MovieChat Forums > Hard Times (1975) Discussion > Different body culture in the 70s

Different body culture in the 70s

posted 16 years ago by P-K-One
15 replies | jump to latest

Did anybody else have an "Hey, that changed!" moment when seeing the movie?

Take Charles Bronson for example. You can see he worked out. You see it in his shoulders arms. His body fat is very low (look at the bones protruding from the shoulders) but...no sixpack. The thing all fitness is basically measured by nowadays seems to be something he put no work whatsoever into.
Another thing struck me in the bordello scene. Those women were...homely. And I'm not talking about the haircuts and outfits (although those did not help any). No, I mean they were flabby. Not fat but not trim. No workout, no skintension. Comparing that to modern models, celebs, pornstars or even the average 20somethingyear old from the street (can't compare with real prostitutes, never done that) there have been some massive changes.

Did anybody else catch himself thinking "Screw the 'good old times'! I prefer what I see now!"?

I think humanity should be wiped out and then we can give evolution a second chance.

[–] slatbrad-1 16 years ago

I'll take your word for the "six pack" matter.

As for the prostitutes, I never visited one either. But I can't imagine that it was top-tier work for a woman. Maybe it was something for women who just couldn't find any other way to make a living.

And it was the 1930s. Forty years later the cosmetic choices would have been quite different.

[–] P-K-One 16 years ago

But for somebody who makes a living from their body a couple of situps a day should not be too much, right?

I think humanity should be wiped out and then we can give evolution a second chance.

[–] mafiahitman 16 years ago

There's a completely different reason and way to have sculpted abs and other muscles as opposed to being strong. Also, this is supposed to be in the 30s, so I'm sure they weren't going to the local GMC.

As for the prostitutes, there weren't exactly women's gyms in those times either.

[–] joeparkson 16 years ago

Bronson worked out but was not a body builder like another actor of his era, Steve Reeves. I don't think a body builder would have been cast as a pick-up prize fighter of the 1930s.

I think you would have seen a six pack on Bronson had he cared to tense up his mid section.

I'm sure they didn't want to cast stunning looking women as protitutes, but the woman who played Speed's girlfriend was attractive in my opinion.

Most prostitutes today are not attractive unless they're the kind that charge thousands of dollars per hour.

Don't compare pictures of celebrities that you see on magazine covers for the real thing. Takes hours for them to look like that.

[–] rogerscorpion 15 years ago

I remember, before the film was released, reading an article about the filming. It said that, between scenes, Charlie would go sit down & work out with his dumbbells, and Coburn would exercise his 'good man with a story' persona--holding court.

Carpe Noctem

[–] andy-todd-1 15 years ago

It was different in the 70s (when the movie was made), and the 30s (the time-frame of the movie).

Check out pictures of Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, etc. - all champion fighters in the 30s. Bronson's body is similar. Russell Crowe, in The Cinderella Man (takes place in the 30s also),is no more 'ripped' than Bronson or the real boxers.

[–] caraeas 13 years ago

An old thread but.....I think Bronson was naturally lean and muscular. He obviously had low body fat, but perhaps he didn't do a lot of work that would have thickened his abs and made them stand out.I don't imagine him doing a calculated "sets and reps" workout as much as working a heavy bag, jumping rope, etc.

[–] CalDexter 13 years ago

In an earlier film, run of the arrow in which Bronson played an indian, you can plainly see a nice set of abs and much more lean muscular frame. Remember in this film he is playing a guy who was more or less the same age as he was at that time in his life, one of his opponents even taunts him as an 'old man' so its logical to see Chaney as a fighter past his prime here....but given he wins every fight in the movie, its left to ones imagination just how powerful Chaney was when younger in his twenties or thirties. A great film and one of Bronson's best.

[–] loulou1992 12 years ago

Charlie did workout out, he climbed a rope, swimming, dynamic tension, he was built like sly was in the 80's in the 50's, but always had that flab stomach. I work out have good body, i'm solid when pumped. in a good light you can see me six pack but normally you cant, im not a big fan of em, especially in this generation. working out seems to be dominated by fags. I workout for me, not to show off like this skinny little freaks with rock hard abs and no muscle...

[–] MycroftHolmes 11 years ago

He looks pretty good for 54!

What we have here is failure to communicate!

[–] MrDeltoid77 11 years ago

I think the real difference is that Bronson was just about as tough in real life as he was on screen. Guys like Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum, and Clint Walker were tough sons of bitches and could kick the asses of all the pretty boy six pack abs actors of today.

The new generation of actors play tough. The old timers WERE tough. Check out their military service. Bronson worked in the coal mines. He was an airforce gunner and was awarded a purple heart.

Don't get me wrong... I like a lot of the newer action movies and the pumped up stars. But there was an authenticity to a lot of the old time actors that is missing these days.

[–] Falconeer 11 years ago

I don't think so. Film is more realistic when the actors look like "real" people. And Charles Bronson looks amazingly fit and strong in this film. todays standards when it comes to body types is a little ridiculous, and i miss the days when an actor didn't also have to be an underwear model. The saddest part about todays attitude towards the human body, is that is almost impossible to see real, natural breasts anymore. It seems like every actress these days, especiaslly in adult film, has had plastic surgery, some kind of breast augmentation. I've personally never found fake boobs to be sexy or attractive, in fact i think these women look like freaks. it is a sign of the times i guess; people are just a lot more shallow these days...and a lot less interesting.

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

[–] Falconeer 11 years ago

If you want to see ripped guys with 6 packs then maybe get some gay porn.

"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'

[–] Little Caesar 11 years ago

I just watched an episode of M Squad from 1957 where Bronson played a boxer. I was surprised at how ripped he was! He was in great shape! In this movie he's over 50!! Born in 1921. He's in damn good shape here. I'd take it!

When people saw Arnold & other bodybuilders in the 70's, they were viewed as freaks. People just didn't look like that.

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 10 years ago

Did anybody else catch himself thinking "Screw the 'good old times'! I prefer what I see now!"?

NOPE....in fact the exact opposite.

Rocky did not become more endearing in Rocky III after he went from the body of a country-strong farm boy, to an HGH/Roided up bodybuilder.

Also, take a look at some early bikini shots of Jill Ireland, especially her shapely hips relative to her super-slim waist. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mfpR1xWGhP0/UxeZeTYZrrI/AAAAAAAAj-I/76P3pjR7 rDQ/s1600/jill-ireland2.jpg

That is a real woman!

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?