?
Reno Smith: Well, that's different.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Crack II, El (1983) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
31 out of 34 people found the following comment useful:-
A Classic, 12 March 2004
9/10
Author: Lifor from Berkshire, UK

A film of rare economy, elegance and stillness. Pretentious as it may sound, there's a perfect balance of tension and space about this film. Not a word or scene or character is wasted or unnecessary.

The other reviewers here give a plot outline and performance details. Tracy dominates the picture, his black and white appearance setting out the clarity of his moral position. The other main presence in this classic picture is the silence. Sturges SHOWS us silence, and what denial can do to a community.

I'd just like to make a recommendation to those who think that great cinema need sound and action - watch Bad Day at Black Rock, and sink yourself into its opening emptiness and cut-to-the-bone story.

9/10

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PAN + SCAN DignanSWE
'concentration camp' mcconnel-1
The brother a gay character? jajw
Possible Spoiler-Macreedy's Real Plan joseph-reeves2
Fight Scene nightpike11
Most 'Oscars' represented in one film / scene ? jtcbrt
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