Hard Times

"New Orleans, 1933. In those days words didn't say much."

1975 1h 33m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 250

DramaActionCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the depression, Chaney, a strong silent streetfighter, joins with Speed, a promoter of no-holds-barred street boxing bouts. They go to New Orleans where Speed borrows money to set up fights for Chaney, but Speed gambles away any winnings.

“New Orleans, 1933. In those days words didn't say much.”

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Cast

Charles Bronson
Chaney
James Coburn
Spencer "Speed" Weed
Jill Ireland
Lucy Simpson
Strother Martin
Poe
Margaret Blye
Gayleen Schoonover
Michael McGuire
Gandil
Felice Orlandi
Le Beau
Edward Walsh
Pettibon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Walter Hill
Writers: Walter Hill, Bruce Henstell, Bryan Gindoff
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

51 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Walter Hill, shot by Philip H. Lathrop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Barry De Vorzon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roger Spottiswoode shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Bronson and James Coburn and Jill Ireland carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "New Orleans, 1933. In those days words didn't say much.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0073092 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Walter Hill directs. Philip H. Lathrop behind the camera. Barry De Vorzon scores. Roger Spottiswoode cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.7M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
251 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Walter Hill, shot by Philip H. Lathrop. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Barry De Vorzon. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Roger Spottiswoode shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charles Bronson and James Coburn and Jill Ireland carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "New Orleans, 1933. In those days words didn't say much.".
8IMDB entry: tt0073092 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 16 themes, including "martial arts", "sports", "bare knuckle boxing", "gangster".
10Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Philip H. Lathrop
Original score: Barry De Vorzon
Editing: Roger Spottiswoode
Costume design: Jack Bear
Makeup / hair: Joe Torrenueva
Sound: Arthur Piantadosi
Stunt coordinator: Max Kleven
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $2,700,000
Box office: $5,000,000
Return: 185% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Hard Times (1975)

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Walter Hill

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What people are saying

ky19582017-02-20
Another great Walter Hill film with a strong cast. Bronson, Coburn, and Martin are all favorites of mine. A depression-era street fighter hooks up with a compulsive gambler and a morphine addict. I've watched it multiple times over it's 40 plus year life. It's worth your time...
John Chard2019-05-30
★ 8/10
You're not going to do it for free. Hard Times sees Charles Bronson play Chaney, a drifter who travels to Louisiana during the Great Depression and begins competing in illegal bare-knuckled boxing matches that are set up by his new found partner Spencer 'Speed' Weed (James Coburn). Directed by Walter Hill on his directorial debut & produced by Lawrence Gordon, the film also stars Jill Ireland, Strother Martin, Margaret Blye, Michael McGuire & Robert Tessier. Hard Times, if you pardon the pun, pulls no punches, it's tightly scripted (Walter Hill in conjunction with Bryan Gindoff & Bruce Henstell) and thankfully doesn't get moralistic and didactic on the depression and hard times era in general. This features tough men earning a living, the respect is there, but it is brutal, with the violence on show very effective. It may be too strong for some, but Hill has pulled it together astutely to make sure we know these are masters of their craft during a very troubling time in history. It is by definition, an honest living for our pugilists. The bitterness that is here is reserved for those outside of the fight floor, as Chaney observes a bear in a cage as it roars in almost anguish, that whole scene then says so much without Bronson's Chaney actually uttering anything. To which it sounds weird to call Hard Times an evocative period piece, but it is. The locations are perfect for the story unfolding, kind of acting as a rich counter point to the violence played out amongst the men. The land worth fighting for perhaps? Tough and with no little bite, the film benefits from having Bronson as the lead. Yes, Coburn takes the honours for acting gravitas, but Bronson keeps Chaney enigmatically interesting. Chaney is loyal and has the potential for love. We know next to nothing about him, but such is the restraint that Bronson shows in the portrayal, we are grateful to not have had back story filler to bog the story down. This is about this point in a man's journey and in particular the next phase of that journey, one which we, thanks to Bronson, are personally involved with. It's a great understated performance from Mr. Buchinsky. Jill Ireland too is excellent with a touching performance as the down-and-out girl who captures Chaney's attention, while Strother Martin is ever reliable as a dope addict forced to work unlicensed as a medic who Speed has brought in as Chaney's cuts and bruises guy. A smashing and undervalued 70s movie that takes this part of history and refuses to entertain by basking in histrionics and parable's for the masses. Blood, brains and brawn cloaked in an evocative cloud of hope. 8/10

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