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Bad Day at Black Rock
Bad Day at Black Rock
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Bad Day at Black Rock

Bad Day at Black Rock

1955
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 21m
A one handed stranger comes to a tiny town possessing a terrible past they want to keep secret, by violent means if necessary.

Directed by:

John Sturges

Screenwriter:

Howard Breslin, Don McGuire, Millard Kaufman

Starring:

Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, Anne Francis, Robert Ryan, Spencer Tracy, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, John Ericson, Russell Collins, Walter Sande, Billy Dix, Walter Beaver

Genres:

Drama, Suspense/Thriller

Country:

USA

Language:

English
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Bad Day at Black Rock

1955
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 21m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 66.57% from 799 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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magbMagb
Rated 17 Dec 2006
80
61st
This is a nice, short, well-made and very well acted movie, but I don't think it quite rises to greatness. It just didn't seem all that special to me. I certainly did enjoy the movie, though, and I can appreciate its brevity and focus.
Rated 17 Dec 2006
paxtonPaxton
Rated 20 Jan 2023
79
75th
There's a mystery on hand and Spencer Tracy is on the case. The townspeople won't lend a hand so he has to strongarm the details out of them and a lot of it ends up being secondhand information anyways. For awhile he's stumped, but eventually he singlehandedly solves the case. Honestly, you've got to hand it to him.
Rated 20 Jan 2023
kasperlKasperL
Rated 20 Dec 2011
80
86th
Western, film noir and social issue movie all pressed together and cut into one tight, well-acted little gem. Spencer's resolute one-armed stranger is a great character.
Rated 20 Dec 2011
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
84th
Robert Ryan makes a silly red cap fairly menacing. Historically significant movie for kung fu geeks, Spencer Tracy's "judo" is the earliest example of Asian martial arts in American film.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 20 Jul 2022
80
72nd
A film in ultra-wide CinemaScope depicting a delicate game of quiet upsmanship - the scenes of polite menace feel all too real. If you’ve ever driven through for a cup of coffee, you know hundreds of real towns still exist like this, pocked in desolation, decaying as much on the inside as they appear from without. It’s absolutely stacked with talent but it dances when Tracy destroys Borgnine with one gammy hand. The racist singe and Ryan’s menacing red hat aged spectacularly.
Rated 20 Jul 2022
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 12 Mar 2011
83
70th
Predictably fine film, with a first-rate all-star cast bringing a fine sense of style and gravitas to proceedings. Tracy is oddly cast as hard man with a past, but pulls it off well. Major detriment is Andre Previn's overstated, bombastic music score. Gotta love Borgnine when he goes into pain-in-the-arse mode! Beautifully shot, with very clever and effective use of CinemaScope (love the opening shot of the train pulling away from Tracy in the background.)
Rated 12 Mar 2011
bellamyrbellamyr
Rated 05 Dec 2010
80
60th
Less of a western and more of a light thriller but none the worse for that. Spencer Tracey is powerful in his characterisation, although the plot is fairly one dimensional. More of a short story/piece dragged out into a feature - not always successfully. Having said that the cinematography is excellent and the juxtaposition of the western with the bullet train opening is particularly pleasing
Rated 05 Dec 2010
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 12 Jul 2010
89
92nd
Superb photography and performances give the film a menacing tone that carries it screaming through its short runtime.
Rated 12 Jul 2010
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 24 Aug 2009
4
74th
A film most notable for its wonderfully realized sense of location, where archaic clashes with modern. Spencer Tracy strolls into a contemporary noir Wild West, cleverly working his way through a mystery that sullies an entire town. Tracy has great chemistry with Robert Ryan, who takes his typically vile disposition to the next level.
Rated 24 Aug 2009
redflagredflag
Rated 06 Apr 2023
90
56th
I respect the courage it took to make this film, but it just didn't seem to cohere as a story for me for some reason.
Rated 06 Apr 2023
troothTrooth
Rated 01 May 2015
65
39th
It's not particularly clever or anything, just a fairly straightforward thriller. If you're buying what it's selling, it'll be just fine.
Rated 01 May 2015
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 04 Dec 2013
7
58th
