Movie

The Harder They Fall

1956 · 109 min

A grim, clear-eyed descent into boxing's corrupt underbelly, anchored by a weary, conscience-stricken performance and a mounting sense of moral compromise.

Directed by: Mark Robson
Genres: Drama
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling

Tagline: No Punches Pulled! If you thought "On The Waterfront" hit hard... wait till you see this one!
Overview: 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.

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Directed by: Mark Robson
Genres: Drama
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling

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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: darkstrength 3 of 3
bleakstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: corruption
guilt
morality
exploration
redemption
Places: big city
road trip
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: None
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence strong
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	4
Horror	2
Humour	2
Realism	8
Romance	1
Tension	7
Darkness	8
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	8

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Where to watch in the UK

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama
Directed by: Mark Robson
Written by: Philip Yordan
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling, Mike Lane, Max Baer, Jersey Joe Walcott, Edward Andrews, Harold J. Stone
Music: Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography: Burnett Guffey
Runtime: 109 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: Spanish, English

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The Harder They Fall

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