In this suspenseful film, Spencer Tracy stars as John J. Macreedy, a one-armed retired Army veteran who arrives in Black Rock, an isolated desert town in the American Southwest right after WWII; he is there to deliver a posthumous military medal to Komoko, the father of the man who saved Macreedy’s life during the war.
He immediately encounters suspicion and hostility from the townspeople – Black Rock is essentially ruled by rancher Reno Smith (Robert Ryan) along with his henchmen Hector (Lee Marvin) and Coley (Ernest Borgnine).
It soon becomes apparent that the town of Black Rock harbors a deep dark secret involving Komoko – The alcoholic sheriff (Dean Jagger) is of no help as he’s terrified of Smith. The undertaker/veterinarian (Walter Brennan) advises Macreedy to leave Black Rock as soon as possible but also informs him that Komoko is dead.
Visiting Komoko’s homestead in Adobe Flats, Macreedy finds it’s been burned to the ground but also that there are wildflowers growing, indicative of a buried body. When Macreedy tries to phone the state police, the hotel operator won’t put the call through. When he sends a telegram, the telegram is unsent. Since Macreedy arrived by train, he has no car to leave town; when he arrived, it was the first time in years that the train had stopped in Black Rock. How does he get out of this mess?
See Bad Day at Black Rock and find out!
Ernest Borgnine turns in a wonderful performance here as the mean thug/bully Coley.
The scene in the diner where he picks a fight with Spencer Tracy is terrific!
Lee Marvin is very effective as the menacing Hector, and,as usual, Robert Ryan and Tracy turn in sterling work.
A splendid film.
