The Harder They Fall

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

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.

Drama

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))

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))