Humphey Bogart scores a knockout as shady fight promoter
Fan of clever plots, Film noir guru, Movie guru, DVD collector, Sports movie buff
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JUN
3
2008
Rarely do we see a gritty sports movie that better shows the criminal elements eager to wrap their tentacles around the livelihoods of men trying to make a living the only way they know how.
The Harder They Fall is Humphrey Bogart's last film, the story of a creampuff fighter with a glass jaw and punch like a kitten who won the heavyweight championship through fixed fights. Reputed to be based on the story of real life fighter Primo Carnera, who was alleged to have won his world title just the same way, the story is by Budd Schulberg, adapted for the screen by Philip Yordan.
Bogart plays Eddie Willis, a sports writer on the skids who agrees to promote the unknown fighter from Peru, Toro Moreno, an impressively large man with very few boxing skills.
The movie has the added zing of showing Bogart not only working with the bad guys but also desiring the money so much he is willing to taint all the good will he had built up over his years as an honest writer. It even affects his marriage as his wife (Jan Sterling) continually reminds him of the unscrupulous game he is playing.
Rod Steiger, as the chief mobster gives an extremely memorable performance and nearly steals the film from Bogey. The supporting cast is also extremely well chosen and do their parts proud. Real-life boxers Jersey Joe Walcott and Max Baer have important roles and the big dumb fighter Toro (Mike Lane) tugs at your heartstrings, he is so naive. Nehemiah Persoff and Harold J Stone also give key performances, one as a crooked accountant and the other a sports writer who owes Bogart a favor and turns the other way to avoid exposing his old compadre.
In spite of the tremendous fund of talent present, Bogart is able to command the screen, proving he has the true star power he always had. It is sad to contemplate that after this film, Bogart succumbed to cancer. He was 57.
The fight scenes are spectacular, shot by the expressionistic eye of Burnett Guffey, ace cinematographer. The modern jazz score by Hugo Friedhofer is very well suited to the visuals and has the added dimension of poking fun at the big dumb boxer by playing jazz variations on traditional South American themes, often with whimsical stylings.
The 108 minute black and white movie is from a Columbia DVD. The excellently preserved video is shot in the film noir tradition and you will be sure to enjoy it if you are a sports fan, a crime drama fan, or a Bogart fan.
Harder They Fall is recommended by GeorgeChabot
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