The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall

109 mins | Drama | May 9, 1956

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.

The Harder They Fall

109 mins | Drama | May 9, 1956

The Harder They Fall
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.
IMDb rating 7.5
Producers Columbia Pictures
Original title The Harder They Fall
Directors Mark Robson
Writers Philip Yordan, Budd Schulberg

Cast

Humphrey Bogart

as Eddie Willis

Rod Steiger

as Nick Benko

Jan Sterling

as Beth Willis

Mike Lane

as Toro Moreno

Max Baer

as Buddy Brannen

Jersey Joe Walcott

as George

Edward Andrews

as Jim Weyerhause

Harold J. Stone

as Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster

Carlos Montalbán

as Luís Agrandi

Felice Orlandi

as Vince Fawcett

Herbie Faye

as Max

Rusty Lane

as Danny McKeogh

Paul Frees

as Priest (uncredited)

William Henry

as Fight Arena Locker Room Guard (uncredited)

Frank McLure

as Reporter at Hospital (uncredited)

William H. O'Brien

as Ringsider (uncredited)

Bert Stevens

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Arthur Tovey

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Brandon Beach

as Party Guest (uncredited)

Joanne Arnold

as Pretty Girl (uncredited)

Val Avery

as Frank (uncredited)

Al Baffert

as Fighter (uncredited)

Bill Baldwin

as Oklahoma City Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Walter Baldwin

as Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)

Emily Belser

as New York Reporter (uncredited)

Julie Benedic

as Statuesque Blonde (uncredited)

Phil Berger

as Boxer Kayoed in Bakersfield (uncredited)

Eve Bernhardt

as Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)

Tony Blankley

as Benko Son (uncredited)

Penny Carpenter

as Benko Daughter (uncredited)

Marian Carr

as Alice (uncredited)

Steve Carruthers

as Reporter (uncredited)

Tina Carver

as Mrs. Benko (uncredited)

Edwin Chandler

as Chicago Television Announcer (uncredited)

Winnie Chandler

as Fight Fan (uncredited)

George Chester

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

George Cisar

as Fight Manager (uncredited)

Pat Comiskey

as Gus Dundee (uncredited)

Lillian Culver

as Mrs. Wilson Harding (uncredited)

Jack Daly

as Reporter (uncredited)

Patricia Dane

as Shirley (uncredited)

Vinnie De Carlo

as Joey (uncredited)

Elaine Edwards

as Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Matty Fain

as Fight Manager (uncredited)

Adolph Faylauer

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Abel Fernandez

as Chief Firebird (uncredited)

Gil Frye

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Robert Fuller

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Ralph Gamble

as Reporter (uncredited)

Tommy Garland

as Fighter (uncredited)

Eddie Garr

as Fight Manager (uncredited)

Charlie Gibbs

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Everett Glass

as Minister (uncredited)

Bennie Goldberg

as San Diego Referee (uncredited)

Mickey Golden

as Cornerman (uncredited)

Dorothy Gordon

as Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)

Michael Granger

as Gus Dundee's Doctor (uncredited)

Joe Greb

as Joey Greb - Fighter (uncredited)

Frank Hagney

as Referee (uncredited)

Stuart Hall

as Party Guest (uncredited)

Sam Harris

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Tommy Herman

as Tommy (uncredited)

Joe Herrera

as Referee (uncredited)

Vic Holbrook

as Fight Fan (uncredited)

Tex Holden

as Usher (uncredited)

Bob Hopkins

as San Diego Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Charles Horvath

as Fighter (uncredited)

Roy Jenson

as Fighter (uncredited)

Don Kelly

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Kenner G. Kemp

as Man at Contract Signing (uncredited)

Don Kohler

as Reporter (uncredited)

Joseph La Cava

as Manager (uncredited)

Pat Lawler

as Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Peter Leeds

as Dundee Fight Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Larry Leverett

as Reporter (uncredited)

Harry Lewis

as New York Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Mark Lowell

as Minor Role (uncredited)

William Marks

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Mathew McCue

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Joseph Mell

as Ring Announcer (uncredited)

Mort Mills

as Reporter in Hospital (uncredited)

Frank Mitchell

as Dundee Referee (uncredited)

Irving Mitchell

as House Doctor - New York (uncredited)

Dennis Moore

as Reporter (uncredited)

Diana Mumby

as Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Sol Murgi

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Matt Murphy

as Sailor Rigazzo (uncredited)

Richard Norris

as Reporter (uncredited)

Jimmy O'Gatty

as Milk Fund Referee (uncredited)

Ted Pavelec

as Fighter (uncredited)

Murray Pollack

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Fred Rapport

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Stafford Repp

as Reporter (uncredited)

Alan Reynolds

as Reporter (uncredited)

Eli Rill

as Minor Role (uncredited)

Joanne Rio

as Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)

Robert Robinson

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

William Roerick

as Mrs. Harding's Lawyer (uncredited)

Jack Roper

as Fighter (uncredited)

Wally Rose

as Salinas Referee (uncredited)

Abe Roth

as Referee (uncredited)

Sandy Sanders

as Reporter (uncredited)

Cosmo Sardo

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Fred Scheiwiller

as Fighter (uncredited)

Mark Scott

as Reporter (uncredited)

Carl Sklover

as Referee (uncredited)

Gene Smith

as Minor Role (uncredited)

J. Lewis Smith

as Brannen's Manager (uncredited)

Angela Stevens

as Girl (uncredited)

Hal Taggart

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Charles Tannen

as Reporter (uncredited)

Ferris Taylor

as House Doctor - Chicago (uncredited)

Pat Valentino

as Milk Fund Fighter (uncredited)

Bennie Washington

as Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

Russ Whiteman

as Reporter (uncredited)

Bob Whitney

as Reporter (uncredited)

Ulysses Williams

as Boxer Being Knocked Out in Salinas (uncredited)

James Wilson

as Oklahoma Referee (uncredited)