Bad Day at Black Rock

Bad Day at Black Rock follows Spencer Tracy’s John J. Macreedy as he arrives at the title locale looking to track down the father of an old war buddy, with problems ensuing as it becomes increasingly clear that the entire town is hiding a terrible secret involving that missing character. It’s a simple premise that’s employed to watchable yet fairly forgettable effect by John Sturges, and it’s clear that the movie’s most potent weapon is its undeniably impressive roster of performers – with Tracy’s stirring turn as the dogged protagonist matched by a stacked supporting cast that includes Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Lee Marvin, and Ernest Borgnine. (The latter, cast as a seriously menacing bully, is certainly a strong candidate for the film’s most valuable player.) The lackadaisical bent of Millard Kaufman’s screenplay tends to prevent the viewer from wholeheartedly embracing the material, however, and it’s apparent, too, that the narrative doesn’t really get going until Macreedy discovers just what happened to his friend’s father (ie too much of the movie’s first half revolves around the character’s less-than-engrossing investigation). Sturges’ emphasis on a handful of stirring stand-alone sequences goes a long way towards keeping things interesting throughout, while the fairly tense final stretch ensures that Bad Day at Black Rock ends on a palpably positive note – which confirms its place as a decent thriller that feels like it could (and should) have been a lot better.

**1/2 out of ****