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)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorSpencer TracyNominated
Best DirectorJohn SturgesNominated
Best WritingMillard KaufmanNominated
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Bad Day at Black Rock BlogHub Articles:

Hidden Classics Blogathon – Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

By Carol Martinheira on May 18, 2021 From The Old Hollywood Garden

Hidden 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 Films

In 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 Movies

Bad 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 Films

Today, 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 Time

Bad 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 Bad Day at Black Rock

John J. MacReedy: You killed Komoko, Smith, and sooner or later, you're gonna go up for it. Not because you killed him, but because of thinking in a town like this you could get away with it.


Reno Smith: Look, Mr. MacReedy, there is a law in this county against shootin' dogs. But when I see a mad dog, I don't wait for him to bite me.


John J. Macreedy: Your friend's a very... argumentative fellow.
Reno Smith: Sort of unpredictable, too. Got a temper like a rattlesnake.
Coley Trimble: That's me all over. I'm half horse, half alligator. You mess with me and I'll kick a lung outta' ya'


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Facts about Bad Day at Black Rock

MGM's then president Nicholas Schenck was actively opposed to the film as he felt the storyline was subversive.
According to one biographer of Spencer Tracy, the script did not originally call for the lead character to be a one-armed man. The producers were keen to get Tracy but didn't think he'd be interested, so they gave the character this disability with the idea that no actor can resist playing a character with a physical impairment.
The sign behind the hotel desk is a quote from English evangelist John Wesley:"Do all the good you can,By all the means you can,In all the ways you can,In all the places you can,At all the times you can,To all the people you can,As long as ever you can."
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Best Actor Oscar 1955






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Also directed by John Sturges




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Also produced by Dore Schary




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Also released in 1955




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