The Harder They Fall

May 8, 1956

1h 49m

★ 7.1

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

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.

Genres

Drama

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

The Harder They Fall Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Eddie Willis

Humphrey Bogart

Nick Benko

Rod Steiger

Beth Willis

Jan Sterling

Toro Moreno

Mike Lane

Buddy Brannen

Max Baer

George

Jersey Joe Walcott

Jim Weyerhause

Edward Andrews

Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster

Harold J. Stone

Luís Agrandi

Carlos Montalbán

Leo

Nehemiah Persoff

Vince Fawcett

Felice Orlandi

Max

Herbie Faye

Nineteen-year-old Danny Flynn is imprisoned for his involvement with the I.R.A. in Belfast. He leaves behind his family and his sixteen-year-old girlfriend, Maggie Hamill. Fourteen years later, Danny is released from prison and returns to his old working class neighborhood to resume his life as a boxer.

7.1

Fat City

Jul 26, 1972

Two men, working as professional boxers, come to blows when their careers each begin to take opposite momentum.

7.3

The Set-Up

Mar 29, 1949

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

6.7

Body and Soul

Nov 11, 1947

Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, who tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

5.8

Saturday Night

Jul 31, 1957

Three stories set in Belgrade by night: A loving couple who alarms public uproar for kissing in the street, a lonely boxing handler whose help isn't really appreciated, and two young people who never manage to get to know each other due to dress code issues.

8.5

Death of a Salesman

Jan 9, 2000

Willy Loman is an over-the-hill salesman who faces a personal turning point when he loses his job and attempts to make peace with his family: Willy's long-suffering wife Linda, and Biff and Happy, his troubled sons and his life.

6.4

Bomber

Aug 5, 1982

Bomber is an unemployed boat captain. One day he meets Jerry, a manager of boxers who are struck by the force of his fists. That is when they see the chance to win big money.

7.3

From Here to Eternity

Aug 28, 1953

In 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second in command are falling in love.

6.8

Far and Away

May 22, 1992

A young couple escapes Ireland, dreaming of a new life during the land giveaway in Oklahoma. As they struggle to survive against betrayal and harsh winter conditions, they must fend off her parents who are determined to bring her back home.

5.0

The Fighting Heart

Oct 18, 1925

This film is the story of a small-town boy and girl. The hero, Denny Bolton, thrashes the town bully only to meet him later in the boxing ring in New York City. Ambition has swept him to Broadway, but the search for love brings him back to the Main Street of his home town.

0.0

Six Rounds

Apr 21, 2017

Amongst the 2011 London riots, a former boxer needs must choose between his past or a new future.

7.5

Guru

Mar 31, 2017

A grumpy boxing coach takes on a young, rebellious woman under his wings and starts training her for the world championship. But their biggest battle has to be fought outside the ring.

7.4

The Hurricane

Sep 17, 1999

The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

6.7

A Prayer Before Dawn

May 24, 2018

The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in prison Muay Thai tournaments.

6.5

The Crowd Roars

Aug 6, 1938

A young boxer gets caught between a no-good father and a crime boss when he starts dating the boss's daughter, although she doesn't know what daddy does for a living.

1.0

Flashback

Jul 8, 1997

A boxer tries to recover from the memories he brought back from war.

5.0

Naked Fists

Apr 25, 1974

A young man comes out of a reform school properly reformed, but life outside will bring him to the underworld again. His second reform will be short-lived.