Bad Day at Black Rock

Spencer Tracy stars in “Bad Day at Black Rock.”

John Macreedy (Spencer Tracy) is a man with one arm who arrives in the small town of Black Rock, a place seemingly in the middle of nowhere.  The town seems desolate and the reason for Macreedy’s visit is mysterious.

When Macreedy asks about a Japanese-American farmer who lived in the town, he hits a nerve.  Why?  And why is his every move being watched so closely? 

A suspenseful western drama, “Bad Day at Black Rock” tells a memorable story about the horrible consequences of hate crimes and how one crime can lead to another.

• Originally, the script for “Bad Day at Black Rock” did not have the Spencer Tracy character with only one arm.  In order to get Spencer Tracy to accept the part, the studio decided to change the script and make John Macreedy have a physical disability.  It obviously worked.

• “Bad Day at Black Rock”  is based on the short story, “Bad Time at Honda” by Howard Breslin that appeared in American Magazine in January, 1947.

• Portions of “Bad Day at Black Rock” were filmed on location in Lone Pine, California.

The director of this movie, John Sturges, also directed these other famous westerns: "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral", "Last Train from Gun Hill" , "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Hallelujah Trail."

• Spencer Tracy won the 1955 Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor.  “Bad Day at Black Rock” was also nominated for a Golden Palm Cannes Film Festival Award for director John Sturges.

• "Bad Day at Black Rock" was also nominated for three 1956 Academy Awards: Best Actor (Spencer Tracy), Best Director (John Sturges) and Best Writing (Millard Kaufman)