The Harder They Fall poster

The Harder They Fall

19561h 49mDrama
directed by Mark Robson

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

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TMDB
7.2 / 10
155 votes
IMDb
7.5 / 10
9,634 votes
Metacritic
78 / 100
Rotten Tomatoes
100%

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Synopsis

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

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