Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Director:

John Sturges

Writers:

Millard Kaufman (screenplay)
Don McGuire (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

7 January 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Western

Tagline:

Suddenly you realize murder is at your elbow! - and there's no way out!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Train | Stranger | Secret | 1945 | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

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	...	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)

Directed by
John Sturges

Writing credits
Millard Kaufman		(screenplay)
Don McGuire		(adaptation)
Howard Breslin		(story "Bad Time at Honda")

Produced by
Herman Hoffman	....	associate producer
Dore Schary	....	producer

Original Music by
André Previn

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor		(director of photography)

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

Music Department
Leo Arnaud	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
André Previn	....	conductor (uncredited)
André Previn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (France) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1964) (USA) (TV) (first airing)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  package design

Also Known As:

Bad Day at Hondo (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

81 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (1955) (cut) | UK:PG (1993) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #17154)

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious stunt driver for Spencer Tracy during the chase with Coley.

Quotes:

Reno Smith: She must have strained every muscle in her head to get so stupid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Truth or Consequences (#7.1)" (2009)

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.