The Harder They Fall
71 %|May 8, 1956|Drama
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.
Featured Crew
Jerome Thoms
Editor
William Flannery
Art Direction
Philip Yordan
Screenplay
Jerry Wald
Executive Producer
Burnett Guffey
Director of Photography
Hugo Friedhofer
Original Music Composer
Mark Robson
Director
Philip Yordan
Producer
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
Felice Orlandi
Vince Fawcett
Herbie Faye
Max
Rusty Lane
Danny McKeogh
Paul Frees
Priest (uncredited)
William Henry
Fight Arena Locker Room Guard (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Reporter at Hospital (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
Ringsider (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Brandon Beach
Party Guest (uncredited)
Joanne Arnold
Pretty Girl (uncredited)
Val Avery
Frank (uncredited)
Al Baffert
Fighter (uncredited)
Bill Baldwin
Oklahoma City Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin
Boxing fan at Dundee fight (uncredited)
Emily Belser
New York Reporter (uncredited)
Julie Benedic
Statuesque Blonde (uncredited)
Phil Berger
Boxer Kayoed in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Eve Bernhardt
Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Tony Blankley
Benko Son (uncredited)
Penny Carpenter
Benko Daughter (uncredited)
Marian Carr
Alice (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers
Reporter (uncredited)
Tina Carver
Mrs. Benko (uncredited)
Edwin Chandler
Chicago Television Announcer (uncredited)
Winnie Chandler
Fight Fan (uncredited)
George Chester
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
George Cisar
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey
Gus Dundee (uncredited)
Lillian Culver
Mrs. Wilson Harding (uncredited)
Jack Daly
Reporter (uncredited)
Patricia Dane
Shirley (uncredited)
Vinnie De Carlo
Joey (uncredited)
Elaine Edwards
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Matty Fain
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Abel Fernandez
Chief Firebird (uncredited)
Gil Frye
Minor Role (uncredited)
Robert Fuller
Minor Role (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble
Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Garland
Fighter (uncredited)
Eddie Garr
Fight Manager (uncredited)
Charlie Gibbs
Minor Role (uncredited)
Everett Glass
Minister (uncredited)
Bennie Goldberg
San Diego Referee (uncredited)
Mickey Golden
Cornerman (uncredited)
Dorothy Gordon
Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Michael Granger
Gus Dundee's Doctor (uncredited)
Joe Greb
Joey Greb - Fighter (uncredited)
Frank Hagney
Referee (uncredited)
Stuart Hall
Party Guest (uncredited)
Tommy Herman
Tommy (uncredited)
Joe Herrera
Referee (uncredited)
Vic Holbrook
Fight Fan (uncredited)
Tex Holden
Usher (uncredited)
Bob Hopkins
San Diego Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Charles Horvath
Fighter (uncredited)
Roy Jenson
Fighter (uncredited)
Don Kelly
Minor Role (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Man at Contract Signing (uncredited)
Don Kohler
Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph La Cava
Manager (uncredited)
Pat Lawler
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Peter Leeds
Dundee Fight Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Larry Leverett
Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Lewis
New York Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Mark Lowell
Minor Role (uncredited)
William Marks
Minor Role (uncredited)
Mathew McCue
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Joseph Mell
Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Mort Mills
Reporter in Hospital (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell
Dundee Referee (uncredited)
Irving Mitchell
House Doctor - New York (uncredited)
Diana Mumby
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Sol Murgi
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Matt Murphy
Sailor Rigazzo (uncredited)
Richard Norris
Reporter (uncredited)
Jimmy O'Gatty
Milk Fund Referee (uncredited)
Ted Pavelec
Fighter (uncredited)
Murray Pollack
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fred Rapport
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Stafford Repp
Reporter (uncredited)
Alan Reynolds
Reporter (uncredited)
Eli Rill
Minor Role (uncredited)
Joanne Rio
Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Robert Robinson
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
William Roerick
Mrs. Harding's Lawyer (uncredited)
Jack Roper
Fighter (uncredited)
Wally Rose
Salinas Referee (uncredited)
Abe Roth
Referee (uncredited)
Sandy Sanders
Reporter (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Fred Scheiwiller
Fighter (uncredited)
Mark Scott
Reporter (uncredited)
Carl Sklover
Referee (uncredited)
Gene Smith
Minor Role (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith
Brannen's Manager (uncredited)
Angela Stevens
Girl (uncredited)
Hal Taggart
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Charles Tannen
Reporter (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor
House Doctor - Chicago (uncredited)
Pat Valentino
Milk Fund Fighter (uncredited)
Bennie Washington
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Russ Whiteman
Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Whitney
Reporter (uncredited)
Ulysses Williams
Boxer Being Knocked Out in Salinas (uncredited)
James Wilson
Oklahoma Referee (uncredited)
Sam Harris
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Dennis Moore
Reporter (uncredited)