The Harder They Fall (1956) Movie Script
Coming, Danny.
We're late, George.
- Eddie's not here.
- You tell him 7:00?
- I told him.
- I'm not sure he's right for us.
- We need a top writer.
- Press agents are a dime a dozen.
I want an established sportswriter,
you understand?
He's a has-been.
He's equal to the big columnists.
The boys like and believe him.
- Why do you think he'll work for you?
- Because I think he's ready.
Now do you understand?
You understand? Fine.
You've cleaned the place
since I was here.
- I'm glad you made it.
- What are you hiding?
When I find a good thing,
I like to keep it quiet.
- Who is it this time?
- See what he's doing.
Eddie, you're a real, real big talent.
I read your column every day.
When the paper folded I missed it.
Skip the buildup.
Get to the main event.
I got a position. It's not
the usual press agent's routine.
It's a job for an important man.
It pays important money. Interested?
- I didn't come to work out.
- All right. Now, the fight...
- What's he doing?
- Getting ready, Mr. Benko.
- Tell him to hurry it up!
- Yes, sir.
The fight game is falling apart.
The boys are getting too smart.
They wanna go to college
and be doctors and lawyers.
My boys went abroad for new material,
and they came up with a winner.
- The guy's name is Toro Moreno.
- I never heard of him.
I told you he was new, didn't I?
Mr. Agrandi, Mr. Willis is a famous
sportswriter. He'll make Toro famous.
- A pleasure.
- Likewise.
- We shouldn't keep him waiting, right?
- No, no, Seor Benko.
That spic's Toro's manager. I brought
him because Toro's lost without him.
- What's this pay?
- Take a look first.
- Lf the money's bad, why waste time?
- All right, 250 a week.
- You'll have to up it.
- You'll have an open-end account.
Leo writes the checks, charges it off
to business. For you, it's tax-free.
All right. I'll take a look at him.
I can pick them, can't I?
You can pick the right people
for the right job.
I've been after you eight years.
You turned me down 20 times.
Did I get discouraged? No, sir.
You wait long enough,
everything falls in your lap.
Like rotten apples, huh?
- Danny, let's see what he can do.
- George.
Feel him out. Don't let
anything go till I tell you.
You get it like you want it,
Mr. McKeogh.
All right. Sit down and shut up!
- Come on, get down.
- Let's see if he can punch.
- Let him belt you one, George.
- Okay.
He can't hit.
He's a stiff, musclebound.
- Now, let's see if he can take it.
- Open up a little.
Once in the belly.
In the kidneys.
- On the button, George.
- Okay.
A powder-puff punch and a glass jaw.
That's a great combination.
It's just like I told you.
Toro is an amateur.
- He's strong as a bull.
- Take him to the shower.
- You too. You take a shower too.
- All right. Go on, move.
Vince, Frank, take a walk.
There's a million bucks in Toro.
How do we unlock it?
- You won't.
- Why do you think you're here?
I need a solid contact
with the working press.
- An in-between guy, and that's you.
- You told me I was a big talent.
- We're plain-talking people.
- It's a waste of time...
Did I ask you? Then shut up.
All right, Willis, you're on.
Even with a mediocre heavyweight
he'll get beat.
He's a giant!
You can't drum up copy on him?
- I can get him space.
- He is a natural.
I can get anyone to box,
but Toro can fill a stadium.
- Why am I in this business?
- To make a buck.
Me too.
But what happens in his first fight?
That's Max's department.
You'll hire a tank artist
to take a dive.
Right.
- You got the wrong man.
- See?
Shut up! He's old enough
to talk for himself.
The fight game today
is like show business.
They're not fighters, they're actors.
The best showman becomes champ.
You wouldn't hesitate
to publicize an actor.
You argue pretty good
and I like the money.
But what happens when he
fights a guy you can't fix?
- I won't let my investment get hurt.
- No one gets hurt.
Come on, Eddie.
Come up with something.
Well, come on, give me an idea.
Don't fight it! What are you trying
to do, hold on to your self-respect?
Did your self-respect hold your job
or give you a new column?
Eddie, if you help me, I'll help you.
- You can't kick him off in this town.
- Then where do we kick off?
California.
They like freak attractions.
Fine, fine. Leo, you get the tickets
ready by tomorrow morning.
Deal?
You've tried to get me for eight years.
All right, you got me. It's a deal.
Eddie.
You make me nervous.
How come I got you so easy?
Your timing's perfect. For 17 years
I wrote a newspaper column.
Never missed a deadline.
Suddenly I'm out in the street,
running again.
A good newspaperman like you
can't get a job?
A newspaper job only pays a living.
I want a bank account.
A man past his 40s
shouldn't have to run anymore.
Line up press conferences,
commercial tie-ins...
...personal appearances
on TV and radio.
- Who are you talking to?
- Art Leavitt in L.A.
- Hello, Art.
- That was Beth. Art says hello.
He's great. He's ready
for a crack at the title now.
I wanna build him up fast.
Of course I'm excited.
I got something to be excited about.
I'll see you tomorrow in L.A.
For dinner. Thanks.
- You leaving town?
- I'm back in business. Public relations.
- What firm are you going with?
- We're taking off tonight.
- I thought I'd go tomorrow.
- Nick says we go tonight.
- Who's the broad?
- My wife.
- What's the matter with you?
- We've wasted enough time.
You go when we go.
You're the press agent.
- I'll fly tomorrow. I haven't packed.
- You'll buy all you need on the coast.
This is your advance and your ticket.
Be at the airport at 10:00. Come on.
Who are those charming characters?
The board of directors.
Nick Benko's boxing club. The boys.
- A press agent for fighters?
- It pays 1000 a month and expenses.
- Why do you have to go to California?
- They wanna build up this fighter.
- He needs a buildup?
- Big one. He's a freak.
Strong as a bull
but green as a cucumber.
You could lick him.
I don't like thinking of you
as a fighter's press agent.
It's sad.
You sell a fighter or you sell soap.
It's all selling.
I guess so, but I think you're capable
of something more important.
Well, a little of this and a lot of this
will make you change your mind.
When we meet the press,
they'll ask questions.
Tell him to let me give all
the answers, that clear?
- No, no. Speak English.
- Yes, mister.
- You see, he understands.
- Do you?
Frankly, no. Everything
is going so fast that I cannot think.
But I trust you.
Just leave everything to me and
we'll come out smelling like a rose.
I do only like you say.
You are my friend.
