The Harder They Fall (1956)
“No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!”
Movie19561h 49mEnglish
Our verdict
Worth watching
Well received by most viewers.
Based on the TMDB audience score from 160 ratings.
Movie review: The Harder They Fall
The Harder They Fall is a film from 1956. It is catalogued under Drama. Its listed tagline is “No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!”
Story
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.
Audience reaction
TMDB records an audience rating of 7.2/10 based on 160 votes.
Production
Release date: May 8, 1956 · Runtime: 109 minutes · Original language: English · Reported revenue: $1,350,000
Cast
Humphrey Bogart
Rod Steiger
Jan Sterling
Mike Lane
Max Baer
Jersey Joe Walcott
Edward Andrews
Harold J. Stone
Carlos Montalbán
Nehemiah Persoff
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