SMALL SPOILERS Hard Times is the name of a town...well, it's more like only just a street, where the people have no joy, no past and certainly no future. There are about 20 people living there and about 65 % of that population dies when a big, angry man ( Aldo Ray ) comes to town to raise a little hell. The survivors leave except for the "Mayor" played by the legendary Henry Fonda. His name is Blue ( I guess that how he feels constantly as well ) and he's tired of running. He decides to stay and build up the town again. This seems to work, since there soon arrives a man who handles in liquor and girls, an undertaker and a shopkeeper. Still, there's fear in the air because the man who already destroyed the town once is most likely to come back...<br /><br />Welcome to Hard Times isn't that much of a good film. It adds very few to the genre of western-drama's and it's only worth a look because of the terrific acting performances. Henry Fonda ( if he wouldn't star in it, I'd probably never seen it ) is great as the pathetic, cowardly mayor. He wants to teach people the valueable lesson that violence doesn't pay but he's only getting laughed at. It's one of his lesser known movies but certainly not one of his lesser performances. Aldo Ray is very impressive as the tough-looking brute man who comes to destroy the town twice. Although, I think it's a good thing that he never had to open his mouth...his facial expression is good enough in his case. It was great to see Lon Chaney Jr. again in a movie. I really hated that his part was so limited.<br /><br />Overall, you won't regret watching Welcome to Hard Times as long as it lasts, but you certainly won't remember it long neither. You can easily skip it, but it's well recommended if you're a fan of Henry Fonda, like I am. <br /><br />