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A depressing, stark western set in the hopeless town of Hard Times. Fonda is the spineless mayor who gets walked all over by Ray, an evil wretch who kills as he pleases wherever he goes. The town is left no choice but to rebuild after Ray burns the place to a cinder as a final parting gesture. The town's future begins to look up when Wynn arrives and sets up a saloon populated by several women. Ray, known only as "The Man from Bodie," returns, but this time Fonda dissolves the town's fear with a well-aimed bullet. Director Kennedy (SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF; THE ROUNDERS; THE WAR WAGON) attempted something different with this picture, a bleak look at the west's dark side, but never really succeeded. Some fine supporting performances by Wynn; Chaney, Jr.; Oates; Cook; and others.