particularly the baddies Ryan, Borgnine and Marvin.Spencer Tracy was deservedly nominated for the Best Actor Award but unfortunately for him 1955 was a very exceptional year with so many fine performances from other actors including Ernest Borgnine in "Marty" the winner , James Cagney in "Love Me Or Leave Me", James Dean in "East of Eden", and Frank Sinatra in "The Man With the Golden Arm". Tracy had in fact won the Best Actor Award twice before - for "Captains Courageous" in 1937 and for "Boys Town" in 1938 so his memorable screen acting had already been recognised by the Academy voters two years running.Tracy plays the mysterious John J. MacReedy who arrives at the small Western town of Black Rock causing suspicion and concern among the local residents who are hiding a dark secret which MacReedy eventually uncovers. Robert Ryan Reno Smith is the chief heavy well supported by his two menacing henchmen Ernest Borgnine Coley Trimble and Lee Marvin Hector David who are intent on getting rid of Tracy one way or another. Insults and intimidation seem to have no effect on Tracy who is determined to carry on with his one man investigation against all the odds. With the eventual help of Anne Francis Liz Wirth and Walter Brennan Doc Velie Tracy doggedly pursues his mission through the 24 hours period of the film. When threats and violence won't stop Tracy then Ryan has to resort to attempted murder leading to the dramatic climax.Some favourite lines:Tracy to Marvin : "I don't know why you're so interested but the name is MacReedy. It's all in the ledger".Borgnine to Tracy : "Well, if it's not MacReedy, the world's champion road hog".Walter Brennan to Tracy : "They're going to kill you with no hard feelings". Tracy: "And you're going to sit there and let 'em do it!".Train Conductor: "What's all the excitement? What happened?". Tracy: "A shooting". Train Conductor: "Thought it was something. First time this train line has stopped here in four years". Tracy: "Second time!". Last line in film ."Bad Day at Black Rock" is a superior high class thriller that deserves to be in anyone's "Top Ten" list of all time classic films. It's certainly in mine! 10/10. Clive Roberts.

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.

and action - watch Bad Day at Black Rock, and sink yourself into its opening emptiness and cut-to-the-bone story.9/10

whereabouts, he's stepped in one big festering pile and he's put himself in danger. What he does about it is the rest of the film.John Sturges keeps the tension going here worthy of an Alfred Hitchcock film. In fact if Hitchcock had ever decided to do a western and was presented with Bad Day at Black Rock, I doubt he could do it any better. Certain arty Hitchcock touches are missing, but the suspense is there. Sturges was in fact nominated for Best Director.As was Tracy nominated for Best Actor. He lost ironically to one of his fellow cast members Ernest Borgnine who copped the big prize for Marty. But in fact any one of the small cast could have been nominated. I'm not sure why chief villain Robert Ryan wasn't.A fews years later John Sturges directed another film The Law and Jake Wade about Robert Taylor being held prisoner by Richard Widmark and his gang. There was a lot of suspense there as well, similar to Bad Day at Black Rock, as to whether Taylor would escape his predicament.For a feature film in 1955 it is a rather short one, less than 90 minutes. But as Tracy said in another film, what there is is cherce.

cowardice of the residents of Black Rock. The camera work emphasizes the emptiness and isolation of Black Rock.

elements together. One of the things that I found interesting was that there were very few, if any, close-ups. Most of the shots could have been master shots. For me, this made me feel as though I were a by-stander in the room with the characters while they talked. A nice touch.As expected all of the performances are great. Tracy, Ryan, Brennan, and Jagger are all terrific. As are Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine two actors at the time who were about to break out, and become top-line stars .If you like classic westerns, and great acting, "Bad Day at Black Rock" will not disappoint.8 out of 10

unexpectedly to a place totally dominated by a local bad guy, Reno Smith and his lackeys. Smith rules over this little outpost of the West with a tight fist. The least he wants is Macreedy poking his nose in something he wants to keep a secret.Since Reno Smith practically "owns" the town, he names whoever he wants to be the sheriff, a mere figure. Smith knows immediately about the new arrival in town because it appears everyone works for him. Macreedy wants to visit a Japanese man, whose son has saved his life in the war, but unknown to him, he has been dead for quite some time.Macreedy seems to be a symbol of justice finally arriving to town. The only other man that is sympathetic to what Macreedy is trying to do is the veterinarian/mortician of the town, Doc Velie, who proves, at the end, he is up to task. Macreedy prevails in the end.The film is shot basically in long and medium shots, which in a way, it helps to diffuse most of the expressions of the actors in the movie. Cinemascope, with its elongated technique doesn't make things better, as most situations seem to disappear into the glorious backgrounds one sees. Mr. Sturges doesn't use close-ups in the film to accentuate some situations; they should have helped in getting the viewer more involved in the picture.Spencer Tracy does interesting work in the film. Mr. Tracy was fifty four years old when filming was done, but looks much older. Robert Ryan, an excellent actor is good as the evil Reno Smith. Walter Brennan plays Doc Velie with his usual charm. Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Dean Jagger and John Ericson are all effective under Mr. Sturges' command.

the arresting performances. Every time I see this film I am reminded of Spielberg's little known film "Duel" that had similar thrilling tension packed into less than 24 hours of screen time--a film I admire much more as good cinema than the recent box office outputs of Spielberg. Compare this film with Sturges' "The Magnificent Seven." Sturges like King Vidor, seemed to pick up stories to film that looked at the oppressed and tried to present a world that could be better. "The Magnificent Seven," like this film, had a predominantly male cast. It appealed to most viewers. And some could see a social and even a political layer beneath these films.What I find most appealing is the the ability of Sturges, Vidor, and the early unsung Spielberg's ability to use cinema to combine thrills, human values and craft in say 81 minutes as in this film. Spencer Tracy is not to be admired for the way he delivers his lines, but his body movements which remind you of majestic caged animal that can be deadly if provoked. Sturges brings to the fore evil in different ways--the dead buck strapped on the front of a vehicle, menace on empty roads by big vehicles used in "Duel" to great effect , evil women when you expect them to be good, laws used in illegal ways the hotel registration scene , etc. Sergio Leone made similar films in Europe--the famous spaghetti westerns--with laconic dialogues and emphasis on body movements and photographyIn spite of its flaws, it is a film Hollywood can be proud of. I only hope TV reruns show the film in its original cinemascope grandeur, which grabbed me the first time I saw it decades ago.