I'll try to be.
Good. Now we are all friends.
I like.
I hope you freeloaders are enjoying
your drinks and the dollar cigars.
Been here for six weeks,
nobody's seen your boy train.
I looked up Toro in the book.
There's no record of him.
Knocked out 38 guys in a row,
none of them went over three rounds.
- Believe that, I'll tell you another.
- Who discovered him, Eddie?
I'll let his compadre answer that.
This is Seor Agrandi.
Seores, I'm so happy to be
with you lovely people...
...and to tell you all about El Toro,
who is like my own son.
- Where'd you find Toro?
- I have small circus in my country.
We went to Santa Maria,
a little village on the Andes.
There, my strong man challenge all
the villagers with the boxing gloves.
El Toro put the gloves on,
and two minutes later, finish.
El Toro is now my new strong man.
- But can he box?
- He's no Gene Tunney.
- Can he punch?
- Not like Dempsey.
What's he got beside being big?
An iron jaw and a cast-iron stomach.
No man can hurt him.
- Why did he become a boxer?
- Why?
His family were stonecutters.
He never wore shoes till he was 19.
I guess he got tired of
walking around barefoot.
- How far do you think he'll go?
- All the way.
We leave for the fight in 20 minutes.
Drink up, there's more on the bus.
- Hi, Art.
- Hello, Graham. How are you?
How are these guys treating you?
I'm finding out it's pretty rough
on this side of the fence.
It's always rough with people we like.
You should know.
It means you're a hit.
I rushed over from the station.
Just gave your boy a real plug
on my TV show.
- Hope he comes through tonight.
- He will.
I didn't get a chance to ask.
Must have been a shocker
when your paper folded.
Beth was real depressed.
Me? Well...
Can he fight? Big guys
don't have any coordination.
He's coming along.
What are you drinking?
- Anything.
- Same old stuff? Bourbon on the rocks.
How come you turned press agent?
To me you can talk plain.
I need a check every week.
Did it have to be
Nick Benko's boxing club?
The New York Times
didn't send for me, Benko did.
What's the difference? Money's money,
no matter where you get it.
- L 'chaim.
- I'll need it.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the main event of the evening:
Ten rounds of heavyweight boxing.
Introducing the heavyweight champion
of the Pacific Fleet...
...and one of California's contenders
for the heavyweight crown...
...at 196 pounds, Sailor Rigazzo.
And introducing, for his first
appearance in the United States...
...the heavyweight champion
of South America...
...the wild man of the Andes,
undefeated in 39 fights...
...at 278 pounds, Toro Moreno.
Get on the bus, Toro!
Remember, Sailor, you go in one.
What's with Sailor?
If he keeps it up,
he'll wind up in the bay.
- What goes, Max?
- I don't know. I told him to go in one.
- Foul! Foul! Break it up.
- Foul!
What's the matter with you, buddy?
What are you trying to pull?
Splash! Go down!
He's got nothing.
I'll flatten him.
Go on!
I wish I hadn't come, Eddie.
We'll fix Sailor.
Take care of him good.
Right.
Operator, what's holding up my
New York call? Hurry it up.
Well, try that number again.
Yes, yes. Call me right back.
Busy.
- How's Toro?
- I put him to bed. What happened?
Why was everybody so mad
at the stadium? We win, no?
Agrandi, go to bed.
- Don't talk to me like a child.
- What do you want?
Toro's my friend. To you men,
he's nothing but money.
Be quiet, Agrandi.
You've got a room, go to it.
- Leave him alone.
- They made lots of promises.
So far, we haven't received one penny.
We want some money right now
or we leave, Toro and me.
You think this is a freak show?
You get paid every night?
You're working for a corporation.
You'll get your share
when the time comes.
- When will the time come?
- It's up to the New York office.
Who you looking for?
- Are you Vince?
- You got the wrong room.
I'm Vince.
- Wait for me in the bar.
- Don't be too long.
- Broads, at a time like this.
- Better learn to relax, Leo.
- Agrandi.
- Frank, go buy Agrandi a beer.
Come on, let's hang one on.
- Keep tab on the dolls for me.
- Sure.
We're in the soup. The commissioner
is holding an investigation.
Let him. Who's gonna talk?
The whole press was there.
They'll talk.
Nobody reads these papers
in the East. That's where the money is.
Art Leavitt has a sports newscast
on TV. He's coast-to-coast.
- Your friend.
- Yes, my friend.
Commissioner's gonna subpoena him.
Leavitt has pull in California.
He can murder us.
Hello? Oh, hi, Nick.
No, nothing's wrong.
It's just a little setback.
They're investigating.
That's a little setback?
Oh, you know already.
You phoned him from the stadium.
I had to tell him
about the commission.
I want it fixed, you understand?
I don't care! I want it fixed!
- Is Eddie there? Put him on.
- All right.
Put Eddie on the phone!
He wants to talk to you.
- Hello, Nick.
- How does it look? Pretty bad for us?
- Yeah, pretty bad.
- It's Leo's fault. I should've known.
No, it wasn't Leo's fault.
It just happened.
Where there's an in, there's an out.
Can you fix it?
No. How could I fix it?
- You've got connections. Use them!
- Not a chance.
I'd fly out tonight myself...
...but my boys are fighting in
Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo.
But I know you can do it, Eddie.
- No, I won't.
- Don't talk like that. I won't listen.
- Then don't. I'll hang up.
- Wait a minute. Don't hang up!
- Hold it.
- I'll give you to Leo.
I don't want Leo. You want a
bank account, I'll give you one.
- I'll give you 10%.
- Ten percent of what?
Toro. Ten percent of the whole deal.
You owe it to me to pull it off.
- I don't owe you anything.
- You owe it to yourself and your wife.
You walk out on me now,
you walk out broke.
Don't fight me. I'll give you
anything you want, I promise.
Never mind the promises.
Now, listen, Nick.
I want the same as Leo gets and
I want it in writing. No interference.
I'll have a contract
air-mailed to you tomorrow.
From here on in,
tell Leo you're the big wheel.
Okay, Eddie?
Okay.
I'm a partner if I get us out of this
bind. I get 10% /, same as you.
Only, from here on in,
I manage things.
Don't look so beat, Leo.
I could've aced you into the gutter.
What stopped you?
I hate to see a man lose his job.
Even you.
I'm not asking you
to give false testimony.
There's doubt in any fight.
All I want from you
is the benefit of that doubt.
