The Harder They Fall

1956 "No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!"

The Harder They Fall

7.5 | 1h49m | NR | en | Drama

Jobless sportswriter Eddie Willis is hired by corrupt fight promoter Nick Benko to promote his current protégé, an unknown Argentinian boxer named Toro Moreno. Although Moreno is a hulking giant, his chances for success are hampered by a powder-puff punch and a glass jaw. Exploiting Willis' reputation for integrity and standing in the boxing community, Benko arranges a series of fixed fights that propel the unsophisticated Moreno to #1 contender for the championship. The reigning champ, the sadistic Buddy Brannen, harbors resentment at the publicity Toro has been receiving and vows to viciously punish him in the ring. Eddie must now decide whether or not to tell the naive Toro the truth.

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7.5 | 1h49m | NR | en | Drama | More Info

Released: May. 09,1956 | Released Producted By: Columbia Pictures , Country: United States of America Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

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Cast

Humphrey Bogart , Rod Steiger , Jan Sterling

Director

William Flannery

Producted By

Columbia Pictures ,

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Humphrey Bogart

as Eddie Willis

Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender Bogart: The Untold Story Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid All This and World War II The Love Lottery The Harder They Fall

Rod Steiger

as Nick Benko

Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust Poolhall Junkies The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller The Kid The Hollywood Sign Muhammad Ali - Through The Eyes Of The World The Last Producer Crazy in Alabama Modern Vampires

Jan Sterling

as Beth Willis

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Reviews

steveo122 It was so much more believable three or four decades ago. It's nothing to do with production or performances, it's that the writing leapfrogs certain points of development and the actors have to sell it. It looks like "On the Waterfront"; it wants to be "Requiem for a Heavyweight"; it has a plot equal to those but it just doesn't quite hit the mark and the fight choreography is what I remember as a kid realizing 'Hey, they're not really fighting'. Still, the story is good enough to make up for all that picking of nits. Classic

bob27044 The main thing I feel lacking in these reviews is special kudos for Rod Steiger. To me, he out-acts everyone in this film, including the reliably terrific Bogart. His technique is a primer in film acting. The scene where he deceitfully implores boxer Toro (Mike Lane), to appreciate what all the guys in the room have done for him is wonderful. He maybe goes over the top a little, but it works brilliantly. And he was only 30 years old when he did it. If you're young and have never seen Rod Steiger in a film before, this is a great place to start.The film IS a downer. It highlights negative sides of human nature so well it can bum you out for quite a while. Don't let that stop you for watching it though. Some fine fine American actors in this one.

NewEnglandPat Humphrey Bogart's final film pulls no punches in its indictment of boxing as it chronicles the career of an unfortunate pugilist who is duped into a series of tank jobs that get him a coveted but undeserved title shot. Bogart, an unemployed press agent, is hired to promote and build up the pretender at the request of an unscrupulous manager, played by Rod Steiger. The film notes the brutality, mob violence, insensitive owners and trainers, bookies, fixes, hopelessness and despair of fighters who take frightful punishment in the ring while managers and promoters profit. A brief segment of the picture dwells on the misfortunes of an ex fighter who wound up homeless, penniless and addle-brained after a career in the ring. The movie is grim and cynical, with a hard-edged undercurrent throughout. Bogart and Steiger have the expected showdown at the end as their differences clash but not before the dark underbelly of boxing has been exposed. Budd Schulberg's novel is the basis for this film and old pro Bogart is wonderful and gets strong support from Steiger and several others, especially Harold Stone and Nehemiah Persoff. Jersey Joe Walcott, in a few brief scenes, has a nice turn as a sympathetic trainer.

wes-connors Unemployed sportswriter Humphrey Bogart (as Eddie Willis) reluctantly agrees to work as promoter for sleazy boxing manager Rod Steiger (as Nick Benko). Fixing fights for lumbering heavyweight Mike Lane (as Toro Moreno) leads to the expected championship bout, but Mr. Bogart is secretly battling a moral conscience. "The Harder They Fall" also catches Bogart losing his fight with cancer. In hindsight, the superstar appears to be in failing health, but with his screen persona and acting skills intact. Like many classic stars of early cinema, Bogart can be the singular reason to watch a motion picture.****** The Harder They Fall (5/9/56) Mark Robson ~ Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling, Mike Lane