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The Harder They Fall (Apr-1956)
Director: Mark Robson Writer: Philip Yordan From novel: The Harder They Fall by Budd Schulberg Music Composed by: Hugo Friedhofer Producer: Philip Yordan Keywords: Sports Drama, Film Noir, Boxing A boxing promoter asks a sportswriter Eddie Willis to talk up a fresh-faced Argentinian import, Toro Moreno. But he quickly sees that Toro isn't up to a heavyweight championship fight, and Willis must battle with his conscience. Bogart's final film, and while he shows some signs of his illness in the film it is one of his finest.
| Name | Occupation | Birth | Death | Known for |
|---|
| Jack Albertson |
Actor |
16-Jun-1907 |
25-Nov-1981 |
The Man on Chico and the Man |
| Edward Andrews |
Actor |
9-Oct-1914 |
8-Mar-1985 |
Sixteen Candles |
| Max Baer |
Boxing |
11-Feb-1909 |
21-Nov-1959 |
Beat Max Schmeling in 1933 |
| Humphrey Bogart |
Actor |
25-Dec-1899 |
14-Jan-1957 |
Casablanca |
| Herbie Faye |
Actor |
2-Feb-1899 |
28-Jun-1980 |
Cpl. Fender on The Phil Silvers Show |
| Felice Orlandi |
Actor |
18-Sep-1925 |
21-May-2003 |
Italian-American character actor |
| Nehemiah Persoff |
Actor |
2-Aug-1919 |
|
The Harder They Fall |
| Rod Steiger |
Actor |
14-Apr-1925 |
9-Jul-2002 |
In The Heat of the Night |
| Jan Sterling |
Actor |
3-Apr-1921 |
26-Mar-2004 |
Ace in the Hole |
| Harold J. Stone |
Actor |
3-Mar-1911 |
18-Nov-2005 |
The Harder They Fall |
CAST REVIEWS Review by anonymous (posted on 14-May-2006) This film is a fitting tribute
to a great American film icon. In his previous film, the minor classic
"The Desperate Hours", Bogart was clearly ill. In "The Harder They
Fall", Bogie is in even worse shape, pale, shaky, pasty and puffy. He
was dying of throat cancer and the insidious disease would claim his
life nine months after the film was released. In the movie, Bogart
plays a down on-his-luck sports writer who, due to unemployment, takes
on a job as a publicity man for a Panamanian boxer named Toro Moreno.
Moreno's management is cheating the poor slob by setting up one patsy
after another who takes dive after dive on a whirlwind cross-country
boxing tour. Thanks to Bogie's contacts in the media and his writing
skill, the nation falls for the tale of the "giant from the Andes".
Toro himself believes his own press until, in a championship fight, he
gets beaten to a grotesque pulp. Pangs of conscience finally hit Bogie
and he helps the fighter escape back to his home in South America and
begins writing a tell-all expose on the dirty business of pro boxing.
It is a wonderful, soul-searching performance by Bogie with Rod Steiger
perfectly villanous as a crooked manager. As stated above, Bogart was
dying and he was aware of it. This adds an additional level of pathos
to the film as we see a clearly in-pain Bogie doing his best to right
the wrongs that he has wrought. We know he'll take a turn for the
better, but in the classic Bogart tradition, we also know he'll do it
slowly and with a certain bewilderment. The pain in his eyes is as much
from the cancer eating away at him as it is from the character's
reluctant involvement in what he clearly knows is wrong. Mark Robson's
direction is spare, but that's fitting. This film noir doesn't require
anything fancy. The boxing sequences are adequate although former
champion Max Baer is far too old to be actively fighting in the
championship fight scene. The additon of Baer (who in real life was one
of the great gentleman of his or any other era) and Jersey Joe Walcott
in the movie lends an air of authenticity to the proceedings, not
because they can be taken seriously as active fighters, but because, by
their presence, they are acknowledging the basic premise of the film:
the fight game is a dirty business. Walcott, as an actor, could have
had an interesting career, but he is under utilized here in a valet
role. Cinematographer Burnett Guffey does a credible job in lighting
the film, giving us glipses into the nighttime world of work-a-day
boxing. His lighting is so skillful that, even in the day scenes, we
somehow feel the ominous hues of night always approaching. The
supporting cast is nothing short of excellent across the board.
Steiger, the under rated Neihmah Persoff, Jan Sterling... need we say
more? This is a fitting farewell to an actor who turned film noir into
movie magic. See this film and watch a pro bucking it up against all
personal odds to get the story done, get the film in the can and get on
with a life that was quickly running out of time.
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