You're saying it wasn't a bag fight?
You can't do this to me.
It's not you I'm after. It's Benko.
You can't put Benko out of business.
You can get Toro's license revoked,
but that'll put me out of business.
- Art, I'm asking you.
- How can you ask me to lie for you?
You don't have to lie. Just don't
say anything if you don't want to.
I've got 3000 in the bank.
I'll lend you any part of it.
I don't want any of it.
I want you to pay me what you owe me.
- What do I owe you?
- A favour. What friends do.
Why did you have to pick this fight
to make yourself a hero?
You knew it was crooked.
Why ask me to watch?
You never saw a fix and
looked the other way to hold your job?
You weren't born in this office
you have now.
I know you got me my first job.
I've always been grateful.
Forget that.
You never
played ball with promoters...
...who bought advertising
in your newspapers?
I'm not proud of it.
But you did it because
you were a nobody.
You were afraid you'd lose your job.
Now you're a big man.
You don't have to lie
to hold your job.
- Well, I do.
- Eddie, I wanna show you something.
Charlie, put that roll of film on
I gave you this morning.
I pieced together some film
for my next TV show.
I want you to take a look at it.
These are not actors you'll see.
They're real fighters who were once
top names in the ring.
Thank you.
Will you pardon us, please?
This is Art Leavitt talking to you
in front of Rudy's Beanery...
... from Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Standing beside me is an ex- fighter
who was a topnotch fighter.
- What's your name?
- Joey Greb.
- How old are you?
- I'm 57.
- How many fights have you had?
- 243.
- Did you ever fight any champions?
- I fought so many I forgot who.
How much money did you mak e
as a fighter?
Anywhere from a half a million to
three- quarters of a million dollars.
Tell me, does your head ever hurt?
Oh, I get these sinus pains, I do.
What do you do now?
- Now?
- Yeah, what do you do now?
Well, now I'm looking for work, I am.
You are? Where are you living?
I sleep in my car opposite
the Ranch Mark et, I do.
- You sleep in a car?
- Yes.
Are you married?
I took air out of the tires
so nobody...
- No, my wife passed away.
- Your wife passed away.
- Do you have any children?
- My boy got lost in the war.
Oh, he did.
Why don't you get a regular job?
Why don't you get a regular job?
Have you got a trade?
No, I got no trade,
outside of fighting.
What about the managers?
Managers go on forever,
but fighters only last a short time.
Should there be a home for fighters?
The same as baseball players,
they should be pensioned off.
Should they tak e money from fighters
or should the boxing commission pay?
The commission and the authorities,
the state and the government should...
It should be under a
government issue, all together.
The same as the
president of the United States...
... we should have a commissioner
of the boxing authority of the U.S.
What are your plans for the future?
- What are your plans for the future?
- What future?
- Thank you very, very much, Joey.
- It's very nice. Thank you.
- You wanna see more?
- No. No, I've had enough.
- Still want me to keep my mouth shut?
- Yes, Art, I do.
You think I took this job
because I like it?
No, because I don't like
sleeping in the park.
All right. I'll tell the commission
that in my opinion...
...it could've been an honest match.
Will that settle us?
- Yes. Well, almost.
- What else, Eddie?
Tell me. I want to close our books
so we don't have any future business.
What else, Eddie?
Well, just stop looking at me
as if I'd picked your pocket.
- Vince, you're ignoring me.
- Oh, I think about you all the time.
- I'm going to the casino.
- No, you don't.
Well, what am I supposed to do?
Feels good.
I'll give him six brothers
and three sisters. All poor.
- Eddie, why do we have to lie?
- Publicity.
Are you for real?
Do you mambo?
- Go play outside, sister.
- Don't push.
My money!
- The managers are on their way.
- Vince, Frank, clean out that room.
Managers are easy to handle
one at a time, but why send for six?
Get six together,
you're buying trouble.
Nick wants him to fight in Chicago by
Labour Day. We've gotta work fast.
Oh, Toro. It's bedtime.
- Good night, Eddie.
- Good night.
The party's over, sister.
I said, the party's over. Out.
I was...
- Hi, Jim.
- Hiya, Max.
- Hello, Max.
- Hi. Glad to see you.
- Max.
- Hi.
They're all members
of Benko's boxing club?
They've all done business with Nick.
- I'll do the talking.
- Who are you?
Jim Weyerhause.
- Leo tells me you've been unhappy.
- We want a better shake.
Toro is packing them in. You can pay
us an extra thousand and not feel it.
How much does the fighter get?
I asked a question. Just answer it.
We all got contracts with our boys.
They can't fight unless we say so.
You spot a strong kid, buy a 10-dollar
license and toss him in the ring.
For that, you grab a third
of his purse.
You steal another third
by padding the expense account.
Then you cheat him out of what's
left by giving him a fast shuffle.
- You're the managers, that's for sure.
- Do we get the extra dough?
- Pay the fighter an extra thousand.
- For what? Toro makes the gate.
It's good insurance. Pay him after
he takes the dive. Pay him directly.
- Nobody pays my fighter but me.
- You starting something new?
I split everything with my boy.
Trying to poison his mind against me?
If we do go for the extra,
let them take their share.
Pay my Trambo an extra G, some broad
will marry him and I lose my boy.
- You'll get another.
- I'm like a father to my boy.
He can't buy shoes without me.
Mr. Willis, you used
to be a newspaper man.
You just know a fighter in the ring.
We gotta live with these bums.
They're bums. They don't wanna work.
That's why they're in the business.
Without the fighter,
you're nothing.
You're wrong. Fighters come and go,
managers stay forever.
You're on our side. Stick with us.
Fighters are dirt.
- Let's not argue.
- Then what are managers made of?
What are you made of?
I'm wallowing in the same mud you are,
for the same buck.
That's why I want the fighter
to have an extra grand.
His whole life he'll talk about
making $1000 in one night.
I'll feel better, so should you.
Give those "bums" a break.
We handle the money.
We'll pay the fighters.
Get rid of them.
We'll do business elsewhere. Out!
All right, let's go.
We had the schedule laid out.
Where will I dig up new fighters?
They'll be back. Anything for a buck.
If they won't, I want Nick
to know it was your fault.
Mr. Willis. We'd like
to talk this over sensibly.
Sure, come on in.
Maybe you got a point.
To show our hearts are in the right
place, pay the bonus to the fighters.
Okay. Have a drink.
Maybe we seem a little tough
on our boys...
