MovieChat Forums > Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) Discussion > Divulging information! Now that'll stop...

Divulging information! Now that'll stop 'em.

posted 8 years ago by disinterested_spectator
5 replies | jump to latest

After Macreedy realizes that Smith and the others plan to murder him as soon as it is nightfall, he decides to send a wire to the State Police. Later, when it becomes clear that Mr. Hastings never sent the wire, but gave it to Smith instead, Macreedy acts as if he has them over a barrel, because Hastings is guilty of “divulging information,” a federal offense.

What did he think, that Smith and his gang would realize they were caught and give themselves up to the police, hoping for leniency? Or, to put it differently, did it not occur to him that once he was dead, no one would know about Mr. Hastings’ minor infraction of the law?

[–] DontBogartMe 8 years ago

Did Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, and John Ericson know about it?

[–] disinterested_spectator 8 years ago

By “it,” I’m not sure whether you mean the fact that Hastings had not sent the telegram and gave it to Smith instead or the plan to kill Macreedy that night. If the former, everyone is in the hotel lobby when Hastings hands Smith the telegram. If the latter, Doc (Walter Brennan) had already told Macreedy about the plan to kill him that night; Pete (John Ericson), as one of the party that killed Kamoko, also knew what would happen that night; Tim (Dean Jagger) might not have known about it, but he probably knew that Macreedy was in danger.

[–] DontBogartMe 8 years ago

I was referring to your last sentence that "no one" would have known of the minor infraction of the law once Tracy was dead.

[–] disinterested_spectator 8 years ago

Oh, I see what you mean. I guess the idea was that Doc and Tim only suspected Kamoko had been murdered, and they would only suspect that Macreedy had been murdered, but the telegram would have been something definite that they could testify to. And since Smith killed Liz (Anne Francis), he probably planned to kill Tim and Doc too. Still, if I had been Macreedy, knowing the kind of men I was up against, I would not have gotten excited about that telegram.

[–] trippycheez 7 years ago

The scene is basically a test of the sheriff, to see if he'll stand up for anything, even flagrant law-breaking right before his eyes. And we see how useless the "law" is when the community decides not to uphold it -- when another man can just grab the badge and declare himself the sheriff. The town is essentially not part of the normal US anymore. It's broken away and gone rogue.