The Harder They Fall
No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!
109 mins
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.
Jersey Joe Walcott
George
Brandon Beach
Party Guest (uncredited)
Al Baffert
Fighter (uncredited)
Emily Belser
New York Reporter (uncredited)
Julie Benedic
Statuesque Blonde (uncredited)
Phil Berger
Boxer Kayoed in Bakersfield (uncredited)
Eve Bernhardt
Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Penny Carpenter
Benko Daughter (uncredited)
Edwin Chandler
Chicago Television Announcer (uncredited)
Winnie Chandler
Fight Fan (uncredited)
George Chester
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Pat Comiskey
Gus Dundee (uncredited)
Jack Daly
Reporter (uncredited)
Vinnie De Carlo
Joey (uncredited)
Gil Frye
Minor Role (uncredited)
Ralph Gamble
Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Garland
Fighter (uncredited)
Charlie Gibbs
Minor Role (uncredited)
Bennie Goldberg
San Diego Referee (uncredited)
Mickey Golden
Cornerman (uncredited)
Dorothy Gordon
Las Vegas Showgirl (uncredited)
Joe Greb
Joey Greb - Fighter (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)
Don Kohler
Reporter (uncredited)
Joseph La Cava
Manager (uncredited)
Pat Lawler
Vince's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Larry Leverett
Reporter (uncredited)
Mark Lowell
Minor Role (uncredited)
William Marks
Minor Role (uncredited)
Mathew McCue
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Irving Mitchell
House Doctor - New York (uncredited)
Diana Mumby
Vince's Girlfriend (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)
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)
Fred Scheiwiller
Fighter (uncredited)
Mark Scott
Reporter (uncredited)
Gene Smith
Minor Role (uncredited)
J. Lewis Smith
Brannen's Manager (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)
Burnett Guffey
Director of Photography
Jerome Thoms
Editor
William Flannery
Art Direction
Clay Campbell
Makeup Artist
Alfred E. Spencer
Set Decoration
Helen Hunt
Hairstylist
John P. Livadary
Recording Supervision
William Kiernan
Set Decoration
Lambert E. Day
Sound