Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 23-August-09
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Black Rock is a town of maybe half a dozen buildings and a couple dozen men deep in the American West. As John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) discovers, it is neither accustomed nor amenable to strangers. Within minutes of his arrival — the train's first stop there in years — Macreedy is given a cold eye and the third degree by most of the natives, from the surly hotel clerk (John Ericson) to the drunken sheriff (Dean Jagger). Remote settlements are prone to xenophobia, but Black Rock takes suspicion to new heights. The small town plainly harbors a big secret.

Bad Day at Black Rock is a modern western that bristles with psychological tension. The sparseness of the backdrop complements a story in which every word and action has a sharp point (usually dire but occasionally humorous). The personal errand that brought Macreedy to town is quickly replaced by the simple goal of surviving. He is accosted by rednecks (Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine) but the real menace is Smith (Robert Ryan), the alpha dog whom the other curs follow. Smith is a bigot who missed his chance to blow off steam in World War II, and a contest of courage and cunning develops between him and the outsider.

Although Macreedy is a one-armed veteran past his prime, Tracy quashes all doubts about his mettle even before the fanciful scene in which he wins a barroom brawl. His trademark look of sagacity is well suited to the role and his overall performance, like all the others in the film, is top notch. Where Macreedy cannot use force he uses his wits trying to rouse the guilt or conscience of people who might help him. The lone woman (Anne Francis) is a hard nut to crack, but he finds an ally in the doctor (Walter Brennan) who is tired of being a mute witness. After several scrapes the truth emerges and the showdown arrives. While Macreedy does not accomplish what he came to Black Rock to do, he does effect a change in the town that reflects well upon himself.

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