Bad Day at Black Rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bad Day at Black Rock
Movie poster for Bad Day at Black Rock
Directed by	John Sturges
Produced by	Dore Schary
Written by	Howard Breslin (story "Bad Day at Hondo") Don McGuire (adaptation) Millard Kaufman
Starring	Spencer Tracy Robert Ryan Anne Francis Dean Jagger Walter Brennan
Music by	André Previn
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release date(s)	January 7, 1955 (U.S. premiere)
Running time	81 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

Bad Day at Black Rock is a 1955 film which tells the story of a mysterious stranger who arrives at a tiny, isolated town in a desert of the southwest United States in search of a man. It stars Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin.

The movie was adapted by Don McGuire and Millard Kaufman from the story "Bad Day at Hondo" by Howard Breslin. It was directed by John Sturges.

This movie is particularly remembered for the powerhouse performance of Spencer Tracy as the stranger who comes to town and redefines the way the town was being run.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Spencer Tracy), Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay.

This is the first film released in Cinemascope by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

[edit] Plot

It's 1945, and John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy), an amputee, steps off the Southern Pacific train at the minuscule desert town of Black Rock while on his way to Los Angeles. It's the first time the train has stopped at Black Rock in four years; the little town has very few inhabitants and appears to be dying.

Macreedy asks the station manager where a man named Komoko lives. The nervous man claims not to know. Macreedy asks if there is a taxi service or some place he can rent a car; again, he's told that no transportation is available. Suspicious, Macreedy heads for the town's two-story, dusty hotel. The handsome young desk clerk, Pete Wirth (John Ericson), says all the rooms are full. He's none-too-subtly threatened by local tough Hector David (Lee Marvin). But Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), the town's leading citizen, tells Pete to give Macreedy a room. Smith also tells Macreedy that Komoko no longer lives in Black Rock, but was sent off to a Japanese internment camp four years ago.

Certain something is afoot, Macreedy goes to see the town sheriff, Tim Horn (Dean Jagger). But the sheriff is an alcoholic, and clearly afraid of Smith. Macreedy meets the town physician and undertaker, Doc Velie (Walter Brennan), who tells Macreedy he would be better off getting out of town immediately. Macreedy agrees. He returns to the hotel, only to learn that the train doesn't stop again until the next morning. Macreedy is stuck in Black Rock for the next 24 hours.

Macreedy speaks with Smith again, who lets slip that Komoko is dead. Macreedy notices the error. Smith attempts to put Macreedy at ease by telling him that Liz Wirth (Anne Francis), Pete's sister, runs a garage down the street and may rent a Jeep to him. Macreedy speaks with Liz, and finds her to be the only civil person in town.

Macreedy heads for Adobe Flats, the area near Black Rock where Komoko lived. He finds the homestead burned to the ground. He drops a rock into the well, which has plenty of water. He finds a patch of wildflowers growing in the dust, and picks one. While he is exploring the Komoko place, local tough and Smith flunky Coley Trimble (Ernest Borgnine) spies on Macreedy's movements from an outcrop.

Macreedy returns to town. Trimble attempts to run him off the road, but Macreedy is more able than he appears and is able to prevent an accident. Macreedy returns to town, where Trimble snarls that Macreedy is a dangerous driver and should watch his step.

Macreedy returns the Jeep to Liz. Smith drives up to fill his car with gasoline. In the film's most memorable scene, Macreedy and Smith banter words. Smith learns that Macreedy lost his arm fighting in World War II in Italy. He also learns that Macreedy found a grave on the Komoko homestead, which is why the wildflowers were growing there. He believes that Komoko is dead, and his body has been buried in an unmarked grave, a statement which scares Smith. Macreedy discovers that Smith is a racist who tried to enlist the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor but was rejected. Smith virulently hates the Japanese, and nearly loses his temper when Macreedy goads him into talking about Komoko.

