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:

Primo Carnera unsuccessfully sued the film's makers, claiming it damaged his reputation for implying that he was involved in fixed fights. Carnera's career is one of the biggest mysteries in boxing, as many of the sport's historians believe that, without Carnera's knowledge, his managers paid most of his opponents to throw their fights.

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:

Nick Benko: The people, Eddie, the people! Don't tell me about the people, Eddie. The people sit in front of their little TVs with their bellies full of beer and fall asleep. What do the people know, Eddie? Don't tell me about the people, Eddie!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Facing the Past (2005) (V)

Pugilism, the Prize Ring and a fictionalized Primo Carnera-like Storyline becomes a fine Swan Song for our beloved Bogey!

The story bursts right onto the screen, as if having been having shot there by a high tech rifle! The full volume blast of music is combined with the bright, almost annoying light of sunshine, the first sunlight of the day! We instantly recognize the back drop of cityscape as that of the 'Big Apple', New York City. The Statue of Liberty makes her presence felt, as only she can.

The bright light and powerful music is fine accompaniment to the bold, rapidly presented & changing title cards. In between all of this movement, we spot the two principal characters of this early morning waterfront meeting. Torro Moreno(Mike Lane) and his Manager/Trainer Luis Agrande(Carlos Montalban) are up on deck and taking in all sights with great interest.

In this day of the Airliner(1956), the two men are passengers on a sort of Tramp Steamer, a definitely 'no frills' vessel with less than 1st Class accommodations. The ship has come from South America with a big mixed Cargo of people and goods. The two Argentinians look more than a couple of pieces of chattel, than two people. And so, it shall be so, Fighters were looked at as property, like a thoroughbred or a string of poloponies!

Though it is never implicitly stated, it is a weekend morning, and early as we have stated. The streets are too empty to be any other time. Where shown the various players in this meeting, all hurrying, scurrying about, but converging on a Fight Gym.

We travel to the Apartment of Eddie Willis(Humphrey Bogart), an out of work Sports Columnist and his Missus,Beth(Jan Sterling)looking very beautiful, bright and . In seeking employment, Eddie is sought after by the Head of a Crooked Boxing club, one Nick Benko(Rod Steiger). There is to be a look-see at this huge South American. He will be tested early, before anyone else arrives.

Benko's entourage includes Bookkeeper, Leo(Nehemiah Persoff),Corner Man Max(Herbie Faye),Danny McKeogh(Rusty Lane) and Thug Vince Fawcett(Phil Orlandi).

The use of real life retired Boxers is a really neat little touch. The first one who we meet is George, played by former World's Heavyweight Champion, Jersey Joe Wolcott. George's job with the team is to scout the opponent to help formulate strategy and specific training regimen. He also spars with Torro on the morning of this first meeting in order to ascertain just what the Giant South American had.

"A powder-puff punch and a glass jaw!", quips Eddie Willis upon seeing Torro's punches doing nothing to the 53 year old George;and George causing the younger Argentine to buckle, stumble and collapse with body punches and one last one on 'the button'(face).

After some haggling, Eddie Willis and Nick Bemko come to terms. Benko and Leo guarantee that 'the kid' won't get hurt. The fights he gets will be either push-overs or set-ups. Willis sets the campaign to start off in California, working its way through the West, South and Mid West in a rolling Home-Away-From-Home, a customized king-sized bus,replete with 2 huge silhouette "cut-outs" of Torro in a fighting pose. As the caravan progressed, Torro's record is recorded on the sides. (a great little Latin American-like musical queue from the film's composer and former Oscar Winner, Hugo Friedhofer.) The heart of the story unveils the trials and tribulations of maintaining a traveling Boxing show troupe and what happens when a "Tank Artist" has change of heart. Eddie winds up in charge and has to pull in some old favors with Nationally Renowned Sports Columnist and T.V. Sports Commentator, Art Leavitt(Harold J. Stone), to have him give a questionable fight benefit of the doubt with the California State Athletic Commission.

Lastly, Torro wants out of his Bout with Champ Buddy Brannon(Max Baer) after former Champ Gus Dundee(Pat Comiskey)dies after bout with Torro. Torro is brought around to taking the fight against the brutal Champ, Brannon, when he is given the truth about the perpetrated fraud that he has been at the center.

It was our great pleasure to meet Actor Abel Fernandez (best known as Agent Bill Youngfellow on the original THE UNTOUCHABLES TV Series). The occasion was a Bud Courts' Hollywood COLLECTIBLES Show, here in Chicago several years back. He spoke at length about portraying a G-Man in Prohibition Era Chicago. He was also more than happy to discuss and answer any questions about working on what turned out to be Bogey's 'Last Turn at Bat', THE HARDER THEY FALL.

He told us that plans had called for his portraying Torro Moreno. He was a real life Prizefighter, having competed as a Light Heavyweight as well as a Drama Major in school. He had been on a weight gaining training routine, when the powers that be at Columbia Pictures decided on using Pro Wrestler Mike 'Tarzan' Lane as the Giant Argentine.

The role that he portrayed as Oaklahoman Chief Firebird, was pivotal to the story and gave Mr. Fernandez a chance to really act. There is a still from the film featuring Abel and Boagey together in the the Locker Room, that tells the whole story at a glance.

As alluded to earlier, good use of real ring veterans was a high point. We had Former Heavyweight Champion of the World. Max Baer as the brutal Champ Buddy Brannon. Former Heavyweight Contender, Pat Comiskey portrayed the doomed Ex-Champ Gus Dundee. We've already mentioned Ex-Champ Jersey Joe Walcott and Pro Grappler Mike Lane.

The story is obviously (at least partially)inspired by the Boxing career of "the Ambling Alp", Primo Carnera. And oddly enough, it was Max Baer who whipped Carnera for the Heavyweight Crown!

The Movie, categorized as Film Noir, is bleak, brutal and somewhat disturbing-definitely not a light escapist entertainment! And it comes wrapped up in the great and briefly previously mentioned Original Musical Score by the talented Mr. Hugo Friedhofer.