IMDb > The Harder They Fall (1956)

The Harder They Fall (1956) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   2,116 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mark Robson
Writers:
Budd Schulberg (novel)
Philip Yordan (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Harder They Fall on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 May 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Film-Noir | Sport | Thriller more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Standing Eight Count
 (From t5m.com. 2 November 2009, 4:38 AM, PST)
Screenwriter Budd Schulberg Dies
 (From CinemaSpy. 7 August 2009, 8:33 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
" I wouldn't give 26. cents for your future " more (45 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Val Avery ... Frank (uncredited)
Emily Belser ... Reporter (uncredited)
Phil Berger ... Boxer being knocked out in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Tony Blankley ... Benko Child (uncredited)
Penny Carpenter ... Benko child (uncredited)
Marian Carr ... Alice (uncredited)
Tina Carver ... Mrs. Benko (uncredited)
George Cisar ... Fight Manager (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey ... Gus Dundee (uncredited)
Lillian Culver ... Mrs. Wilson Harding (uncredited)
Jack Daly ... Reporter (uncredited)
Patricia Dane ... Shirley (uncredited)
Vinnie De Carlo ... Joey (uncredited)
Elaine Edwards ... Vince's girl friend (uncredited)
Abel Fernandez ... Chief Firebird (uncredited)
Paul Frees ... Priest (uncredited)
Robert Fuller ... Extra (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble ... Reporter (uncredited)
Everett Glass ... Minister (uncredited)
Michael Granger ... Gus Dundee's Doctor (uncredited)
Joe Greb ... Joey Greb-played himself (uncredited)
Frank Hagney ... Referee (uncredited)
Sam Harris ... Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
William Henry ... Fight Arena Locker Room Guart (uncredited)
Tommy Herman ... Tommy (uncredited)
Joe Herrera ... Referee (uncredited)
Charles Horvath ... Fighter (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp ... Detective (uncredited)
Don Kohler ... Reporter (uncredited)
Peter Leeds ... Ring announcer, Dundee fight (uncredited)
Mort Mills ... Reporter in hospital (uncredited)
Diana Mumby ... Vince's girl friend (uncredited)
Matt Murphy ... Sailor Rigazzo (uncredited)
Richard Norris ... Reporter (uncredited)
Stafford Repp ... Reporter (uncredited)
William Roerick ... Mrs. Harding's lawyer (uncredited)
Sandy Sanders ... Reporter (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo ... Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Mark Scott ... Reporter (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith ... Brannen's manager (uncredited)
Bert Stevens ... Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Hal Taggart ... Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Charles Tannen ... Reporter (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey ... Fight rooter (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman ... Reporter (uncredited)
Ulysses Williams ... Boxer being knocked out in Salinas (uncredited)
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Directed by
Mark Robson 
 
Writing credits
Budd Schulberg (novel)

Philip Yordan (screenplay)

Produced by
Philip Yordan .... producer
 
Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer 
 
Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey 
 
Film Editing by
Jerome Thoms 
 
Art Direction by
William Flannery 
 
Set Decoration by
William Kiernan 
Alfred E. Spencer 
 
Makeup Department
Clay Campbell .... makeup artist
Helen Hunt .... hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Milton Feldman .... assistant director
 
Sound Department
Lambert E. Day .... sound (as Lambert Day)
John P. Livadary .... recording supervisor (as John Livadary)
 
Stunts
Wally Rose .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Richard H. Kline .... assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Arthur Morton .... orchestrator
Lionel Newman .... conductor
 
Other crew
John Indrisano .... technical advisor
Curtis Harrington .... assistant to producer (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
109 min
Country:
USA
Language:
Spanish | English
Colour:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
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 more
Company:
Columbia Pictures Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Humphrey Bogart's last film. more
Goofs:
Continuity: As Bogart crosses a row a seats on his way to sit down at the Dundee fight, the collar of his overcoat turns up and down. more
Quotes:
Nick Benko: The fight game today is like show business. There's no real fighters anymore, they're all actors. The best showman becomes the champ! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Facing the Past (2005) (V) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
" I wouldn't give 26. cents for your future ", 13 October 2008
8/10
Author: thinker1691 from USA

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. ****

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