Macreedy stops by Doc Velie's place. Macreedy tries to telephone for the state police. But Pete, the town telephone operator, refuses to put the call through — claiming all lines are busy. Macreedy is sure that his life is at risk. Doc Velie admits that something terrible happened in the town four years ago, but Smith has everyone too terrified to speak up. Macreedy castigates Doc Velie for his apathy and cowardice. But the doc has something up his sleeve: He shows Macreedy his hearse, and offers to let Macreedy have it so he can escape town. As the two men attempt to start the vehicle, Hector walks up, claims "it's the wiring," and rips the distributor cap and spark plug wires from the hearse's engine.

Macreedy heads for the train station, where he asks stationmaster to send a telegram to the state police. The terrified stationmaster agrees to do so.

Macreedy lunches at the town cafe, where he's watched by Hector. As he's eating, Smith and Trimble walk in. Trimble picks a fight with Macreedy, demanding first his stool and then pouring ketchup into his bowl of chili. Macreedy tells the men that he won't throw the first punch; he refuses to let them beat him to death and then claim self-defense. Trimble grabs Macreedy anyway. Macreedy fights back with several judo moves, eventually knocking Trimble unconscious.

Macreedy then warns Smith that he knows Smith killed Komoko. But, he says, Smith's mistake was being too cowardly to do it alone. He had to bring Hector, Pete and Coley Trimble into it, too. The town is too frightened to do anything about it now, Macreedy says. But in time, the noose will begin to tighten. One of the conspirators will crack, and then Smith will be taken down. Macreedy finds a switchblade knife on Trimble. He tosses the blade at Smith, who fumbles with it. Smith watches as Macreedy leaves the cafe.

Macreedy checks out of his room and decides to spend the night sitting in the hotel lobby, hoping that Smith and his men won't attack him in such a public place. Smith and his henchmen are already there. The railroad stationmaster brings in a telegram and attempts to give it to Smith, but Macreedy snatches it away. It's his own telegram, unsent. Doc Velie accuses the stationmaster of having committed a federal crime for interfering with the wire service. He demands that Sheriff Horn do something. Horn, finding some backbone, tried to confront Smith. But Smith announces that Horn is no longer sheriff, and gives the job to Hector. Hector tears up the telegram, and then all but accuses Macreedy of falsifying evidence of a crime. Smith and Hector leave.

Macreedy and the doc attempt to get Horn to enforce the law, but he refuses because he is afraid of Smith. The sheriff flees. Macreedy and the doc share a swig of whiskey. They finally notice Pete, who has been hanging around. Macreedy calls Pete a coward, and tells him that he's likely to be the first person killed when Smith starts to execute the eyewitnesses to his crime.

Pete breaks down, and tells Macreedy the truth about what happened in 1941. Komoko had come to town looking to lease some farmland. Smith let him have Adobe Flats, assuming there was no water there. But Komoko found water, which only enraged Smith. Smith tried but was unable to break the lease. After Smith was turned down for enlistment, he and the other three men spent the day drinking. They decided to kill Komoko. But the old man heard them coming, and barricaded himself inside his home. The men attempted to burn Komoko out. When the man fled his home, his clothes on fire, Smith shot him. The four then buried Komoko to hide his body, and intimidated the other townspeople into covering up their crime.

Doc Velie then demands to know why Macreedy is so adamant about finding Komoko. Macreedy tells Pete and Doc that Komoko had a son, and that son saved Macreedy's life in Italy. Macreedy was bringing the son's Purple Heart to his father. When Doc Velie presses Macreedy on why he was so stubborn about investigating Komoko's disappearance, Macreedy admits that he had given up on life. The loss of his arm had left him wallowing in self-pity and despair, and he was on his way to Los Angeles to find a boat to the South Pacific or South America — 'some place to get lost.' But the crime perpetrated against Komoko enraged Macreedy, and he has a purpose in life again: Bring the old Japanese man's murderers to justice.

Doc Velie then announces he has a plan to get Macreedy out of town.

That evening, Pete calls his sister and tells her to bring the Jeep over so that Macreedy can leave Black Rock. Pete then lures Hector into the hotel office, where Doc Velie knocks him unconscious with the metal tip of a fire hose. Macreedy climbs into the Jeep, and Liz drives the two of them out of town.

