Welcome to Hard Times

Welcome to Hard Times (1967)

Genres - Western, Action, Adventure  |   Sub-Genres - Revisionist Western  |   Release Date - May 1, 1967 (USA - Unknown)  |   Run Time - 105 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Michael Betzold

Long before he scored with the epic Ragtime, novelist E.L. Doctorow wrote a minor novel upon which this stark 1967 film is based. It was adapted for the screen by veteran western director Burt Kennedy. In a forlorn town called Hard Times in the Old West, a cowardly mayor, Will Blue (Henry Fonda), does little to protect the citizens from the rampages of a ruthless criminal known as The Man from Bodie (Aldo Ray). The cold-blooded killer gets away with murder -- and then he burns down the town as he leaves. The citizens rebuild, and a newcomer named Zar (Keenan Wynn) injects some life into the desolate place by opening a saloon that attracts a bevy of interesting women, including Molly Riordan (Janice Rule) and Adah (Janice Paige). However, things again look bleak when The Man from Bodie returns to town.

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Moods

Keywords

arson, bad-guy, bar [pub], burn, cowboy, espionage, evil, fear, good-guy, killing, mayor, outlaw [Western], rebuilding, return, sheriff, shoot-out, small-town, survivor, town, west, hardships, ray [beam], time