Bad Day At Black Rock (1955)

Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan,
Lee Marvin & Dean Jagger

'Bad Day at Black Rock' is a classic thriller movie made in 1955, directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Walter Brennan and Ann Francis. It has a Western backdrop and contains elements of both Westerns and film noir with its story of dark secrets from the past.

The story line of the film takes place over just 24 hours and the plot is very tightly constructed. The movie is exciting and expertly acted by a top class cast led by the wonderful Spencer Tracy. It received three Academy Award nominations - Tracy for Best Actor, John Sturges for Best Director, and Millard Kaufman for Best Screenplay - but lost out in all three categories to 'Marty'. Tracy's performance did win him the Best Actor Award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. The tension and drama of the movie are emphasised and reinforced by the compelling music, composed by Andre Previn.

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The action of the movie takes place just after the end of World War II and revolves round the sudden appearance of John J. Macreedy, a one-armed ex-army man, played by Spencer Tracy, in Black Rock, a remote California desert town. The townspeople resent his appearance although at first we do not know why. Director John Sturges slowly and cleverly notches up the tension and Tracy and the audience eventually learn the town's dark secret and the film reaches its exciting climax.

The film is very tightly constructed with no extraneous dialogue. The message on the surface is that one man of integrity, can, singlehandedly (quite literally) make a difference against laziness and complacency. It can also be seen as an allegory of the McCarthy era when many people in Hollywood were outed and blacklisted as communist sympathisers.

The cast is impressive. Apart from Tracy who had already won two Best Actor Oscars, Robert Ryan is excellent ... Reno Smith, the vicious king-pin of the town, well backed up by his menacing henchmen Ernest Borgnine (Coley Trimble) and a young Lee Marvin (Hector David). The 'good' elements are also well played by Anne Francis (Liz Wirth) and Walter Brennan (Doc Velie).

The combination of taut script, solid directing of a brilliant cast, powerful score and outstanding Cinemascope photography combine to elevate 'Bad Day at Black Rock' to a place among the classic films.