rodrig58 I saw "Hard Times" several times as a child, as an adult, each time with great pleasure. It can be seen any time, in "hard times" or in happier times, never gets old. Because it has four aces: Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Strother Martin and director Walter Hill. There's also Jill Ireland, true life's partner of Charles Bronson, they were together also in "Cold Sweat"(1970), "Someone Behind the Door"(1971), "The Valachi Papers"(1972), "The Mechanic"(1972), "Chino"(1973), "Breakout"(1975), "Breakheart Pass"(1975), "From Noon Till Three"(1976), "Love and Bullets"(1979), "Death Wish II"(1982), "Assassination"(1987). Plus two unique faces, Robert Tessier (who appeared with Bronson in "Breakheart Pass") and Nick Dimitri, another favorite of director Walter Hill. Good music and highest level picture signed by Philip H. Lathrop. Editing provided by Roger Spottiswoode, who would become a great director himself ("Under Fire"(1983), "Air America"(1990), "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"(1992), "Tomorrow Never Dies"(1997).

classicsoncall This makes three times now I've seen Charles Bronson portray a boxer. Each of those times occurred roughly a decade apart in his career, the first one going back to a 1952 episode of 'The Roy Rogers Show' if you can believe it, in a story titled 'Knockout'. Then in 1961, he appeared in an episode of 'One Step Beyond' as an American boxer in London during the Second World War, that story was 'The Last Round'. It was in that show that Bronson appeared the most muscular, almost as if he was using steroids at the time, though I have no way of knowing that. In "Hard Times", Bronson appears to have slimmed back down somewhat, though still looking formidable for his age of fifty four at the time.Bronson and James Coburn make a good pair, two iconic actors who made their most impressive marks in the Seventies. I like the kind of character Bronson gets to play here, a loner type who calls his own shots with integrity and supreme self confidence. It's that 'take it or leave it' attitude that makes him both antagonistic and endearing at the same time. The first time I heard (back in the day) that he was married to actress Jill Ireland I didn't know what to make of it, but with the hindsight of years gone by I believe I get the chemistry now.With quite a bit of positive reviews here, I can't say that I found the film to be all that compelling or riveting as some suggest. It's a pretty standard story of getting by during the hard times of the Depression era with the single talent one might possess, be it Speed's (Coburn) con-man finesse or Chaney's (Bronson) fists. I'm not sure why Strother Martin's Poe character was even needed here. Unless I missed it, I don't think he ever served his purpose as a cut man in Chaney's corner.One thing I'd do if I had a say so would be to reverse the opponents that promoter Gandil (Michael McGuire) had for Chaney to go up against. Street (Nick Dimitri) didn't particularly impress in size or ruggedness to wind up in Gandil's stable for the final match against Chaney. I would have saved the brawler Jim Henry (Robert Tessier) for that contest, especially after putting holes in a wall with his head as football brute Shokner in "The Longest Yard" made the year before. He was just that much more intimidating than any other fighter in the story.

SnoopyStyle Set during the great depression, Chaney (Charles Bronson) is a quiet drifter who joins fight manager Speed (James Coburn) in an underground no rules fights. They are joined by cut man Poe (Strother Martin). In New Orleans, Chaney has an affair with Lucy Simpson (Jill Ireland). They confront promoter Chick Gandil (Michael McGuire) and his unbeatable fight champ.The story is very bare bones. It is Walter Hill's directorial debut. The strong silent acting from Bronson works well as a solo act. He has difficulties developing chemistry with Coburn or Ireland. In the end, it is the fights that are so much fun. It is an early depiction of MMA where kicks are used. The boxing parts are still the old standard of pre-Rocky. However when kicks, head butting, and other things are added. The fights ascend to a whole other level.

Simon Harris Walter Hill has a way of stripping action movies down to the bare minimum, both in terms of dialogue and story. There is hardly a story here at all. Broke drifter rides the rails into depression era New Orleans, and starts winning his way through the local bare knuckle boxing community. Simple. In Hill's hands, it's a masterpiece, and a large part of that is down to Bronson who was such an all encompassing screen presence. Bronson was 54 when this was filmed, but physically he looked about thirty, and he carried the fight scenes off with a certain style that even stands up today. His fight with Jim Henry (Tessier)is equally as good as the final battle with Street, and there are a several other good set piece fights as well as these two. Coburn deserves a mention as his wheeler dealer opportunistic fixer, and he steals a few of the non fight scenes, but Strother Martin as the opium addicted cut man, Poe, is equally deserving of praise "You are not, Mr Chaney, what Speed unfortunately refers to as a bleeder". Bronson moves through the film with a reserved laconic nonchalance in the non action scenes, but comes to life when he starts throwing punches. There's some funny and quotable dialogue, a scene where some less than sporting southern redneck gentlemen are given their come-uppance at Chaney's hands, and a no frills ending that makes you wish there was a Streetfighter II. But that would have spoiled things. Watching this is a great way to spend an evening, and this could be Charles Bronson's finest hour.