Humphrey Bogart Movie:

Editorial Review:
Humphrey Bogart's final screen role was in this 1956 film by Mark Robson (Home of the Brave), about a cynical sportswriter who becomes a press agent and sees firsthand how badly boxers are used and manipulated by crooked managers. The story finds Bogart's character waffling about the ethics surrounding the exploitation of an overrated fighter who will earn money for his handlers in the short term, then be tossed onto the scrap heap. This is a very tough tale written by Budd Schulberg and shot with determined unromanticism; the boxing sequences are among the most striking and violent ever committed to film. Jan Sterling plays Bogart's wife, who watches him vacillate about whether to expose the fight syndicate as a racket. --Tom Keogh

The Harder They Fall [Region 2] Reviews:
Bogie Could Still Carry A Film
2009-02-20 - This was an interesting story but not always enjoyable to watch, simply because it's a real downer in spots, and seeing a very ill Humphrey Bogart was sad.

Bogart, as "Eddie Willis," plays a decent guy who knows he's doing the wrong thing so he's ornery for most of the film. His conscience is getting the best of him. Not many others in here are happy, either, for that matter, in this tale of crooked boxing. Boy, filmmakers in the '40s and '50s loved making crooked boxing stories.

What's also different about this is the featured boxer: a 6-foot-8 Argentinian import named "Toro Moreno" (Mike Lane), a stiff who is being groomed for the heavyweight championship via a series of fixed fights, led by the crooked promoter played by Rod Steiger.

Along the way, it was interesting to see real-life fighters Max Baer and Jersey Joe Walcott.

Bogart died of cancer a little over a year after making this film. He looked haggard, which is understandable, but he still did his normal excellent job of acting and keeping the story interesting. Like him or not, Bogart always got your interest.

Overall, it's a decent boxing film, but nothing spectacular, to be honest. There are many, many better boxing movies, but this is still worth watching.


The Seemly Underbelly Of The "Sweet Science"
2009-01-31 - Hollywood has had a long standing fascination with boxing. From Kid Galahad to Champion...From Requiem For A Heaveyweight to Raging Bull, all have portrayed the seemly underbelly of the "sweet science". The Harder They Fall stars Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger in a stunning portayal of the Mexican giant and Heaveyweight champion hopeful, Toro Moreno.

Loosely based on the real life story of the Italian champion Primo Carnera, Toro towers over his opponents, but he packs a punch that couldn't break an egg. And to make matters worse his jaw is as fragil as a Waterford chrystal goblet. Mobbed-up fight promoter Nick Bento (Rod Steiger) hires has-been sports writer Eddie Willis (Humphrey Bogart) as Toro's press agent. The two arrange for a series of bum-of-the-month-club bouts, with washed up pugilists. The bums are in the tank, as Toro racks up a dozen or more tainted victories. Eventually they get a shot to fight the number one contender for the heaveyweight crown. But the fighter is fresh off a brutal knock out at the hands of Buddy Brannen, (played by real life Heaveyweight champ Max Baer) the reining title holder. As he enters the ring with Toro, he is damaged goods and even Toro's cream puff blows cause him to hemmorage. Toro is devistated, as he believes his super human strength caused the fighter's death. It is now up to Bogart to convience Toro that he is innocent of this tragedy and that he must take one last fight with Brannen even though he has no chance of beating him.

Bogart and Steiger are exceptionally well cast and both deliver performances equal to their "heaveyweight" (pardon the pun) reputations. The supporting cast of Jan Sterling (Willis's long suffering wife), Nehemiah Persoff (the corrupt accountant and yes-man to Nick Bento) and real life heaveyweight champion "Jersey" Joe Walcott (Toro's sparring partner and brother's keeper) all provide the film with a gritty realism and authenticity. By the mid fifties Bogart had tarnished his remarkable film career with a series of "B" Grade stinkers. Fortunately his final role of Eddie Willis allowed this legendary and gifted actor a chance to go out with a flourish. Steiger too delivers a performance worthy of his greatest flim triumphs; On The Waterfront and In The Heat Of The Night. While The Harder They Fall may not make the American Film Institute's Top One Hundred list, it is nonetheless a finely crafted motion picture that will undoubtably make you think twice about the humanity of the "sport" of prize fighting. It might also teach you a thing or two about greed, oportunisim and redemption.

Nice sports drama.
2008-04-25 - Not bad, The Harder They Fall was the last film starring legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. Its a tale of corruption and greed in the sports and entertainment business, Humphrey Bogart stars as Eddie Willis a sports writer who is drawn into the ring of corruption when he agrees to promote an unknown fighter from South America named Toro Moreno (Mike Lane) who despite his huge size is a lousy fighter who cannot box but soon becomes heavy weight champion of the world allegedly through fixed fights. Beyond the obvious corruption in the fight game as the movie clearly depicts, the film is also about the danger of selling out doing something you know is wrong for money. Unfortunately Eddie Willis desperately needs the money since hes out of luck, there is also a fantastic performance by Rod Stieger as the crooked manager who was quite intense and likes to steal as much money from El Toro as he uses him as a cash cow. Humphrey Bogart is terrific as always and shows of his acting skills along with the great cast, he of course had some better films like Casablanca, The Treasure Of The Seirra Madre, The Big Sleep ect. but this film was still pretty good compared to those I would say that it holds up quite well. The film was nicely directed by Mark Robson and was released in 1956 with beautifully shot fight scenes and a fantastic score along with some great b/w cinematography, this of course being the last Bogart film is very essential to Bogart fans and fans of classic cinema.

Bogart took a slow boat to China!
2008-01-09 - "The harder they fall" is one of the bleakest films around the well known box underworld, genre that found a majuscule Ambassador in the emblematic film "Set up", directed by Robert Wise. On the other hand the dark and sinister ambiance assured it as one of the most potent Noirs ever made.

But also, this was the last performance of that mythical actor named Humphrey Bogart, who inspired by Paul Muni, inspired besides to so many actors of future generations like Lee Marvin, Al Pacino and Tim Roth among other ones.

A fundamental issue on your collection.


Bogart's Powerful Finale
2007-10-13 - Based on Budd Schulberg's 1947 novel, "The Harder They Fall" (1956) is a stunning indictment of the boxing profession. The film also marks Humphrey Bogart's final performance as a former sports writer turned publicist - and he's in good company. Bogie's scenes with Rod Steiger, Jan Sterling and Mike Lane (as the giant Argentinian boxer) are truly memorable. Mark Robson's no-nonsense direction makes the most of Burnett Guffey's Oscar-nominated cinematography. Unlike other screen legends, Bogart ended his career in classic fashion.