...but deep down, we love them.
You know something, Jim?
I never doubted you for a moment.
Mrs. Harding,
Mr. Benko authorized me...
...to offer you
his contribution of $25,000...
...for your charity drive
if Toro fights the main event.
But Mr. Benko's been indicted
several times.
The fight's TV sponsors
don't seem to mind.
You can't associate
your name with his.
His name isn't mentioned.
The contribution will be anonymous.
- I just want to do the right thing.
- Reject this offer.
Don't be hasty.
We must consider her tax position.
She can't carry the full load
of this charity drive.
They won't allow more
than a 20% / deduction.
- I advise you to accept it.
- I must withdraw.
- You should do the same.
- I want to do the right thing.
Reverend, let me refresh your memory.
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.
Here's your suite.
Go take a look around.
Anybody home?
Hello.
Hello. Is this yours?
Well, it's very pretty.
- I see you took me at my word.
- Thank you.
Why didn't you tell me
you were coming?
I thought Benko would.
He finally let me come.
You didn't have to ask him.
You could have come anytime.
- I wasn't sure you wanted me to.
- Weren't sure?
- No.
- Wait a minute.
I don't know what you've been
thinking, but you'd better stop it.
- All right, I'll try.
- No, don't try. Just stop it.
- I'm glad you came. It's been so long.
- Sure has.
No, I won't go. You can't do that.
- I belong with Toro! I stay!
- Shut up. This is a high-class hotel.
- I get a lawyer!
- You won't.
- I take Toro away from you!
- Shut up.
- What's going on?
- Agrandi's flying home tonight.
- What did he do?
- Nothing. He's bothering me for money.
- He's got it coming?
- No. His visa's expiring...
...and he won't get an extension.
- You fixed it?
- We don't want any troublemakers.
- You can't, the kid will be lost.
- He'll be fine. He trusts you.
- He only talks to Eddie.
He'll forget about Agrandi.
Two more fights and we're home.
- He can get the 10:00 flight.
- Good.
- You're doing it wrong.
- You telling me how to run my business?
- I'm making a wise suggestion.
- Don't.
- You can't revoke my visa.
- I don't want trouble.
I say the guy's gotta go, he goes.
That's all.
- Buy him out.
- You're in the deal too.
- Money comes out of your pocket too.
- I said, buy him out.
Wait a minute,
you're not indispensable.
- I did pretty good without you.
- Then fire me.
What are we arguing about?
We're partners.
I want to see you happy.
Leo, when Agrandi gets on the plane,
give him $5000.
- Now you satisfied?
- It stinks.
Why are you so touchy?
I keep paying out.
I'm a very generous guy. Ask Leo.
- You're generous.
- I'll get his ticket.
Get Agrandi out of here and tell Toro.
Make sure he doesn't act up.
Stick with Toro.
- Right.
- Come on!
Eddie, look, let's not argue in front
of people. It makes us look bad.
And five grand makes us look good,
huh?
Yeah?
What?
When?
I'll be right down.
Toro's run away.
Help me! Eddie, help me!
You wait here.
Help me, Eddie! Help me!
Leave him alone and get out of here.
What's wrong?
I want to go back home like Agrandi.
I don't like these people.
- Come over here.
- These people watch me. I'm afraid.
- Take it easy. Calm down.
- I don't like them. I wish to go home.
I want to talk to you.
- I will not...
- Sit down.
Luis promised he would never go.
Why did he leave?
His visa, his passport expired.
But, why him and not me?
We came together.
The government makes exceptions.
You're special. Agrandi's not.
You are my friend?
I hope. Do as you're told for a little
longer, and you'll go home rich.
The first South American heavyweight
champion of the world.
They'll hold parades, you'll
be famous and treated like a king.
Your parents will be proud.
Maybe you don't care what they think...
...but think of how they're going
to feel if you come home a nobody.
What if they never let me go?
That's nonsense. I'm going to tell you
a secret. I don't like them either.
I did this for the money, like you.
As soon as we get enough, I'll quit.
We'll both quit together, you and me.
That's a promise.
- I believe you, Eddie.
- Back to the hotel.
- Hello, Beth.
- Hello, Art.
- How are you, Art?
- Hello.
- Hi, Nick.
- Hi.
What happened between you and Art?
Oh, nothing.
There's real excitement in
Chicago tonight.
Tonight's winner earns a chance to
meet Buddy Brannen in New York.
We're running a little late. Neither
fighter has made his appearance.
Go down, see what's holding him up.
Go on, move.
- What's wrong?
- Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine.
Hey, what's the stall?
- We're waiting for Dundee.
- What's with him?
- Hold on. Max went. You better wait.
- Why?
They've got commissioners
snooping around.
- That's good, Toro. Keep punching.
- How are you feeling?
I'm okay.
Come on, big fellow, loosen up,
relax those muscles.
- I win tonight.
- Attaboy.
Then one more fight and I go home.
You gotta do more than that.
You have to knock Dundee flat
to get the champ.
- I knock him out.
- Attaboy, Toro, knock him flat.
Leo.
Gus is sick. I don't think he'll show.
- He's gotta show.
- What do you want me to do?
You tell him... No, tell his manager.
Tell him what Nick will do.
- And make it strong.
- Right!
No, Frank, you stay here.
- Dundee's in bad shape.
- What's wrong?
- He can't stomach water.
- How about a shot?
His nose is bleeding.
I'm supposed to cancel the
fight for a nosebleed?
I'll lose the gate. I want him here.
All right. Max will get him up in the
ring if he has to drag him there.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we have at ringside...
...the man who the winner tonight will
meet in New York later this year...
...the heavyweight champion
of the world, Buddy Brannen.
And now, for the main event,
10 rounds of boxing.
Introducing the South American Goliath,
who has scored 25 knockouts...
...at 275 pounds, Toro Moreno.
And his opponent, at 212 pounds...
...the ex-heavyweight champion
of the world, Gus Dundee.
You know the rules for the state of
Illinois. I want a nice, clean fight.
In the event of a knockdown,
go to the furthest neutral corner.
Any questions?
- Which is the furthest neutral corner?
- I'll take care of it.
- Now, shake hands and come out fighting.
- Come on, Gus!
Come on, Gus!
For all the money,
he better make it look good.
Don't worry, he will.
Come on!
Come on!
Get up, you bum!
What's wrong with Gus?
He's not trying.
He better start trying next round.
Oh, what a tanker!
Why don't they stop the fight?
