The Best Boxing Movies: #6 "The Harder They Fall" (1956)
By John Roberts
@JohnRoberts (109857)
Los Angeles, California
June 5, 2017 7:16am CST
“The Harder They Fall” contains the final screen performance of Humphrey Bogart. The presence of Bogie alone makes the movie worth seeing. Directed with gritty realism by Mark Robson, “The Harder They Fall” is a harsh look at the corruption of the boxing game. Rod Steiger plays a crooked promoter building up an unknown Argentinian boxer by fixing fights to set up a big cash in title bout. Bogart performs his world weary cynical thing as a down and out former sports columnist hired to publicize the Argentinian’s “greatness.” There are brutal ring beatings and no triumphant final ending. Nobody does it better than Bogart even when he was dying of cancer. This grim expose of syndicate controlled boxing was based on a novel by Budd Schulberg.
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5 responses
@Montecristodog (787)
• United States
2 Nov 17
I liked it. It reminded me of the life of Primo Carnera. There were reports that some of his fights were fixed and he was nothing more than a hype. He got a brutal beating by Max Baer, who also, starred in this movie. Bogie was at his best. It was a shame that it was his last movie.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
5 Jun 17
I haven't seen it. Sounds like I'd like to, though.
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@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
5 Jun 17
Another film from the year I was born and I do remember this one.
2 people like this
