The Harder They Fall
Directed by Mark Robson
Written by Philip Yordan based on a play by Bud Schulberg
1956/USA
Columbia Pictures Corporation
First viewing/Amazon Instant Video
[box] Nick Benko: The people, Eddie, the people! Don’t tell me about the people, Eddie. The people sit in front of their little TVs with their bellies full of beer and fall asleep. What do the people know, Eddie? Don’t tell me about the people, Eddie![/box]
This was Humphrey Bogart’s last performance. He went out with a bang.
Shady fight promoter Nick Benko (Rod Steiger) imports ‘Toro’ Moreno from Argentina. Toro’s claim to fame is his huge size – he cannot hold his own in the ring even against his sparring partner. This does not deter Benko in the slightest and he offers washed-up newspaper columnist Eddie Willis (Bogart) big bucks to act as Toro’s press agent. Despite knowing that the fights will all be fixed, Eddie needs the money and does a great job, disgusting his old friends and his wife (Jan Sterling).in the process.
But Eddie becomes one of the two people Toro likes and trusts and when his manager is sent back to Argentina, Eddie has increasing moral qualms. These build to a head when Toro is put up for the championship against a fighter who will not take a fall.
Bogart looks a bit haggard but is a dynamo of energy with an underlying sensitivity that shines through his expressive eyes. Steiger is every bit his equal as the ruthless and volatile promoter who cares about nothing but his bottom line. This is a fairly standard indictment of the boxing game, and by extension dog-eat-dog capitalism, otherwise. The two lead performances make it well worth seeing, though.
Burnett Guffey was nominated for an Academy Award for Black-and-White cinematography for The Harder They Fall.
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