Customer Reviews

Bad Day at Black Rock [VHS]

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Bad Day at Black Rock" is a riveting suspense thriller with several memorable performances from a first rate cast. Spencer Tracy (in one of his best roles) excels as John J. MacReedy who is in Black Rock to take a medal to the father of one of his wartime colleagues now that the war is over. He encounters unexpected resentment and hostility from some of the residents, in particular from Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin who make a trio of formidable villains. When threats and intimidation have no effect on Tracy (who doggedly continues to pursue his investigations) the three then resort to violence. Also in the impressive cast are Anne Francis, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, John Ericson and Russell Collins. With the help of Brennan and Francis and after surmounting many obstacles Tracy eventually gets the upper hand bringing the film to its exciting climax.

Some favourite lines from the film:

Spencer Tracy (to train conductor): "Oh, I'll only be here for 24 hours". Train conductor: "In a place like this that could be a lifetime!".

Russell Collins (to Spencer Tracy): "Important? It's the first time the streamliner has stopped here in four years".

Tracy (to Ernest Borgnine): "You're not only wrong - you're wrong at the top of your voice!".

Dean Jagger (to Tracy): "This ain't no information bureau".

John Ericson (to Tracy): "If you're in such a hurry you should have never got off here". Tracy: "I'm inclined to agree with you".

A brilliant and satisfying film expertly directed by John Sturges who later went on to make other classics including "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape". Sturges was fortunate in having such a remarkably good cast - Borgnine and Marvin in particular were excellent as Robert Ryan's menacing henchmen and Spencer Tracy was at his peak in one of his most powerful and demanding roles ever. He was in fact nominated as Best Actor for his performance in this film but was beaten by Ernest Borgnine for "Marty".

"Bad Day at Black Rock" is a tense and captivating film with the action taking place over a tight time period of just 24 hours.

This is a thrilling suspense film from start to finish. Though set apparently in post World War II Arizona the film has the feel of a traditional western. One could draw parallels to another classic western, "High Noon", in that the film's protagonist MacCreedy (Spencer Tracy) is confronted with sociopathic bullies and has difficulty enlisting the aid of the few people of good will in Black Rock. Whereas "High Noon" was considered a metaphor for McCarthyism, "Bad Day at Black Rock" tackles the theme of racism, in this case the prejudice that was prevalent at the time against Americans of Japanese descent. John Sturges crafts such an effective tale that you don't feel you are being preached to. Tracy is solid as the one-armed inquisitor. The supporting cast is all first-rate with Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, and Lee Marvin especially good as the creepy heavies. Great Technicolor and tremendous use of widescreen on display here. Andre Previn contributes an effective score.

It's very satisfying to see a relatively small movie that was made efficiently by pros become so widely liked and respected. It's got just about everything...a gripping story that carries a message, vivid characters but a small cast, a dangerous setting, the plight of a brave loner on the side of justice who beats the odds. And it doesn't have dumb things...an extraneous love story, outraged citizens who meet in a church, excessive violence, time spent on flashbacks. It was a long wait for this one to come out on DVD, but it was worth it.

Among many elements I admire are the three character actors: Russell Collins as the weak, cowardly telegraph agent, Dean Jagger as the played-out sheriff (his humiliation at the hands of Robert Ryan is unpleasant), and, most of all, Walter Brennan as the doctor who tries to push things but isn't dumb enough to push too hard. I think this was one of Brennan's last, really good roles before he turned himself into the toothless old coot or cackling grampa of his later films. In his prime, he was a fine actor. And for vicious bullies I don't think anyone has topped Lee Marvin and Ernest Bognine in their roles. I'd even eat my catsup without any chili at all to avoid a confrontation with these guys.

I have a lot of respect for Robert Ryan but find it sad that, despite a number of opportunities, he never was able to break into the top rank of stardom. Maybe he didn't really want that. Maybe he was too willing to play bad guys. Maybe he lacked some element of charisma or just ambition. He was a fine actor and, from reports, a nice guy.

The DVD transfer is excellent

A nattily dressed one-armed man arrives in a small southwestern town and brings to light a dark, dirty secret the townspeople thought they had buried years ago.
The man is John Macreedy (Spencer Tracy), and what he's doing in Black Rock is slowly - very slowly - revealed. That presents a challenge for someone trying to write about the movie for someone who hasn't seen it. If ever a movie should be watched with an empty bucket of information it's BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. Suffice it to say that many of the townspeople are less than thrilled to see the man-in-black stranger, and his soon-to-be chief nemesis, Reno Smith (Robert Ryan) makes it his business to see that the town's dirty past stays buried, by whatever means possible.
There's a lot more character interaction than straight out action in BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. If Ryan's Reno represents an absolute evil, he's abetted by the corrupt (Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin, in particular), the apathetic (town doc Walter Brennan), and the used-up (town sheriff Dean Jagger.) Things change, though, and the ground upon which personal relationships are based tends to shift. Those who could abide the town's evil secret find their position less tenable the longer Macreedy sticks around, and BAD DAY takes great delight in chronicling the changes. As usual, Ryan is just right as the thoughtful bad guy. It's hard to find a movie Ryan was ever miscast in. The Macreedy role plays to Tracy's strength - in particular his ability to project moral righteousness without sermonizing.
Besides a trailer, the dvd carries a commentary track by film historian Dana Polan. I jotted down three of his comments, more or less at random: "This movie asks the question `what is the western in the modern age?'" "The movie shows that towns are tight knit communities that contain secrets," and "This movie is about fallen characters who are learning how to find redemption." Polan's approach isn't among my favorites for a commentary track. Tying themes and motifs in a particular movie to major trends in films in general is a legitimate way to go about things, but it gets a little wearying after a while. Overall, though, a strong recommendation for this one.

