Harder They Fall The (1956)

Harder They Fall The (1956)

This great boxing movie features Humphrey Bogart’s last on-screen performance. He plays Eddie Willis a has-been sportswriter that’s hired to promote an Argentinian boxer named Toro Moreno (Mike Lane) by the fighter’s owner Nick Benko played by Rod Steiger. Benko has arranged bouts for Toro against bums or others who will take a fall to enable his "boxer" to earn a title fight. This sets up a conflict between Willis who earns Toro’s trust and acts as his protector and Benko who couldn’t care less about Toro and is only interested in the purse. There are some touching scenes between Toro and Willis who also needs Benko’s paycheck. The story is loosely based on Primo Carnera’s career. Real life boxers Max Baer who had actually fought and beat Carnera and Jersey Joe Walcott appear as characters in the film. Directed by Mark Robson (Peyton Place (1957)) with a screenplay by Philip Yordan (Broken Lance (1954)) that was based on the novel by Budd Schulberg (On the Waterfront (1954)). Harold J. Stone plays a TV sportscaster Nehemiah Persoff & Jack Albertson also appear. Burnett Guffey (From Here to Eternity (1953)) earned an Oscar nomination for his B&W Cinematography.

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