The Harder They Fall

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.

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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

Felice Orlandi

Vince Fawcett

Herbie Faye

Max

Rusty Lane

Danny McKeogh

Jack Albertson

Pop

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)

Crew

Art

• William Flannery Art Direction
• Alfred E. Spencer Set Decoration
• William Kiernan Set Decoration

Camera

• Burnett Guffey Director of Photography

Costume & Make-Up

• Clay Campbell Makeup Artist
• Helen Hunt Hairstylist

Directing

• Mark Robson Director

Editing

• Jerome Thoms Editor

Production

• Jerry Wald Executive Producer
• Philip Yordan Producer

Sound

• Hugo Friedhofer Original Music Composer
• John P. Livadary Recording Supervision
• Lambert E. Day Sound

Writing

• Budd Schulberg Novel
• Philip Yordan Screenplay

Photos