The Harder They Fall (1956)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Budd Schulberg (novel)
Philip Yordan (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 May 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Sport | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Down-on-his-luck ex-sportswriter Eddie Willis is hired by shady fight promoter Nick Benko to promote his latest find, an unknown but easily exploitable phenom from Argentina.

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Fixed Fight | Bleeding Mouth | Reference To King Kong | Title Bout

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Eddie Willis
Rod Steiger	...	Nick Benko
Jan Sterling	...	Beth Willis
Mike Lane	...	Toro Moreno
Max Baer	...	Buddy Brannen
Jersey Joe Walcott	...	George
Edward Andrews	...	Jim Weyerhause
Harold J. Stone	...	Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster
Carlos Montalbán	...	Luís Agrandi
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Leo
Felice Orlandi	...	Vince Fawcett
Herbie Faye	...	Max
Rusty Lane	...	Danny McKeogh
Jack Albertson	...	Pop

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Spanish | English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | USA:Approved (certificate #17754) | West Germany:16 (nf)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows - 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Humphrey Bogart's last film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: A TV sportscaster's man-on-the-street interview with a punch-drunk fighter filmed on location on Skid Row features multiple camera angles (long shot, middle shot and close-ups) - a technological luxury requiring three consecutively-rolling cameras no TV news station in the mid-Fifties could possibly have afforded.

Quotes:

Eddie Willis: Powderpuff punch and a glass jaw... that's a great combination!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Homer They Fall (#8.3)" (1996)

" I wouldn't give 26. cents for your future "

Most important athletic events where money is involved are fertile fields of exploitation for Hollywood. Boxing is no exception. Some of the best fights scenes in 'The Champion' and 'Somebody Up There Likes me' have inspired bigger movies, like ' Rocky ' or 'Raging Bull.' This film is a tribute to those who wish they could outlaw the sport of Boxing altogether. "The Harder They Fall" is to say the least an expose of the brutal sport of boxing. The story centers on Eddie Willis (Humphrey Bogart) a down-on-his-luck sports writer. Unable to sell his talent, Willis trades his unsoiled reputation. His ruthless employer is Nick Benko (Rod Steiger) an unscrupulous boxing promoter who with the help of his unsympathetic organization seek to make a fortune off their newest discovery. That unfortunate victim is an enormous Argentinian boxing giant named Toro Moreno ( Mike Lane). With the help of Willis, Benko sets Toro up to fight the established contenders in boxing gaining a legendary reputation of invincibility all the way up to the Top. What Toro does not know is that all his fights are staged, that is, all but the title fight where the heavy weight champion of the world Buddy Brannen, (Max Baer) is not in on 'the fix.' Willis discovers his innocent friend Toro is in mortal danger, tried to help him escape with some dignity. His dignity, nor the boxer's life is not important to Benko who has plans of reselling his 'property.' The movie is a statement on the state of professional Boxing in the U.S. and it's showing is a wake-up call to anyone who'd like to see the raw brutality it has become. Top notch acting by Jan Sterling as Beth Willis and Harold J. Stone is a bonus. ****