Bad Day at Black Rock

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Bad Day at Black Rock

1955

1h 21m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

When John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy), a one-armed war veteran, arrives in the small desert town of Black Rock, he's not greeted warmly. Searching for a man named Komoko, Macreedy is met with disdain by virtually every local, including the resident thug, Hector David (Lee Marvin), and the imposing Reno Smith (Robert Ryan). As Macreedy's investigation deepens, hostility turns to violence -- and to imminent danger for the mysterious and inquisitive stranger.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

03/04/2014

This was an early CinemaScope film, and William Mellor frames it all beautifully. It's an outstanding thriller.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

09/23/2010

5/5

Fabulous 1955 Spencer Tracy story of prejudice.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

05/19/2010

4/5

John Sturges's macho B-picture is more brawn than brains...but what brawn!

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

6d

4/4

[It] neither makes excuses for America’s troubling history nor attempts to diminish what occurred at home during the war. Rather, it acknowledges and deplores America’s racism, and it yearns for the country to grow and learn from its troubling past.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Feb 2

4.5/5

A masterclass of thematic and narrative tension. But it's also one of Spencer Tracy's most recognizably human roles — a broken man strangely reinvigorated by a chance to win against mankind's rot at a scale smaller than the war he was powerless to stop.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

01/28/2024

10/10

The first thing that really impresses on the viewer of Black Rock is the unsettling level of menace.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Nov 21

Classic cast in a genuine classic film.

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Kyle M

Sep 19

Follows “The Ox-Box Incident” and precedes “High Plains Drifter”, John Sturges societally decodes prejudice with provocative injustice as the plot thickens in a captivating grip, all while Spencer Tracy in manageable representative form gives one of his best performances. (B+)

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Isaiah Y

@zayman2 Aug 26

Entertaining neo-western with a great performance by Spencer Tracy

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mark g

@Mark_Alan_G. Jul 3

You don't get a better cast than this. Tracy, Ryan, Marvin, Borgnine, all at the top of their games. Just a classic in every sense of the word. They don't make movies like this anymore.

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Douglas P

@bigsky59422 08/25/2024

I thought it would be a western. I just barely stayed away. Watching it again would be out of the question.

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A.L.Jude P

@judebd 05/30/2024

It was a rock-solid piece of work in 50's that still could not achieve in todays standards.

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John Sturges

Director

Spencer Tracy

John J. Macreedy

Robert Ryan

Reno Smith

Anne Francis

Liz Wirth

Lee Marvin

Hector David

Dean Jagger

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Synopsis

When John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy), a one-armed war veteran, arrives in the small desert town of Black Rock, he's not greeted warmly. Searching for a man named Komoko, Macreedy is met with disdain by virtually every local, including the resident thug, Hector David (Lee Marvin), and the imposing Reno Smith (Robert Ryan). As Macreedy's investigation deepens, hostility turns to violence -- and to imminent danger for the mysterious and inquisitive stranger.

Director: John Sturges
Producer: Dore Schary
Screenwriter: Millard Kaufman, Howard Breslin, Don McGuire
Distributor: Criterion Collection, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 7, 1955, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2008
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Mono, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track
Aspect Ratio: 70mm

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