It's too early. The fans have got to
get their money's worth.
Ladies and gentlemen, in one minute,
12 seconds of the third round...
...the winner by a knockout,
Toro Moreno.
Keep the press away from Toro.
And you keep a tab on Dundee.
- I'll get you out of here.
- No, you go on.
I'll ask Art to take me back
to the hotel. Go on.
All right.
You yellow dog! You yellow dog!
You yellow dog!
Art?
Will you take me back to the hotel?
I'd like to talk to you.
Sure, Beth.
- What do you think, doc?
- He's still in a coma.
- Is he bleeding?
- There's seepage from his ears.
Toro didn't hit him hard.
Chances are he didn't. Gus probably
got a haemorrhage in the Brannen fight.
I understand he took a pretty
severe beating from Buddy.
The commission examined Gus.
Why did they pass him?
Damaged tissue can be small,
no bigger than a pinpoint.
It might not show in an examination,
but a tap could start the bleeding.
Gus is strong. He'll pull through.
Gus is a good man.
I'm praying for him.
George, you do that. It's good.
You keep praying for him.
- It was an accident. Right?
- Sure.
- They take their chances in the ring.
- That's right.
The boxing commission
decides whether a fighter is fit.
If they passed him,
we're in the clear, right?
That's the accepted view.
It doesn't happen to be mine.
Doctor, will you do me a favour please?
Eddie Willis is inside. Would you tell
him we'd like to see him?
- Can't we wait at the hotel?
- We'll stay and show some respect.
- Frank, go get some coffee.
- Right.
How about sandwiches?
What's the matter with you?
Trying to make a picnic? Just coffee.
All right.
Eddie, this will look lousy if the
press says Brannen finished off Gus.
Make up a story
for the morning papers.
You mean something like, "Gus was a
formidable opponent...
...but when he faced
the wild man of the Andes...
...he gambled with his life."
- Wonderful.
- You want the commission to know that.
- Great! Exactly!
It sure is great.
How can you worry about the press when
Gus is lying with a tube in his head?
Eddie, how about a statement?
Toro fought clean.
It's just one of those things.
- Moreno ever kill in South America?
- No.
But you wrote that he sent
some fighters to the hospital.
- That was just press agent talk...
- Wait!
Let's not hide anything. Sure, Toro
sent some boys to the hospital.
Why not? He's tough. Anyone who enters
the ring with him takes a chance.
I want the whole world to know that.
Buddy Brannen too.
Will Toro take the title?
I'm serving notice on the New York
State Boxing Commission now.
We wanna win the championship, but we
don't want a repetition of tonight.
When he's had enough,
the referee should stop the fight.
- When will the fight be?
- We'll be ready in six weeks.
- How big of a gate do you expect?
- Come on, gentlemen.
Please, let's not discuss that here.
I'd give up our crack at the title
if I thought it could help Gus.
Dundee's always been a clean fighter,
a good family man.
He's been a credit to his profession.
And if there's a God in heaven, I'm
sure he'll be in Gus' corner tonight.
He died on the operating table.
Never came to.
- I heard it on the radio.
- Yeah. Rotten luck.
Gus was only 33 years old.
In most jobs he was just a kid.
In the fight game he's an old man.
Hello, this is 1104. Would
you send someone up for our bags?
Yes, we're checking out. Thank you.
- What do you mean we're checking out?
- We're going home.
- I can't go home now.
- I had a long talk with Art Leavitt.
I don't want to hear about Art Leavitt.
He told me enough in California.
You should've listened.
There's a lot of things I should and
shouldn't have done.
But how can you even think of staying?
I can't go back now. In six weeks
Toro fights Brannen in New York.
That's when I cash in.
If I walk now, Nick will cut me off.
You sound as if money
means everything.
You did okay with the money I sent.
Did anybody ask about the fur coat?
You said you were a press agent.
You didn't say a man had to die.
You talk as if I killed him.
I didn't say that.
If you stay you're like Nick.
Haven't I got enough trouble without
you giving me more?
- I don't know what's happened to you.
- Hello. No, I can't talk to you now.
You've been letting me have it.
Other men lose their jobs and
they get another job.
- Go back to the rewrite desk.
- I won't settle for that.
- Why won't you?
- I was there 20 years ago.
- It pays a living but you want more.
- Yes, and I'm getting it.
- But how are you getting it?
- Without it, you're a bum to people.
Would you take those
three bags, please?
Yeah. Okay, Nick, I'll be right over.
It's the first time the bum's
been happy.
Eddie, I talked to Brannen's manager
and closed the deal for the match.
Look at the paper. Look at that.
Now nobody can say, "That's
Toro the phoney" or "Toro the freak."
They're going to say,
"That's Toro the killer."
We're sitting on top of the whole fat
world and you got 10% / off the top.
And one more thing:
It couldn't happen to a better guy.
Hey, Eddie.
Here's a girl that wants to marry me.
It'll make your mother very happy.
Eddie, this is Shirley, a very
fine girl. This is Eddie, a fine man.
No, thank you.
- One more. One more.
- What round?
Quiet. May I have it quiet, please?
New York is proud and honoured to have
this heavyweight championship.
The whole world looks upon
you two fine athletes...
...to uphold the great American
tradition of sportsmanship.
I know from both of you boys'
past experiences...
...that you always give your all, and we
can expect a clean, honest contest...
...that will go down in the annals of
pugilism and be remembered.
Have them shake hands.
- Thanks, Joey.
- Okay, Eddie.
- Hey, Willis! Wait a minute.
- Wait downstairs, huh?
- I got a beef with you.
- What's bothering you?
You're planting phoney stories,
and I don't like it.
- What is it you don't like?
- Saying your big joker is a killer.
- All right, we'll talk in here.
- Leave him alone.
Go ahead, Eddie.
We're building up the gate,
what do you care what we say?
It's a question of personal pride.
How did I hurt your pride?
I'm the one that nailed Gus.
Murdered him for 15 rounds.
I don't know what held him up.
But when Gus left he was dead.
Your joker tapped him. I did the work
and he gets the glory. I don't like it.
I did you a grave injustice.
I never knew it meant so much to you.
When I butcher a guy, I want the world
to know, and they will with your boy.
You're to carry Toro for six rounds.
Don't ruin the film rights.
It's important money.
There's more at stake. I'll prove
that I'm the guy that put Dundee away.
I don't care what you do to Toro,
but use your head.
Don't do it until after six rounds.