But Macreedy has been betrayed: Liz stops the Jeep in a canyon and flees. A car's headlights are turned on, blinding Macreedy. Up in the rocks, Smith begins firing shots at Macreedy, who hides behind the Jeep. Jubilant, Liz rushes to Smith's side, declaring that she did as he had asked. Macreedy warns her to run away, but she continues to run toward Smith. Smith tells Liz that she has to die, so that he can push her Jeep off a cliff and let both their bodies burn. It won't do to have just Macreedy die. Liz realizes too late that Smith is beginning to kill off his accomplices. She turns and runs, but Smith shoots her in the back.

During this confrontation, Macreedy finds a bottle by the side of the road. He scrambles under the Jeep, opens its fuel line and props the bottle under the opening. He tries to start the Jeep, forcing gasoline into the bottle. Smith, reloading his rifle, climbs down out of the rocks to kill Macreedy. Macreedy rips off his tie and tears out the cotton lining with his teeth. He stuffs the lining into the bottle, creating a Molotov cocktail. When Smith emerges from the rocks, Macreedy throws his bomb. It bursts on the rocks, splashing Smith with burning fuel. Smith drops his gun, rolling on the ground to put out the flames. As he lapses into unconsciousness, Macreedy stands over him.

As dawn breaks, Macreedy drives up to the town jail with the injured Smith and Liz's body. Doc Velie and Tim Horn rush out of the jail, shotguns at the ready. Macreedy tells them that Smith is injured. He enters the jail and tells Pete that Liz is dead. Hector David and Coley Trimble are in the jail, locked up tight.

Later that morning, Macreedy prepares to depart Black Rock. The town is overrun with state police, who are in the process of hauling Pete Wirth off to jail. Doc Velie tells Macreedy that he hopes Black Rock was dying as a town, but he hopes that it can survive now. Macreedy tells him that some towns just don't come back. The doc asks Macreedy if he can have the Purple Heart that should have been given to Komoko. 'It might help the town come back,' he says. Macreedy hands the medal over to him. The train conductor helps Macreedy aboard, declaring his surprise at making a stop. 'It's the first time in four years the train has stopped here.' 'Second!' Macreedy shouts, and the train pulls out.

[edit] Trivia

Nicholas Schenck, MGM's president at the time, nearly did not permit the picture to be made, because he felt the story was subversive.

The film's producer, Dore Schary, wanted Spencer Tracy as Macreedy. Concerned that Tracy might not agree, Schary ordered the script changed so that Macreedy was a one-armed man. He rightly concluded that no actor would turn down the chance to play a character with a handicap.

This was Spencer Tracy's last film for MGM. This was MGM's first motion picture to be filmed in Cinemascope.

Preview audiences reacted negatively to the film's original opening sequence. A new shot, showing the speeding train rushing at the camera, was created instead. The shot was taken from a helicopter as it flew away from the moving train. The film was run in reverse to create the opening shot.

Bad Day at Black Rock was nominated for three Academy Awards. Spencer Tracy was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role; John Sturges was nominated for Best Director; and Millard Kaufman was nominated for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

Actor Spencer Tracy won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955. Director John Sturges was nominated for a Palme d'Or for this film, but did not win.

[edit] External links

• Bad Day at Black Rock at the Internet Movie Database

John Sturges
1940s	The Man Who Dared | Shadowed | Alias Mr. Twilight | For the Love of Rusty | Keeper of the Bees | The Sign of the Ram | Best Man Wins | The Walking Hills
1950s	The Magnificent Yankee | The Capture | Mystery Street | Right Cross | Kind Lady | The People Against O'Hara | It's a Big Country (with Clarence Brown, Don Hartman, Richard Thorpe, Charles Vidor, Don Weis and William A. Wellman) | The Girl in White | Jeopardy | Fast Company | Escape from Fort Bravo | Bad Day at Black Rock | Underwater! | The Scarlet Coat | Backlash | Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | The Law and Jake Wade | The Old Man and the Sea | Last Train from Gun Hill | Never So Few
1960s	The Magnificent Seven | By Love Possessed | Sergeants 3 | A Girl Named Tamiko | The Great Escape | The Satan Bug | The Hallelujah Trail | Hour of the Gun | Ice Station Zebra | Marooned
1970s	Joe Kidd | Chino | McQ | The Eagle Has Landed