The Harder They Fall backdrop
DRAMA . 1956 . 1h 49m . 7.2/10

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.

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling
Box Office $1.4M
7.2/10
Rating
$1.4M
Box Office
1h 49m
Runtime
1956
Year
Updated Feb 16, 2026
The Harder They Fall poster
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.

WHERE TO WATCH

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast
Humphrey Bogart stars as Eddie Willis in The Harder They Fall.
Humphrey Bogart →
Year context
The Harder They Fall was released 70 years ago in 1956.
Overview
Jobless sportswriter Eddie Willis is hired by corrupt fight promoter Nick Benko to promote his current protégé, an unknown Argentinian boxer named Toro Moren...
The Harder They Fall is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 49m.

CAST (20)

Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Eddie Willis
Rod Steiger
Rod Steiger
Nick Benko
Jan Sterling
Jan Sterling
Beth Willis
Mike Lane
Mike Lane
Toro Moreno
Max Baer
Max Baer
Buddy Brannen
Jersey Joe Walcott
Jersey Joe Walcott
George
Edward Andrews
Edward Andrews
Jim Weyerhause
Harold J. Stone
Harold J. Stone
Art Leavitt, TV sportscaster
Carlos Montalbán
Carlos Montalbán
Luís Agrandi
Nehemiah Persoff
Nehemiah Persoff
Leo
Felice Orlandi
Felice Orlandi
Vince Fawcett
Herbie Faye
Herbie Faye
Max
Rusty Lane
Rusty Lane
Danny McKeogh
Jack Albertson
Jack Albertson
Pop
Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Priest (uncredited)
William Henry
William Henry
Fight Arena Locker Room Guard (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Frank McLure
Reporter at Hospital (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
William H. O'Brien
Ringsider (uncredited)
Bert Stevens
Bert Stevens
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Arthur Tovey
Fight Crowd Spectator (uncredited)

BOX OFFICE

$1.4M
Revenue

DETAILS

Release
Status
Released
Runtime
109 min (1h 49m)
Country
Rating
7.2/10 (150 votes)
Box Office
$1,350,000

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is The Harder They Fall about?
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.
How long is The Harder They Fall?
The Harder They Fall has a runtime of 109 minutes (1h 49m).
Who stars in The Harder They Fall?
The cast of The Harder They Fall includes Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling, Mike Lane, Max Baer.
How much did The Harder They Fall make at the box office?
The Harder They Fall earned $1,350,000 worldwide at the box office.
What is the rating of The Harder They Fall?
The Harder They Fall has a rating of 7.2 out of 10 based on 150 votes on TMDB.

GENRES (1)

Drama
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