(2nd viewing) A small, tightly coiled spellbinder, backed up by a superbly realized setting -- a place whose terrible, mysterious past seems to have isolated the sparsely populated desert town from the rest of the world. It's hard to take an one-armed, ass-kicking Tracy seriously but his interaction with Black Rock's guilt-ridden population projects an easygoing, playfully jeering machismo. Not great IMHO but decidedly efficient.
Rated 04 Dec 2013
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 29 Jan 2010
84
60th
How weird . . . a martial arts movie from the '50's starring Spency Tracy. Robert Ryan--as usual--is a great bad guy.
Rated 29 Jan 2010
dean_franzDean Franz
Rated 07 Dec 2009
91
91st
Often overlooked entry in the small-town-that-holds-terrible-secrets films, tied in with some well handled social commentary about racism. It's chiefly notable for it's nasty, doom-laden atmosphere and uniformly fantastic performances. An added recommendation can be made for people who felt disappointed that Tracy never really got to kick anyones ass in Fury.
Rated 07 Dec 2009
joojooJooJoo
Rated 06 Oct 2008
5
81st
A great blend of noir and western themes with Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine & Walter Brennan all delivering commanding performance. Very little room to go wrong here.
Rated 06 Oct 2008
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 19 Dec 2006
85
84th
Very well-crafted bit of western/noir/drama, with a superb leading performance by Spencer Tracy.
Rated 19 Dec 2006
tonydaltonydal
Rated 02 Apr 2024
80
75th
Fun cast.
Rated 02 Apr 2024
obdurateObdurate
Rated 18 Aug 2022
75
54th
It doesn't waste any time, which is nice. It does a wonderful job of making you cheer for Macreedy while despising most of the people at Black Rock. The looming dread concerning what the people of this town will do to Macreedy is great. I just don't really think that it stuck the landing. It didn't give me the amount of satisfaction I needed... these guys had to face some consequences, I guess it lacked a little bit of oomph. It's close to being "great" on my scale but doesn't quite reach it.
Rated 18 Aug 2022
hombredemaizHombredeMaiz
Rated 06 Jul 2021
60
71st
A collection of some of the best actors of the time lift a slightly hokey screenplay to a classic with nuanced performances in this western-set film noir. Underneath the somewhat predictable melodrama is social commentary and allegory that comes through mostly because of the acting work. Mellor does some of his best work using the California desert location. John Sturges lets the actors perform and is repaid with a great.
Rated 06 Jul 2021
lintonmyroxylintonmyroxy
Rated 31 Dec 2020
84
45th
Poorly choreographed and implausible melee scenes and the looming mystery turns out be disappointing
Rated 31 Dec 2020
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 05 Dec 2020
80
78th
Sharp noirish Western where the town keeps a dark secret. The cast is amazing as this character study ramps up the tension. Interesting take, as normally we have a young gunfighter coming into these types of situations; Tracy convinces us that his older, maimed character can hold his own.
Rated 05 Dec 2020
mrarnmrarn
Rated 19 Jul 2020
75
93rd
Western-style story with great acting by a strong cast make "Bad Day at Blck Rock" a must-see classic movie.
Rated 19 Jul 2020
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 04 Apr 2019
85
83rd
Short and sweet, Bad Day at Black Rock is an all round great film with a great cast and script. Sturges takes his time building tension against the beautiful backdrop of the old West. The film is elevated by both its leads with Spencer playing an engrossing but simple protagonist against the menacing and ruthless Ryan. The social message of the film is also very well done and is important even today.
Rated 04 Apr 2019
kito1kito1
Rated 03 Jan 2019
60
47th
Fun little story. Not a lot is going on, but the protagonist is interesting.
Rated 03 Jan 2019
doyler29doyler29
Rated 02 Jan 2019
90
87th
It was common in the 40's and 50's to make westerns that were allegories for modern moral concerns ... this film goes one better and just sets the western in modern times. It's an almost perfect film. The casting is absolute perfection. The Cinemascope really highlights the emptiness and isolation of the location, which is highlighted by the minimal use of extras ... it often feels like only a half dozen people live in this town.
Rated 02 Jan 2019
nobletNoblet
Rated 02 Feb 2016
82
76th
Killer cast, tense, unique, barely 80 minutes long. I love this movie.
Rated 02 Feb 2016
dardandardan
Rated 25 Oct 2015
90
94th
The score could have used more subtlety and the source of Hector David's motivations (played by Lee Marvin), considering his alpha demeanor, is unclear. Might have been better if Hector and Smitty were brothers and the intention behind the one handed strangers visit was never known to truly become a message about modernization.
Rated 25 Oct 2015
macswellMacSwell
Rated 31 May 2015
85
87th
