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Bad Day at Black Rock
One-armed war veteran John J. Macreedy steps off a train at the sleepy little town of Black Rock. Once there, he begins to unravel a web of lies, secrecy, and murder.
1955 · Directed by John Sturges · 81 min · Western · Drama · Crime · Mystery · Thriller · Screenplay in the scene database · 24 frames
Tagline
Just the way it happened!
Plot
In late 1945, one-armed John Macreedy gets off a train at Black Rock, an isolated California desert hamlet. The residents are suspicious, as this is the first time in four years that the express train has stopped at the flag stop station. After Macreedy inquires about a man named Komoko, several local men become hostile. Hastings, the telegraph agent, tells him there are no taxis; the hotel desk clerk, Pete Wirth, claims he has no vacant rooms; and Hector David threatens him. Later, Reno Smith, a powerful local rancher, informs Macreedy that Komoko, a Japanese-American, was interned during World War II.
The alcoholic sheriff, Tim Horn, is no help locating Komoko. Doc Velie, the veterinarian and undertaker, advises Macreedy to leave town immediately, but lets slip that Komoko is dead. Liz Wirth, Pete's sister, rents a Jeep to Macreedy. Driving to nearby Adobe Flat, Macreedy finds a homestead burned to the ground and wildflowers growing in the field. On the drive back, Coley Trimble tries to run Macreedy off the road. Macreedy tries to leave town, but Liz refuses to rent him the Jeep again, having been confronted by Smith.
Asked by Smith about his missing left arm, Macreedy says he lost it fighting in Italy. Macreedy suggests that the wildflowers at the Komoko place indicate a body is buried there. Smith reveals that he is virulently anti-Japanese; he tried to enlist in the Marine Corps the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor but failed the Marines' physical examination.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Millard Kaufman
- Cinematography: William C. Mellor
- Edited by: Newell P. Kimlin
- Music: André Previn
- Produced by: Dore Schary
Cast
- Spencer Tracy as John J. Macreedy
- Robert Ryan as Reno Smith
- Walter Brennan as Doc T.R. Velie Jr.
- Lee Marvin as Hector David
- Dean Jagger as Tim Horn
- Anne Francis as Liz Wirth
- John Ericson as Pete Wirth
- Ernest Borgnine as Coley Trimble
- Russell Collins as Mr. Hastings
- Walter Sande as Sam
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Budget: $1,271,000
- Box office: $3,788,000
- Themes: film noir, murder, racism, desert, based on short story, post world war ii, southwestern u.s., one armed man, japanese american, 1940s
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