Cast:
Spencer Tracy (John J. Macreedy), Robert Ryan (Reno Smith), Anne Francis (Liz Wirth), Dean Jagger (Sheriff Tim Horn), Walter Brennan (Doc Velie), John Ericson (Pete Wirth), Ernest Borgnine (Coley Trimble), Lee Marvin (Hector David), Russell Collins (Mr Hastings), and Walter Sande (Sam, the diner owner) Directed by John Sturges (#427 - The Magnificent Seven, #1395 - Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, #1412 - The Great Escape)
Review:
As one might expect, the genesis for the film came from a story adaptation. Howard Breslin had wrote a short story called "Bad Time at Honda" that was initially published by The American Magazine in 1947. Apparently, Don McGuire was sent to do a screenplay of the film with Joel McCrea in mind to star as an indie or MGM production. Somehow the progression of directors in mind went from George Sidney to Richard Brooks to the final choice, John Sturges (director of such previous films as Mystery Street [1950] and Kind Lady [1951]), while Millard Kaufman was hired by MGM to rewrite the script (both Kaufman and McGuire were credited for the script). Regardless of how old Spencer Tracy was at the time of filming (54), MGM (specifically Dore Schary, near the end of his little run in heading production there) got what they wanted with him as the lead, with the apparent drawing element being that he would be playing one-armed man (well that and apparently jumping at the film when he was told that they were considering Alan Ladd); it would end up being the last movie Tracy made for the studio. The movie was a general hit with audiences and earned its director, star, and writer Academy Award nominations.
For what we say about the past and what we say about present and the ever-unknown future, it is important sometimes to have a movie that reminds one of the times where people made profoundly stupid mistakes. The advent of World War II led to paranoia and probably one of the worst decisions made by an administration in wartime: forcible relocation and incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese descent that lasted for several years. Here we have a movie with a slow boil about what happens when people have gotten too comfortable with what they have done (or watched others do) and react to "outsiders" trying to pry things into the light. Sure, it is a crime drama movie, but there are those elements of the Western and noir present even within the vast scale that arises in CinemaScope with a particular setting that might make for a worthwhile pairing with say, High Noon (1952). With our "stranger" character that will arrive just as quickly as he will depart, how many movies have someone go up and compare them to a disease? (the answer is not too many, probably). But the tension and all-around terror that comes through here is a movie that is not afraid to simply let you broil with these crude people because you might recognize that at some point in time, they were as normal as you or me. Now they find that plugging one's ears to the drums of doubt is preferable more than anything, which is quite an unsettling thought, particularly since our one-armed lead is really just a man of the ordinary type of honor: being curious. In that sense, Tracy mines it for all it is worth, approaching folks with an unnerving sort of charm that has the audience watching with intent curiosity (mainly because when thinking of how one would do when thrust into the same spot, one probably has escape on their mind). One just sees a man when they see Tracy, with the whole one-armed thing not coming off as a gimmick and the age just seems to be a number, particularly when it comes to that one particular bar fight, which is an astounding one in its cut-rate efficiency. And then of course there is the cast around him*, who each excel in their own ways of unsettling nature. Ryan in particular is a devilishly terrific adversary, one with such an unsettling nature that comes with bubbling hatred that is quite unsettling to see in all of its layers, and the fact that he played so many hardened folks doesn't make it any less effective. Marvin and Borgnine make for quality heavies to see in the landscape, grim and worthy enough to match against Tracy, while Jagger and Ericson make for quality weak-willed people that are probably closer to reality than any of us would like to admit (i.e. folks who yield to what they see with their own eyes). Brennan closes it out with conviction in his wavering apathy. Regardless of what you might see coming from the film (look how many surprises can you think of for a movie in the 1950s), it still makes for a quality punch when it arrives at its departure point in all-around truth. In general, it is a tight 81-minute feature that manages to carefully reveal the unsettling qualities that arises in unchecked values in the name of "loyalty" that is startling in its effective execution with worthwhile presences and direction to steer it all together.
Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
*Incidentally, there is quite a load of talent of the movie that seems curious to mention. Tracy you probably already know as an Academy Award winner (twice), but you've also got a three-time winner with Brennan, future winners with Marvin and Borgnine (who won it in 1955 with Marty), a nominee with Ryan, and a previous winner with Jagger.
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