Directed by John Sturges • 1955 • United States
Starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Anne Francis
Ace genre craftsman John Sturges directs Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan in this taut western noir. Tracy is the one-armed war veteran John J. Macreedy, who arrives in the remote desert outpost of Black Rock in search of a Japanese American man. As the mysterious Macreedy’s presence in the town stirs up hostility and suspicion among the locals, he becomes increasingly convinced that they may be covering up a dark secret. The striking CinemaScope compositions, expertly handled action (witness Tracy’s karate technique), and impassioned antiracist message come together in one of the finest and most morally courageous thrillers of the 1950s.
Up Next in Noir
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Homicide
Directed by David Mamet • 1991 • United States
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The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
Directed by John Cassavetes • 1976 • United States
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The Hit
Directed by Stephen Frears • 1984 • United Kingdom
Starring Terence Stamp, John Hurt, Tim RothTerence Stamp is Willie, a gangster’s henchman turned “supergrass” (informer) trying to live in peaceful hiding in a remote Spanish village. Sun-dappled bliss turns to nerve-racking suspense, however, ...