That was the deal.
No deal, Nick. No deal.
I'm gonna butcher your guy.
You're the fixer. Let's see you
fix your way out of this.
What should I do? You knew eventually
Toro would have a real fight.
- Wait a minute.
- What?
Fix it so he doesn't
walk into a meat grinder.
I can't help it if this bum gets mad.
Don't blame me.
Stop saying it's not my problem.
I'll make it mine.
Toro's not your brother.
You're not responsible for him.
He believes in me.
So do I. That's why I hired you.
Make up your mind. You can't be two
people. Where do you stand?
I'm part of the deal, but
I don't want him butchered.
Fine. Here's something important.
The odds on Brannen are 5-to-1.
- That's bad. You have to build up Toro.
- Drop me at the corner.
We build up Toro stronger and the odds
on Brannen drop to about 9-to-5.
Then we put some big bets on
Brannen and we pick up a bundle.
- Hello, Beth.
- Hello, Eddie.
I just got in this morning.
Yes?
Do we have to stand in the hall?
I'm not a vacuum cleaner salesman.
I'm your husband. This is my home.
I live here.
I'm sorry. I'll be out of
your way in five minutes.
Beth, why can't we be
sensible and talk?
What's to talk about? What's different?
You're with the same outfit.
You still feel the same way
you did in Chicago?
Yes, Eddie, I do.
Well.
Eddie! Eddie, if you want Toro,
Frank took him to St. Eustace.
You're not supposed to take him
anyplace without asking me.
I figured a church was okay.
The priest asked him to come.
- What for?
- I don't know.
Maybe to give him his blessings.
- Where's Toro?
- In the vestry, talking to the Father.
I received this letter
from Father Pappelli.
He's the priest in Santa Maria,
Mr. Moreno's village.
- Do you read Spanish?
- No, you better read it to me.
Mr. Moreno's mother wants him to
come home right away.
Is she ill?
No, she's mourning the man who
was killed by her son.
He didn't kill him.
It was an accident.
A man was beaten to death. He doesn't
want to stay in this barbaric sport.
Eddie, you are my friend,
help me go home.
I'd like to help you,
but you can't go home yet.
I want to go home now, Eddie.
Right now.
Toro, do you trust me? Well, do you?
Yes, Eddie.
Come with me. I'll see what I can do.
Don't worry about him,
I'll look after him.
Gracias, Padre.
I don't know what to say.
I don't know what to say. I talk
till I'm hoarse, and we get nowhere.
A priest 6000 miles away writes a
letter and our dreams go up in smoke.
When you got off the boat I saw you
and I made a promise.
Remember what I said?
I promised a crack at the heavyweight
championship. Now, I've kept my word.
It wasn't easy. I didn't do it alone.
It took the efforts of every man here.
We worked, sweated and bled for you.
We worried about you.
You had nothing but the best.
Here, look, here's Danny.
The best trainer in the business, and
he handled you like you were his son.
George, he worked like a slave to
teach you the tricks of the game.
Leo poured money over you
like it was water.
Giving you the best protection and
comfort that a fighter could get.
Max scouted your opponents.
He gave the information to Danny and
George so you'd be prepared to win.
Vince and Frank watched over you
like you were a little baby.
Eddie.
Eddie knocked his brains out so your
name could be known around the world.
Why do you think I did all of this?
Because I wanted to make money?
No. Because I always wanted a champion.
I put all my dreams and hopes in you.
And you sit there and say you don't
want to fight. You want to go home.
Do you know what I'm saying. Do you?
Listen, Toro. Listen to me now.
If you quit, you're not only
cheating yourself...
...but you're robbing every man in
this room of what he's worked for.
How can you be so selfish?
Mr. Benko, you make me feel
like I am a bad man.
Eddie, I don't like to do this to you,
but I must do what the priest says.
Get him out of here. Come on! Out!
Get him out of here!
- You come with me, Eddie?
- No, you go ahead. I'll be along.
- Maybe Eddie ought to work on him.
- Shut up!
Talk him into the ring,
he'll listen to you.
Sure, he'll listen to me.
You said nobody gets hurt. Right?
You want the money that's clean and
easy. This is a tough business.
If you want the money, get it.
Get him in the ring.
You have him face
a guy who will murder him.
I don't care. Get him in the ring. If
you do it without him getting hurt, fine.
If you don't, fine.
But get him in. There must be a way.
Sure, there's a way. You've been lying
to him ever since you got hold of him.
Suppose I start telling him the truth.
Maybe that'll work.
Maybe.
- Where is he?
- In there.
Now, all you guys blow.
George, you stay here.
You really believe you killed Dundee,
don't you?
With this hand I killed him.
Yeah, you really believe that.
Well, let me tell you something.
You couldn't kill anybody
unless you had a gun.
- What do you mean?
- You're a fake. You never hurt anyone.
- I punch. They go boom. 26 men.
- Every one of them a fix or a pushover.
- I do not believe you.
- I don't care. It's the truth.
You're not even a 10th-rate fighter.
You're what they call a bum.
I no bum. I train hard, and I fight
hard. I do not know my own strength.
You believe all those lies I write.
Nick Benko paid me to make people
think you couldn't be hurt.
No one can hurt El Toro.
Any saloon fighter could wipe
the floor with you.
Go away, Eddie. Go away.
George.
You don't know your own strength?
I'll show you what a bum you are.
- George, how old are you?
- I'm 53, Mr. Willis.
He's 53. A broken-down old warhorse,
but he can beat your brains out.
I want you to belt him. Let him know
what it feels like to get hit.
- I can't, Mr. Willis.
- Do you like him?
- Yes.
- You'll do him a favour.
He thinks he's King Kong. He won't
believe me. Belt some sense into him.
Go away, George.
I don't want to hurt you.
Belt him, I said.
Go away, George.
I don't want to hurt you.
Watch it, big fella.
Now, let him get up by himself.
Come on, get up.
I'm sorry, but it was the only
way to prove it to you.
You never killed anybody and you
can't fight. You couldn't bust an egg.
The priest was right.
Go home before you get hurt...
...and wind up on Skid Row.
Isn't that right, George?
Mr. Willis is right, Toro.
What do I do, Eddie?
Tell me. What do I do?
Listen to me carefully.
You go home now, you go home broke.
You fight Brannen and
you wind up with money.
- The Brannen fight is fixed too?
- No, you can't fix the champ.
And I can't beat him, huh?
You might as well know the truth.
