Back to browse
72% Critic Match
The Harder They Fall
“No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!”
7.2 / 10• 1956• 1h 49m•NR• English
Drama
Storyline
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.
Cast & Crew
Humphrey Bogart
Eddie Willis
Lead
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
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Mark Robson's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. The Harder They Fall is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
