Old stone-face Bronson wasn't always like that, although he certainly was in this movie, which I think is his best by quite a long shot (although I did like "Chato's Land", "Death Hunt", and "The Mechanic" quite a bit).  Centered in or around New Orleans in the depression era, the film is about  men who earn their living as bare-fisted street fighters, and one of the  best is an unknown fighter played by Charles Bronson.  James Colburn is  great as his sleezy manager in trouble with the mob.  This is a highly  entertaining movie with some good performances (even Bronson's) along with  a realistic view of the era.  Between 1 and 10, "Hard Times" gets a  well-deserved 8.