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