Welcome to Hard Times
Welcome to Hard Times turns a small-town victim to a vicious killer known as The Man from Bodie (Aldo Ray) who has an insatiable taste for terrorizing the weak. And weak they are as he murders the only two men in town who stand up to him. Many townspeople flee in the wake of Bodie’s maniacal spree, killing and raping at will before setting fire to several buildings on his way out of town.
Will Blue (Henry Fonda) is one among those who stay. He convinces his woman, Molly to stay and help him care for a young boy whose father faced the mad man. She agrees, though she is disappointed Blue did not stand up to Bodie. They both know the man will come back. Molly is consumed by a desire for vengeance. She pleads with drifter, gun hand Leo Jenks (Warren Oates) to face the man when he returns. She even buys young Jimmy a shotgun.
Now if you are expecting a reprise of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, forget it. The film ends with the return of Bodie who kills Jenks. Blue finds enough backbone to shoot Bodie. When he shows the dying villain to Molly, Bodie grabs her. Jimmy touches off a shot gun blast that kills Bodie, mortally wounding Molly. She dies in Blue’s arms. Not a satisfying ending in the traditional western genre.
Critics panned both screen play, based on a book by the same name, and direction Variety called “inept”. Tell us what you really think. The critics must have had a point when you consider the quality of the cast. Fonda, Ray, and Oates come in for special mention along with supporting performances by Keenen Wynn and Edgar Buchanan. The New York Times likened the evil of Ray’s Man from Bodie to the work of Jack Palance in Shane. High praise.
Welcome to Hard Times has a dark noir tilt to the story that is out of character to the expectations of western film audiences. The psychodrama took over the story in ways some present-day audiences might relate to, but not mainstream western viewers of the time. Nice cinematography though.
Next Week: The Hired Hand
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Ride easy,
Paul
Will Blue (Henry Fonda) is one among those who stay. He convinces his woman, Molly to stay and help him care for a young boy whose father faced the mad man. She agrees, though she is disappointed Blue did not stand up to Bodie. They both know the man will come back. Molly is consumed by a desire for vengeance. She pleads with drifter, gun hand Leo Jenks (Warren Oates) to face the man when he returns. She even buys young Jimmy a shotgun.
Now if you are expecting a reprise of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, forget it. The film ends with the return of Bodie who kills Jenks. Blue finds enough backbone to shoot Bodie. When he shows the dying villain to Molly, Bodie grabs her. Jimmy touches off a shot gun blast that kills Bodie, mortally wounding Molly. She dies in Blue’s arms. Not a satisfying ending in the traditional western genre.
Critics panned both screen play, based on a book by the same name, and direction Variety called “inept”. Tell us what you really think. The critics must have had a point when you consider the quality of the cast. Fonda, Ray, and Oates come in for special mention along with supporting performances by Keenen Wynn and Edgar Buchanan. The New York Times likened the evil of Ray’s Man from Bodie to the work of Jack Palance in Shane. High praise.
Welcome to Hard Times has a dark noir tilt to the story that is out of character to the expectations of western film audiences. The psychodrama took over the story in ways some present-day audiences might relate to, but not mainstream western viewers of the time. Nice cinematography though.
Next Week: The Hired Hand
Return to Facebook to comment
Ride easy,
Paul
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