Dana and Tom with frequent guest, Kieran B. (Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast), discuss Bad Day at Black Rock (1955): directed by John Sturges, written by Millard Kaufman and John McGuire, music by Andre Previn, starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Ernest Borgnine, and Lee Marvin.
Plot Summary: In Bad Day at Black Rock, director John Sturges crafts a taut, sun-scorched thriller that unfolds with the precision of a coiled spring. When John J. Macreedy (Spencer Tracy), a stoic, one-armed stranger, arrives in a remote desert town, his quiet inquiries about a man named Komoko rattle the fragile veneer of its close-knit community. Suspicion and hostility mount as the town’s residents, led by the menacing Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), close ranks to protect a dark secret buried beneath the dusty, desolate landscape.
Guest:
Kieran B
- Host and Creator of the Best Picture Cast; @bestpicturecast on X, IG, Letterboxd - BPC, Letterboxd - Personal
- Previous Episodes: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1957), Lost in Translation (2003), Gran Torino (2008), Stalag 17 (1953), Shane (1953), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Revisit, 12 Angry Men (1957) Revisit, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Revisit, Saw (2004), Up in the Air (2009)
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to Kieran
02:35 Cast and Recognition for Bad Day at Black Rock
04:15 Relationship(s) with Bad Day at Black Rock
10:09 What is Bad Day at Black Rock About?
14:14 Is Historial Context Needed to Appreciate the Film?
22:04 Plot Summary for Bad Day at Black Rock
22:52 Did You Know?
26:08 What's Happening with Kieran B.
29:29 Other Kieran Questions
34:07 Best Performance(s)
45:29 Best/Favorite/Indelible Scene(s)
53:18 Second Break
54:27 In Memoriam
56:59 Best/Funniest Lines
01:00:17 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy
01:06:56 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance
01:14:01 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty
01:18:13 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness
01:25:07 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability
01:34:31 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total
01:35:46 Reevaluating Audience Scoring?
01:36:59 Remaining Questions
01:43:09 Thank You to Kieran B.
01:45:27 Kieran's Xmas Exchange Selection for Andrew, Sara, and Tom
01:47:41 Juror #2 Discussion
02:00:36 Remaining Final Thoughts
02:03:10 Credits
You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.
You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).
For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/bad-day-at-black-rock-1955-ft-kieran-b
For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list
Keywords:
Bad Day at Black Rock, Spencer Tracy, film analysis, classic cinema, movie themes, character performances, cinematic techniques, film legacy, Oscar nominations, film impact, audience reception, box office performance, originality, classic films, rewatchability, film discussion, movie analysis, film criticism
Ronny Duncan Studios