Brannen's got it in for you. He killed
Dundee and wants to prove it.
Yes, Brannen, he's a mean fighter.
He loves to pound a man to jelly.
But I can't go home broke.
Then do the match, but don't fight him.
Just stay enough so it looks good.
George will show you how
to handle yourself.
Toro, you got a long reach.
Hold him off. Don't let him get close.
Keep away from him. When he moves in,
don't fight him. Grab and hold him.
Hold him until the referee breaks you.
You do that for a couple of rounds,
make it look good.
And when he connects and you
feel hurt, go down and stay down.
Stay down till the referee counts you
out. That's the only way to fight him.
I don't know. What will people think?
Why care what a bunch of
bloodthirsty people think of you?
Did you ever see their faces? They pay
a few bucks to see a man get killed.
The hell with them. Think of yourself.
Get your money and leave this business.
Okay, Eddie, I do like you say.
And you'll fight like
George tells you?
- Yeah. I fight like George tells me.
- Good. Thanks for your help, George.
- Okay, let's go, let's go.
- Come on.
Remember, big fella,
fight like I told you, understand?
- I understand.
- Let's go.
Come on, hurry it up.
That only helps if you can fight.
Come on.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us have a
moment of silence for Gus Dundee.
A real champion who
went down fighting...
...when the Great Referee counted
him out for the last time.
You boys received instructions
at the weigh-in this afternoon.
I caution you to watch your low blows.
In a knockdown, the man on his feet
goes to the farthest corner.
Shake hands. Come out fighting,
Good luck.
Come on, Toro!
Hold it, Toro! Hang on, Toro!
Clinch him!
Stay away. Clinch when he moves
inside. Stay away. Don't fight.
Clinch him. Hang on, Toro.
When you go down, stay down!
What will people think of me?
Leave me alone, George.
One, two, three...
...four, five, six...
...seven, eight, nine.
The time: 39 seconds
in the third round.
Winner by a knockout...
...still heavyweight champion
of the world, Buddy Brannen.
- Can I go in?
- Enough reporters in there already.
- I just want to see how he is.
- Can't do it.
Let me see your pass.
All right.
- How do you feel, Toro?
- What punch hurt the most?
Leave him alone, boys. Let the doc
work on him. Give him a break.
I tried...
How badly is he hurt?
His jaw is broken. We'll have
to move him to the hospital.
The ambulance is coming
down here to the lower level.
I go home now.
Get my money.
I'll get your money, and you
can go home. Don't talk anymore.
All right, let's clear
the way for him.
Why did he take that beating? Why
didn't he fight like you told him to?
Some guys can sell out and
other guys just can't.
Good night.
Good night, George.
Come in. We were talking about you.
You know Jim Weyerhause?
- We've met.
- Last summer in Las Vegas.
I just sold Toro's contract
to Weyerhause.
I came from the hospital.
He'll never fight again.
The doc says his jaw
will mend in three months.
We need time to work up a campaign.
What campaign?
We can cover the towns
you went through.
Fans will pay to see
the local boy beat up the big guy.
He's washed up.
He's still got a name.
You gave it to him.
We can make nothing but money.
I got him booked
for the Bull Ring in Tijuana.
What makes you think
he wants to fight?
These bums are all alike. They all
think they've got one more fight left.
He better have plenty left
for the price I'm paying.
- He's still a bargain at 75 grand.
- And that includes the bus.
- What's going on?
- What's the matter? You're in.
I'm making you the same deal Nick did.
Only Jim you'll have to watch.
Me, you could trust.
Here's your share.
Twenty-six thousand dollars.
Want to count it?
What's Toro got coming?
I don't know. Ask Leo.
Leo's the bookkeeper.
I promised him I'd pick up his money.
What's the rush?
He's in no shape to spend it.
- I promised I'd bring it.
- I'd have to look it up.
Look it up. I'll wait.
All right, if you want it that way.
Why don't you have some food?
Why'd you sell his contract
without asking him?
Toro is part of my stable.
A guy don't ask a horse...
- He's a human being.
- Fighters ain't human.
- How would you know?
- Here it is.
I can't make head or tail of this.
What's Toro's share?
- It's there in black and white.
- Show it to me.
Toro and Agrandi each owned 50
percent. They partnered with Max.
He met them at the boat. They signed
a paper giving him 50 percent.
- That's highway robbery.
- It'll hold up in any court.
That leaves Toro
with 25 percent of himself.
When Toro signed with Nick
he had to split himself again.
How many times
can a man split himself?
Everything's signed,
sealed and notarised.
- How big was the gate tonight?
- 1,284,000, before taxes.
- What's Toro's share?
- First we deduct expenses.
- What were the expenses?
- Here.
126,800 for training camp
and personnel.
- You never spent that much.
- I can prove it. Want to make a bet?
- Don't bet with Leo. He's never wrong.
- What else?
142,700 salaries and living
expenses in New York City.
Nick is the New York office.
Who made the matches
with Dundee and Brannen?
- Just tell me what Toro's got coming.
- Let me finish.
There's $67,384 for publicity
and entertainment. You spent that.
- Tell me how much Toro's getting.
- I want you to hear.
There's equipment, sparring partners,
transportation...
How much does he get?
- Taxes, petty cash and miscellaneous.
- How much does he get?
Exactly $49.07.
Forty-nine dollars. The gate was
over a million. Is this a gag?
We don't keep funny books.
Send in your own CPA. If you find
one wrong entry, I'll quit.
Your lawyers have legal contracts
to back up Leo's figures.
I don't like that talk.
You let him get beat, then leave him
with a hole in his pocket.
You got your share.
He took the worst beating
I ever saw in my whole life.
And you want me to tell him he gets
a lousy $49.07?
- How much would you take?
- You better take it slow, Eddie.
He didn't have five guys
in the ring with him.
Hey!
Where you taking him?
I go home now.
Yes, Toro, you go home.
Let me hold my money.
About the money, I went over
the books with Nick and Leo...
I know they are thieves.
But you are a smart man.
They cannot fool you.
How much money did you get for me?
How much money, Eddie?
Well, I...
I do not need so much.
Just enough to buy my mother
the new house.
My father, I will take to Buenos Aires
and buy him the shoes.
All kind of shoes.
Let me hold my money, Eddie.
All right, there it is.
How much?
Twenty-six thousand dollars.
In my country, that is a lot of money.
That's a lot of money in any country.
Pan American World Airways flight 203
for Buenos Aires now boarding.