In this dark post-war western, a stranger in town tries to unravel a mystery involving a missing Japanese man. Despite its relative slowness, it's a taut and engaging thriller, suspenseful throughout and peaking with an exciting finale. Tracy is brilliant as the one-handed Macreedy, radiating authority at all times, and Ryan offers a memorably menacing performance as the town's unofficial leader.
Rated 31 May 2015
zipsterZipster
Rated 11 Aug 2014
85
68th
A hybrid between Western and noir, social problem film and sensationalistic exploitation film. It's also a hybrid between bare-bones action cinema and existential psychological drama. Each scene reaches a kind of synergy between two distinctly different genres at any given time. At the same time it's a sponge of earlier influences, it signals the groundwork for The Way of the Gun, Philip Baker Hall's Sydney character in Hard Eight and other similar contemporary works.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 18 May 2014
5
44th
On the surface it's a solid movie but the reveal isn't that interesting and it's missing one really great scene to elevate it to a great film. It fails to make you feel any sort of dread for Spencer Tracy which they spend most of the film trying to establish. With the opening scene with the train so hectic I was surprised at how bland and tame this movie was. Sturges hasn't impressed yet
Rated 18 May 2014
icarusIcarus
Rated 05 May 2014
75
49th
Spencer Tracy is pretty good at what he does here: deliver a distinctly good character without a shred of holier-than-thou attitude. In an important way, this character predates the "I don't know" investigative sensibility of Fargo's Marge Gunderson. The film has a pretty intriguing beginning, but suffers from a limp and obvious ending. It helps that the film gets there quickly, clocking in at a mere 82 minutes, while Marvin's henchman character provides a dark counter to Tracy's everyman.
Rated 05 May 2014
henrikHenrik
Rated 05 Jan 2014
85
90th
A rare gem commenting on one of the darkest, embarrassing and sadly seldom told chapters of post-war American history. Crisp cinemascope cinematography and top of the notch acting all around. Borgnine and Ryan has an immense physical presence, frightening and nasty.
Rated 05 Jan 2014
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 25 Nov 2013
85
92nd
Short and sweet, shot in spectacular cinerama!
Rated 25 Nov 2013
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 13 Jul 2013
50
12th
kasaba, yabanci, tren yolu üzerindeki kasaba, ikinci dünya savasi sonrasi, sir, gizem, yabancilara kötü davranan kasabali
Rated 13 Jul 2013
stradivariusStradivarius
Rated 01 Apr 2013
95
97th
Spencer Tracy turns a bare-bones character into one of the most compelling protagonists in cinema history, and the supporting cast aint too shabby neither.
Rated 01 Apr 2013
3drevelation3dRevelation
Rated 17 Dec 2012
75
62nd
Not bad, but not particularly exciting. It's not very long, but it doesn't really matter as you can kind of guess what has happened way before the ending. Tracy was mysterious and kicks ass at times, but for such an interesting premise I felt it could have been done better.
Rated 17 Dec 2012
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 17 Dec 2012
75
77th
Tightly-paced thriller with an amazing cast and stacks of tension. Spencer Tracy is a paragon of stoical resolve and determination, while Robert Ryan is also great as the chief antagonist. My only real complaint is that it's a bit heavy-handed with the moral message. Other than that, it's pretty cool.
Rated 17 Dec 2012
davidthomsonDavidThomson
Rated 09 Sep 2012
40
22nd
The only trouble is the complete absence of ambivalence or doubt and the clear-cut opposition of good and bad characters. The character in the small town are Hollywood types, not the kind of people who inhabit the hinterland. Truth to tell, the anti-Japanese racism in America during and after the war was more extensive than this clean-up operation suggests. So it's notable that while Bad Day at Black Rock was proffered as a radical political statement, it really offended no one.
Rated 09 Sep 2012
w00dyW00DY
Rated 30 Jul 2012
73
64th
An interesting combination of western, noir and martial arts. The screenplay is excellent and it's brought to life wonderfully well by a terrific cast.
Rated 30 Jul 2012
ratedarghratedargh
Rated 10 Jul 2012
85
75th
Great atmosphere, mostly strong performances and a fascinating story that gives just enough at each turn to keep you riveted. It's snack size too, so you can burn through it on a whim if you don't have much time. No filler.
Rated 10 Jul 2012
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 02 Jul 2012
95
93rd
One of my new favorite westerns. This one just crackles from start to finish. Three elements make it a classic, in my opinion: 1. The cast - how could you go wrong with Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Walter Brennan; 2. The setting - A fantastic location helps generate a lot of the film's success; 3. The cinematography - Cinemascope at its finest. This film is lean and mean and definitely not one to miss.
Rated 02 Jul 2012
xacviantxacviant
Rated 25 Jun 2012
82
56th
