Product Details

• Actors: Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan
• Directors: John Sturges
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: August 6, 1996
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304111347
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,062 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #4 in

  Video > Westerns > Western Directors > John Sturges

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

One of the first Hollywood films to deal openly with white racism toward Japanese Americans during World War II, this drama directed by 1950s action maestro John Sturges (The Great Escape) stars Spencer Tracy as a one-armed stranger named MacReedy, who arrives in the tiny town of Black Rock on a hot day in 1945. Seeking a hotel room and the whereabouts of an ethnic Japanese farmer named Komoko, MacReedy runs smack into a wall of hostility that escalates into serious threats. In time it becomes apparent that Komoko has been murdered by a local, racist chieftain, Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), who also plans on dispensing with MacReedy. Tracy's hero is forced to fight his way past Smith's goons (among them Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin) and sundry allies (Anne Francis) to keep alive, setting the stage for memorable suspense crisply orchestrated by Sturges. Casting is the film's principal strength, however: Tracy, the indispensable icon of integrity, and Ryan, the indispensable noir image of spiritual blight, are as creatively unlikely a pairing as Sturges's shotgun marriage of Yul Brynner and Steve McQueen in The Magnificent Seven. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All star cast in gripping thriller directed by John Sturges, December 26, 2000

By	C. Roberts "movie buff" (Halifax, Yorkshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"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.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tight, Well-Constructed Thriller About Justice, June 29, 2005

By	C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bad Day at Black Rock (DVD)

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

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid "Rock", May 19, 2005

By	David Baldwin (Philadelphia,PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bad Day at Black Rock (DVD)

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.