Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) | |
| Director(s) | John Sturges |
| Producer(s) | Herman Hoffman (associate), Dore Schary |
| Top Genres | Crime, Drama, Film Adaptation, Mystery, Thriller/Suspense, Western |
| Top Topics | Book-Based |
Featured Cast:
Bad Day at Black Rock Overview:
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) was a Drama - Mystery Film directed by John Sturges and produced by Dore Schary and Herman Hoffman.
SYNOPSIS
A taut suspense story that seems to be always teetering on the edge of explosive violence. Tracy commands attention as a one-armed man who tames the ruffians who run roughshod over a weatherbeaten desert town. In the process, he uncovers the town's secrets and fulfills a promise made to the man who saved his life. A powerful, influential film. Based on Howard Breslin's novel.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
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Academy Awards 1955 --- Ceremony Number 28 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Actor | Spencer Tracy | Nominated |
| Best Director | John Sturges | Nominated |
| Best Writing | Millard Kaufman | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
Hidden Classics Blogathon – Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
By Carol Martinheira on May 18, 2021 From The Old Hollywood GardenHidden Classics Blogathon – Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) On May 18, 2021May 18, 2021 By CarolIn Uncategorized The Spring Blogathon at the Classic Movie Blog Association is here and this year, our lovely hosts decided to go with Hidden Classics ? movies not ev... Read full article
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955): Spencer Tracy and Small-Town Bigotry
By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 10, 2019 From 4 Star FilmsIn its theatrical cut, Bad Day at Black Rock opens furiously, charging forward with the momentum of a freight train as the credits roll and Andre Previn’s score thrashes in the film’s most manic moment. From thenceforward, its greatest strength is restraint. The whole town cowers around ... Read full article
Warner Archive Blu-ray: Spencer Tracy Fights a Whole Town in Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
By KC on Feb 15, 2017 From Classic MoviesBad Day at Black Rock opens with a startling long shot of a train shooting through the desert like an angry centipede. There is a feeling of recklessness to the image, as if the hurtling Streamliner could go off the rails from the aggression of its momentum. From that first jarring moment, there is ... Read full article
New on Blu Ray: Bad Day at Black Rock
By Amanda Garrett on Jan 27, 2017 From Old Hollywood FilmsToday, I'm reviewing Warner Archive's new Blu ray release of Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), starring Spencer Tracy. Here's what you need to know about Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), which was just released on Blu ray by the good folks at Warner Archive. The Director: John Sturges. The... Read full article
Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
By Beatrice on Feb 12, 2016 From Flickers in TimeBad Day at Black Rock Directed by John Sturges Written by Millard Kaufman and Don McGuire based on a story by Howard Breslin 1955/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Repeat viewing/Netflix rental #287 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Reno Smith: He was a Jap, wasn’t he? This is an excellen... Read full article
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Quotes from
Pete Wirth: Let's wait and see. There's no danger yet.
Reno Smith: No danger yet? This guy is like a carrier of smallpox! Since he arrived, this town has a fever... an infection. And it's spreading!
Liz Wirth: What do you care? What do you care about Black Rock?
John J. Macreedy: I don't care anything about Black Rock. Only it just seems to me that there aren't many towns like this in America. But... one town like it is enough. And because I think something kind of bad happened here, Miss Wirth, something I can't quite seem to find a handle to.
Liz Wirth: You don't know what you're talking about.
John J. Macreedy: Well, I know this much. The rule of law has left here, and the guerrillas have taken over.
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Facts about
The opening shot with the train was added after preview audiences did not like the original version. The sequence was created by filming with a helicopter flying away from the train and running the film backwards. (Source - audio commentary by John Sturges on Criterion laserdisc.)
The script called for Tracy's character to light matches one-handed. Tracy had difficulty with this and convinced the director to let him use a Zippo lighter, as every veteran he ever met had one.
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