The viewer might well figure out the dark secret of Black Rock pretty early on, which suggests that the film's main issue is that of guilt and complicity. Its brevity (just 81 minutes) seems to cost it some depth that would really push it into the realm of greatness, but it has a good deal more to recommend it: fine acting from Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, and the rest, good early use of Cinemascope, a strong, sparingly-used Andre Previn score, John Sturges' direction, and a hard-hitting script.
Rated 25 Jun 2012
sebbysebby
Rated 05 Feb 2012
70
72nd
Stooped-over octogenarian Spencer Tracy is impossible to take seriously as any sort of "tough shoes." The addition of a subtracted hand helps some, but in the end the presence of Lee Marvin, notorious woman-fleecer and beater-upper of men, proves to be too much for the diminutive "star" to overcome. According to Borgnine's memoir, "Lafayette Pie-Face," Tracy insisted Marvin take his daily strength-naps two towns over out of fear that the sleeping Marvin would hypnotize him into becoming "a gay."
Rated 05 Feb 2012
mandymandy
Rated 23 Jan 2012
8
92nd
Worthy western style film which must have been very relevant for its time. Spencer Tracy is superb. Fantastic cinematography. Classic.
Rated 23 Jan 2012
clark_novaClark Nova
Rated 19 Sep 2011
85
54th
Don't get me wrong, I like Tracy, but there's no way he could take down Borgnine.
Rated 19 Sep 2011
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 21 May 2011
78
66th
a good movie that's a bit on the simple side, but tracy is awesome and it was played out pretty well. tracy's character had a hard boiled feel to him and that's what makes this stand out.
Rated 21 May 2011
pigletPiglet
Rated 24 Feb 2011
80
91st
A good story is pushed over the line to greatness by an excellent cast.
Rated 24 Feb 2011
hulothulot
Rated 20 Feb 2011
80
82nd
watched: 2011, 2018
Rated 20 Feb 2011
slantmagSlantMag
Rated 22 Jan 2011
35
90th
"Sturges laces his allegory with mounting tension." - Nick Schager
Rated 22 Jan 2011
joseywalesjoseywales
Rated 27 Aug 2010
81
88th
Great performances, great locations and a exhilarating and menacing atmosphere throughout.
Rated 27 Aug 2010
miss_jesusmiss jesus
Rated 09 Dec 2009
66
60th
It's a good premise, and it seems like it might have been great pulp fiction. But the film suffers from absolutely sparkless interaction between opposing forces. It seems as if the director was trying to achieve a sense the hopeless nihilism one can take on living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, and the restraint that these people are showing by tolerating Tracy's presence, but instead it seems like they just don't care very much.
Rated 09 Dec 2009
jazzalohaJazzaloha
Rated 22 Nov 2009
66
49th
M Night Shymalan type of movie.
Rated 22 Nov 2009
pompousasspompousass
Rated 11 Nov 2009
60
85th
Modern-day pulp Western, hard-boiled to suit the modern-day taste, concerning a one-armed war veteran (Spencer Tracy) bringing to light the deep dark secret of a sun-baked desert town. Director John Sturges's resourceful use of the then new Cinemascope format nicely captures the arid spaciousness and siesta atmosphere of the setting.
Rated 11 Nov 2009
derbarneyDer_Barney
Rated 03 Dec 2008
72
20th
Great premise, but weakly executed. The cat's kinda out of the bag after twenty minutes or so, and the movie just drags on towards an unspectacular ending from there on with few highlights in between (you gotta love Spencer Tracy "single-handedly" going all Chuck Norris on Ernest Borgnine's a*s, though. Whoopee!)
Rated 03 Dec 2008
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 02 Sep 2008
74
90th
Like a Priestley play; almost an abstraction.
Rated 02 Sep 2008
allisoncmallisoncm
Rated 26 Apr 2008
45
18th
eh
Rated 26 Apr 2008
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 02 Dec 2007
68
70th
A fine western with a good cast and several distinctive features: It takes place in 1945 right after WWII, has a bit of a noirish quality to it and its protagonist is deceptively non-confrontational at first. The ending was a bit of a letdown.
Rated 02 Dec 2007
monstergearMonsterGear
Rated 19 Oct 2007
83
74th
Suspenseful! It holds back the details for as long as possible, making it that much more gratifying and exciting when they are finally revealed. Spencer Tracy should have won an Academy Award for being such a badass.
Rated 19 Oct 2007
cinematicespCinematicESP
Rated 26 Sep 2007
87
77th
Tense and compelling. Withholds just the right amount of information to be fascinating.
Rated 26 Sep 2007
dtiDTI
Rated 25 Jul 2007
80
50th
Not bad, but I thought the most notable thing during my viewing was the "Presented in Fabulous Cinemascope" message which preceded a trailer for "Bad Day" on my VHS copy, followed by a "formatted to fit your TV screen" message before the actual movie. The trailer looked pretty amazing.
Rated 25 Jul 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 01 Mar 2007
50
35th
Classic.
Rated 01 Mar 2007

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