Bad Day at Black Rock is a 1955 American neo-Western film noir directed by John Sturges with screenplay by Millard Kaufman. It stars Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan with support from Anne Francis, Dean Jagger, Walter Brennan, John Ericson, Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin. The film is a crime drama set in 1945 that contains elements of the revisionist Western genre. In the plot, a one-armed stranger (Tracy) comes to a small desert town and uncovers an evil secret that has corrupted the entire community.
The film is based on a short story called "Bad Time at Honda" by Howard Breslin, published by The American Magazine in January 1947. Filming began in July 1954, and the movie went on national release in January 1955. It was a box-office success and was nominated for three Academy Awards in 1956. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Directed by John Sturges
Screenplay by Millard Kaufman
Don McGuire (adaptation)
Based on "Bad Time at Honda"
1947 short story in The American Magazine
by Howard Breslin
Produced by Dore Schary
Starring Spencer Tracy
Robert Ryan
Anne Francis
Dean Jagger
Walter Brennan
John Ericson
Ernest Borgnine
Lee Marvin
Cinematography William C. Mellor
Edited by Newell P. Kimlin
Music by André Previn
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
January 7, 1955 (United States)
Running time 81 minutes
Country United States
Language English
This slide show I have put together commemorating the soundtrack, composer, and/or motion picture. The music is typically taken from the main titles, however, I may use other music if the main title is not suitable.