Director John Sturges' "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1955) is the flip side of "High Noon," with one-armed Spencer Tracy defying a corrupt desert town and its ugly secret. A landmark drama that improves with age - beautifully filmed in Cinemascope and highlighted by a powerhouse cast. Tracy and Robert Ryan, in particular, have rarely been better. One of the all-time greats.

Spencer Tracy as the mysterious man in black. What is he doing in a small middle of nowhere desert town? It's film noir in color! It's absolutely fascinating and when it's ended, one has to see it over again because it's almost a perfect movie. There are no wasted shots. And the music score by Andre Previn is a perfect compliment to this widescreen thriller. It has Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, and Robert Ryan at their nastiest!! It's great!!

Spencer Tracy delivers yet another outstanding performance in this under-rated sleeper. He is mesmerizing as the one-armed MacReady, ably supported by the devious Robert Ryan and Ernest Borgnine, in a role rivaling his vicious "Fatso" characterization in From Here to Eternity.

However, the original cinemascope format does not translate well in this version and a wide-screen format is necessary to do justice to the film. In many scenes, one or more of the actors are cut out entirely from the frame which is irritating and distracting. In several moments, we hear Tracy's voice but he is nowhere to be seen on screen because of the limitations of a TV screen format.

It's good to see this film finally getting the recognition it deserves for an excellent script (years ahead of its time) and a stellar performance by the inimitable Spencer Tracy.

"Bad Day at Black Rock", Spencer Tracy's final film at MGM (he would refuse to do "Tribute to a Bad Man", next, and was released), is a fitting climax to 20 years of unforgettable performances. The first MGM Cinemascope production, directed by John Sturges (one of the most gifted directors of the 50s and 60s), with an incredible cast of Oscar winners and future Oscar winners (Want to have some fun? Count the number of Oscars appearing in each scene...I came up with EIGHT, once!), all held together by Tracy, at the peak of his acting skills.

The story is deceptively simple; In the post-war West, a one-armed war vet (Tracy), arrives in a tiny desert town, asking to see a local Japanese farmer...the locals (a collection of aging, careworn townspeople and a ruthless gang of bullies, working for 'boss' Robert Ryan) act strangely, and do everything they can to force Tracy to leave. He gets suspicious, and starts asking questions...and a tragedy of bigotry and murder unfolds, kept secret by the fear of Ryan and his gang.

Ultimately, the story becomes a struggle between Good (crippled Tracy, whose integrity won't let him quit, and whose disability doesn't lessen his power) and Evil (arrogant Ryan, eaten up by racism and bitterness over being rejected for service, and more 'crippled' than Tracy was), and of Redemption (for the townspeople, who allowed Evil to flourish, out of fear and apathy, and now have a chance to make amends and 'do the right thing') set against beautiful, if barren widescreen vistas of a parched, dying desert community.

If this sounds too 'intellectual' for your tastes, enjoy the story as a rip-roaring suspense drama...it works, either way!

Featuring fabulous supporting performances by Walter Brennan (in one of his best roles of the decade), Dean Jagger, Russell Collins, young John Ericson and Anne Francis, and, most especially, frequent co-stars Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin (who were Hollywood's best 'Badmen' of the 50s, yet would each win Oscars playing 'Good Guys'!)

Robert Ryan, who never won an Oscar (but SHOULD have), is riveting, oozing total malevolence behind a genial smile; his gas station scene with Tracy is about as great as movie acting ever gets, with both actors burning up the screen!

What more needs to be said?

I loved this movie and had waited for the dvd to finally come available. It is clear and a wonderful copy of the first reel that ran in the movie houses. The action is strong and never dull and ofcourse the actors are some of the greatest in Hollywood at that time. I don't believe the movie is based on a true life fact , however it could have happened and that is what I liked about it. It is easy to put yourself in Macreedy's {Spencer Tracy} position and then ask yourself "what would I do". It is a class A movie in every detail. I watch it offen . Hope you enjoy it as well. Wiley

One of the best suspense films ever, tension builds from very first scene. The inimitable Spence is backed by sterling support from Walter Brennan, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, Dean Jagger, and a young Lee Marvin. Don't miss that fight in the diner.