The Harder They Fall Page #4

Al Capone opened a lot

of soup kitchens in Chicago.

The mayor didn't close them

just because it was him.

Money's not evil. The purpose for which

it's used is the determining factor.

You can help a lot

of crippled children with $25,000.

- Exactly the way I feel.

- Well...

...putting it in that light, perhaps

we can look to the ultimate good.

- But the decision is up to you.

- I just want to do the right thing.

May I have your attention.

We're proud to announce, the proceeds

for tonight's fight goes for...

... the Crippled Children's Fund,

sponsored by our city's...

... leading benefactor,

Mrs. Wilson Harding.

We have at ringside

two distinguished guests...

... who have donated their presence.

The number one heavyweight contender,

Buddy Brannen!

And the heavyweight champion

of the world, Gus Dundee!

Next week, in Philadelphia...

... Brannen and Dundee will meet

in a 15-round bout...

... for the heavyweight championship

of the world.

And now, at 204 pounds:

Rocky Mason!

And South America's

heavyweight hope...

... at 279 pounds: Toro Moreno!

Hurray!

Excellent! It's bedtime.

That's enough TV tonight.

Time for bed.

Say good night to Mrs. Willis.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- See you later.

- Right.

- Good night, Daddy.

- Good night, take care.

- Another brandy?

- No, thank you.

- Mind if I call you Beth?

- No.

Beth, Leo writes me that you want

to join your husband...

...on the coast, is that right?

- Isn't that all right?

- No, Eddie's doing great. Why stop him?

- How am I stopping him?

- I keep tabs on Eddie.

Every time you write him, it slows him

down. Then he gets a guilty conscience.

What are you telling him?

- Thanks for dinner.

- Eddie's my partner.

We can make money,

but the whole thing can blow up.

Eddie's gotta stay exactly

the way he is.

I don't know how he is.

I wanna see him.

You think you're being fair to me?

I pay your husband well for what he

does. You owe me a degree of loyalty!

- You just want me to be a good wife.

- Right. I want you to stay home.

Leave him alone.

Don't write letters.

You play ball with me,

and the money that he makes...

...he'll never walk the streets again.

- Good night.

- Beth.

This is Eddie's great chance.

Don't ruin it.

I won't ruin it.

Excuse me.

Thank you.

Hello? Eddie?

Honey, I'm so glad you called.

I was beginning to worry.

Well, I didn't get a letter this week.

How are you? Feeling all right?

Everything's going great.

I'll wire you 500 tomorrow.

No, l...

Pardon us.

No, I want you to spend it.

Oklahoma City, then we head back East.

Well, that was my fault.

Sure, I got your letter.

I'll try to write more often.

Hello?

Hello? Eddie?

Hello, operator? We were disconnected.

- I'm sorry, but the party hung up.

- What?

- Shall I try to get that number back?

- No, never mind.

Hello? Yes, Eddie, we were cut off.

No, I'm fine.

I have everything I want.

Except you.

Sure. Sure, I understand.

Goodbye. Goodbye, Eddie.

Goodbye.

Hey, Willis.

My bum won't take the dive.

He changed his mind.

Wait a minute. Come on.

Boys, outside.

- What's wrong?

- I won't do it.

You made a deal.

You wanna get us both crippled?

I got nothing to do with this. He's

wacky. He's got rocks in his head!

- What changed your mind?

- I thought this would be a small fight.

But my friends, relatives...

My whole tribe's here.

I can't take a dive in front of them.

I've got my pride.

- You no-good bum!

- Cut it out, Leo.

- You get a $1000 bonus.

- Keep your money. I've got my pride.

Toro's knocked out every opponent.

It's no disgrace to lose.

- Think of the money.

- Money don't last long with me.

- I gotta hold on to my pride.

- Chicken wire.

What's holding things up?

We've got a mob.

- Ever hear of the chicken wire routine?

- What is it?

Put a piece of chicken wire

into your mouthpiece.

You get a punch, the blood flows.

They stop the fight.

You get your money

and you save your pride.

- Hit him in the kisser!

- Hit him in the mouth!

- Stop the fight!

- Break it up. Break it up.

- Stop the fight!

- Hey, referee.

- This Buddy Brannen is now champion?

- S.

- In America, we must speak English.

- Right, I forget.

You'll train very hard. Someday,

you'll get a chance to fight Brannen.

- And I'll beat him.

- You'll be the champion.

- Good.

- Very good.

You're a very lucky young man, Toro.

I have good friends

like you and Eddie.

Yes, Eddie's a very fine man.

- Hold it!

- Hold it there!

Eddie! Hi, Eddie.

- Eddie, you've done a great job.

- So far, so good.

This one, huh? Look at this.

If he gets any bigger, we'll rent

him out like the Empire State Building.

Come on.

We're getting close to the big money.

Toro's recognized everywhere.

The power of TV.

He still can't fight. You're crazy

to match him with the ex-champ.

- Agrandi.

- I'll be there.

Let me take care of the matchmaking.

- I'm sorry to disturb you.

- I'm sorry too, but I'm busy.

Toro asked me for money.

- For what?

- To send to his mother.

- We're in the red.

- Red?

- We're not making any money.

- How can that be?

- The stadiums are filled at fights.

- You calling me a liar?

All right, I told you I'm a busy man.

Leo, get rid of him.

- Eddie, you're getting nervous.

- Nick, Dundee will murder him.

- Nobody will get murdered.

- No one gets hurt.

- Another fix?

- It's a fix.

No, I can't believe that.

You can't buy Dundee.

- I already bought him.

- Show me.

I'll show you.

Just step on the terrace.

- How are you, Gus?

- Eddie, you know Pop?

- Sure.

- Hi, Mr. Willis.

- How's the family?

- Fine.

That big clown of yours,

can he do anything yet?

- He can stand if you don't press him.

- No rough stuff.

Gus shouldn't be fighting so soon.

Brannen didn't hurt me.

It was just a lucky punch.

Some lucky punch,

you were out for five hours.

- What happened?

- Why you asking?

I want to know, that's why.

- Rub my neck, Pop. Right here.

- Sure.

Got a lousy headache.

Couldn't sleep all night.

We were talking about your fight

with Brannen, remember?

It wasn't Buddy's punch

that kept me out so long.

No, sir. It was...

Remember? The doctor,

the penicillin, the cold.

Yeah, that's what it was.

I had a cold all during training.

That goofy doctor,

he shoots me full of stuff.

I'm allergic to penicillin.

That's what lowered my resistance.

Then Buddy got in that lucky punch.

Yeah, that's what it was.

I got a reputation. I don't want

to blow it this late in the game.

Eddie will take care of the press.

- I'll make you look good, Gus.

- You're a good man, Eddie.

My head's killing me.

Got an aspirin?

- Go get him some aspirin.

- I'll see you later, Gus.

- He's punched out.

- It's why he cut a deal.

What if he forgets in the ring?

He's not that bad, or he wouldn't

have cost me $100,000.

We started with nothing

and it's all, Eddie, big business.

Drum the name in their heads

and they buy the label.

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