The Harder They Fall (1956)

The Harder They Fall (1956)

All the adventure a man can live, he lives. 1956-05-08 United States of America 109 Min. PG-13
7.124 141 votes
Drama

Overview

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 is Eddie Willis
Eddie Willis
Rod Steiger is Nick Benko
Nick Benko
Jan Sterling is Beth Willis
Beth Willis
Mike Lane is Toro Moreno
Toro Moreno
Max Baer is Buddy Brannen
Buddy Brannen
Jersey Joe Walcott is George
George
Edward Andrews is Jim Weyerhause
Jim Weyerhause
Harold J. Stone is Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster
Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster
Carlos Montalbán is Luís Agrandi
Luís Agrandi
Nehemiah Persoff is Leo
Leo
Felice Orlandi is Vince Fawcett
Vince Fawcett
Herbie Faye is Max
Max
Rusty Lane is Danny McKeogh
Danny McKeogh
Jack Albertson is Pop
Pop
Paul Frees is Priest (uncredited)
Priest (uncredited)
William Henry is Fight Arena Locker Room Guard (uncredited)
Fight Arena Locker Room Guard (uncredited)
Frank McLure is Reporter at Hospital (uncredited)
Reporter at Hospital (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien is Ringsider (uncredited)
Ringsider (uncredited)
Bert Stevens is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Brandon Beach is Party Guest (uncredited)
Party Guest (uncredited)
Joanne Arnold is Pretty Girl (uncredited)
Pretty Girl (uncredited)
Val Avery is Frank (uncredited)
Frank (uncredited)
Al Baffert is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Bill Baldwin is Oklahoma City Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Oklahoma City Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin is Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)
Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)
Emily Belser is New York Reporter (uncredited)
New York Reporter (uncredited)
Julie Benedic is Statuesque Blonde (uncredited)
Statuesque Blonde (uncredited)
Phil Berger is Boxer Kayoed in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Boxer Kayoed in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Eve Bernhardt is Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Tony Blankley is Benko Son (uncredited)
Benko Son (uncredited)
Penny Carpenter is Benko Daughter (uncredited)
Benko Daughter (uncredited)
Marian Carr is Alice (uncredited)
Alice (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Tina Carver is Mrs. Benko (uncredited)
Mrs. Benko (uncredited)
Edwin Chandler is Chicago Television Announcer (uncredited)
Chicago Television Announcer (uncredited)
Winnie Chandler is Fight Fan (uncredited)
Fight Fan (uncredited)
George Chester is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
George Cisar is Fight Manager (uncredited)
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey is Gus Dundee (uncredited)
Gus Dundee (uncredited)
Lillian Culver is Mrs. Wilson Harding (uncredited)
Mrs. Wilson Harding (uncredited)
Jack Daly is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Patricia Dane is Shirley (uncredited)
Shirley (uncredited)
Vinnie De Carlo is Joey (uncredited)
Joey (uncredited)
Elaine Edwards is Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Matty Fain is Fight Manager (uncredited)
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Abel Fernandez is Chief Firebird (uncredited)
Chief Firebird (uncredited)
Gil Frye is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Robert Fuller is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Garland is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Eddie Garr is Fight Manager (uncredited)
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Charlie Gibbs is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Everett Glass is Minister (uncredited)
Minister (uncredited)
Bennie Goldberg is San Diego Referee (uncredited)
San Diego Referee (uncredited)
Mickey Golden is Cornerman (uncredited)
Cornerman (uncredited)
Dorothy Gordon is Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Michael Granger is Gus Dundee's Doctor (uncredited)
Gus Dundee's Doctor (uncredited)
Joe Greb is Joey Greb - Fighter (uncredited)
Joey Greb - Fighter (uncredited)
Frank Hagney is Referee (uncredited)
Referee (uncredited)
Stuart Hall is Party Guest (uncredited)
Party Guest (uncredited)
Tommy Herman is Tommy (uncredited)
Tommy (uncredited)
Joe Herrera is Referee (uncredited)
Referee (uncredited)
Vic Holbrook is Fight Fan (uncredited)
Fight Fan (uncredited)
Tex Holden is Usher (uncredited)
Usher (uncredited)
Bob Hopkins is San Diego Ring Announcer (uncredited)
San Diego Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Charles Horvath is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Roy Jenson is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Don Kelly is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp is Man at Contract Signing (uncredited)
Man at Contract Signing (uncredited)
Don Kohler is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph La Cava is Manager (uncredited)
Manager (uncredited)
Pat Lawler is Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Peter Leeds is Dundee Fight Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Dundee Fight Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Larry Leverett is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Lewis is New York Ring Announcer (uncredited)
New York Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Mark Lowell is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
William Marks is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Mathew McCue is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Joseph Mell is Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Mort Mills is Reporter in Hospital (uncredited)
Reporter in Hospital (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell is Dundee Referee (uncredited)
Dundee Referee (uncredited)
Irving Mitchell is House Doctor - New York (uncredited)
House Doctor - New York (uncredited)
Diana Mumby is Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Sol Murgi is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Matt Murphy is Sailor Rigazzo (uncredited)
Sailor Rigazzo (uncredited)
Richard Norris is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Jimmy O'Gatty is Milk Fund Referee (uncredited)
Milk Fund Referee (uncredited)
Ted Pavelec is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Murray Pollack is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fred Rapport is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Stafford Repp is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Alan Reynolds is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Eli Rill is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
Joanne Rio is Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Robert Robinson is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
William Roerick is Mrs. Harding's Lawyer (uncredited)
Mrs. Harding's Lawyer (uncredited)
Jack Roper is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Wally Rose is Salinas Referee (uncredited)
Salinas Referee (uncredited)
Abe Roth is Referee (uncredited)
Referee (uncredited)
Sandy Sanders is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller is Fighter (uncredited)
Fighter (uncredited)
Mark Scott is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Carl Sklover is Referee (uncredited)
Referee (uncredited)
Gene Smith is Minor Role (uncredited)
Minor Role (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith is Brannen's Manager (uncredited)
Brannen's Manager (uncredited)
Angela Stevens is Girl (uncredited)
Girl (uncredited)
Hal Taggart is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Charles Tannen is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor is House Doctor - Chicago (uncredited)
House Doctor - Chicago (uncredited)
Pat Valentino is Milk Fund Fighter (uncredited)
Milk Fund Fighter (uncredited)
Bennie Washington is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Whitney is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)
Ulysses Williams is Boxer Being Knocked Out in Salinas (uncredited)
Boxer Being Knocked Out in Salinas (uncredited)
James Wilson is Oklahoma Referee (uncredited)
Oklahoma Referee (uncredited)
Sam Harris is Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Dennis Moore is Reporter (uncredited)
Reporter (uncredited)

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