All aboard flight 203, please.
What are you gonna do now?
I've got a few ideas, but you'd better
hold on to your job for a while.
All right, I don't mind.
Wait a minute.
I'd better get this.
Nothing.
What did you do with Toro?
- I put him on a plane.
- Where is he?
I put him on a plane and sent him home.
Wanna hear it again?
You get him back, or you're gonna
have to pay me $75,000.
- Get out of here, Nick.
- Lay off.
I sold Toro to Weyerhause.
You shipped him out of the country.
You stole my merchandise.
I gotta pay Weyerhause back.
You're gonna give me back the
$26,000 I gave you.
- I gave it to Toro.
- I can't believe that.
I don't care what you believe.
I gave it to Toro.
Throw away your money. I'll stay on
your back till I get $75,000.
You don't have to,
because I'm gonna pay you back.
I'm gonna write a series of articles
and you'll be the leading character.
Everybody will be talking about you.
I might even make you
"Man of the Year."
Go ahead and write. It's been tried
before. Who reads and who cares?
- I care.
- Who's gonna listen?
- People still know how to read.
- People?
The people sit and get fat and fall
asleep in front of their TV.
- Maybe this will wake them up.
- That's big talk coming from a nobody.
A nobody doesn't have much to lose.
I know what you've done, how you
did it and how you expect to do it.
The fight game is big business. Open
your mouth and we'll shut you up.
Gonna have your men work me over?
I can write from a hospital bed.
Now, you listen to me,
and you pay attention.
You get the writing idea
out of your head.
You can't scare me or buy me,
and you haven't got any other way.
Nick, you're in trouble.
- What am I fighting you for?
- You're not fighting me.
I'm fighting for Toro, myself...
...and every bum that ever got his
brains knocked loose in the ring.
A man that gives away $26,000
you can't talk to.
I wanna tell you one more thing.
I wouldn't give 26 cents
for your future.
We're late, George.
- Eddie's not here.
- You tell him 7:00?
- I told him.
- I'm not sure he's right for us.
- We need a top writer.
- Press agents are a dime a dozen.
I want an established sportswriter,
you understand?
He's a has-been.
He's equal to the big columnists.
The boys like and believe him.
- Why do you think he'll work for you?
- Because I think he's ready.
Now do you understand?
You understand? Fine.
You've cleaned the place
since I was here.
- I'm glad you made it.
- What are you hiding?
When I find a good thing,
I like to keep it quiet.
- Who is it this time?
- See what he's doing.
Eddie, you're a real, real big talent.
I read your column every day.
When the paper folded I missed it.
Skip the buildup.
Get to the main event.
I got a position. It's not
the usual press agent's routine.
It's a job for an important man.
It pays important money. Interested?
- I didn't come to work out.
- All right. Now, the fight...
- What's he doing?
- Getting ready, Mr. Benko.
- Tell him to hurry it up!
- Yes, sir.
The fight game is falling apart.
The boys are getting too smart.
They wanna go to college
and be doctors and lawyers.
My boys went abroad for new material,
and they came up with a winner.
- The guy's name is Toro Moreno.
- I never heard of him.
I told you he was new, didn't I?
Mr. Agrandi, Mr. Willis is a famous
sportswriter. He'll make Toro famous.
- A pleasure.
- Likewise.
- We shouldn't keep him waiting, right?
- No, no, Seor Benko.
That spic's Toro's manager. I brought
him because Toro's lost without him.
- What's this pay?
- Take a look first.
- Lf the money's bad, why waste time?
- All right, 250 a week.
- You'll have to up it.
- You'll have an open-end account.
Leo writes the checks, charges it off
to business. For you, it's tax-free.
All right. I'll take a look at him.
I can pick them, can't I?
You can pick the right people
for the right job.
I've been after you eight years.
You turned me down 20 times.
Did I get discouraged? No, sir.
You wait long enough,
everything falls in your lap.
Like rotten apples, huh?
- Danny, let's see what he can do.
- George.
Feel him out. Don't let
anything go till I tell you.
You get it like you want it,
Mr. McKeogh.
All right. Sit down and shut up!
- Come on, get down.
- Let's see if he can punch.
- Let him belt you one, George.
- Okay.
He can't hit.
He's a stiff, musclebound.
- Now, let's see if he can take it.
- Open up a little.
Once in the belly.
In the kidneys.
- On the button, George.
- Okay.
A powder-puff punch and a glass jaw.
That's a great combination.
It's just like I told you.
Toro is an amateur.
- He's strong as a bull.
- Take him to the shower.
- You too. You take a shower too.
- All right. Go on, move.
Vince, Frank, take a walk.
There's a million bucks in Toro.
How do we unlock it?
- You won't.
- Why do you think you're here?
I need a solid contact
with the working press.
- An in-between guy, and that's you.
- You told me I was a big talent.
- We're plain-talking people.
- It's a waste of time...
Did I ask you? Then shut up.
All right, Willis, you're on.
Even with a mediocre heavyweight
he'll get beat.
He's a giant!
You can't drum up copy on him?
- I can get him space.
- He is a natural.
I can get anyone to box,
but Toro can fill a stadium.
- Why am I in this business?
- To make a buck.
Me too.
But what happens in his first fight?
That's Max's department.
You'll hire a tank artist
to take a dive.
Right.
- You got the wrong man.
- See?
Shut up! He's old enough
to talk for himself.
The fight game today
is like show business.
They're not fighters, they're actors.
The best showman becomes champ.
You wouldn't hesitate
to publicize an actor.
You argue pretty good
and I like the money.
But what happens when he
fights a guy you can't fix?
- I won't let my investment get hurt.
- No one gets hurt.
Come on, Eddie.
Come up with something.
Well, come on, give me an idea.
Don't fight it! What are you trying
to do, hold on to your self-respect?
Did your self-respect hold your job
or give you a new column?
Eddie, if you help me, I'll help you.
- You can't kick him off in this town.
- Then where do we kick off?
California.
They like freak attractions.
Fine, fine. Leo, you get the tickets
ready by tomorrow morning.
Deal?
You've tried to get me for eight years.
All right, you got me. It's a deal.
Eddie.
You make me nervous.
How come I got you so easy?
Your timing's perfect. For 17 years
I wrote a newspaper column.
Never missed a deadline.
Suddenly I'm out in the street,
running again.
A good newspaperman like you
can't get a job?
A newspaper job only pays a living.
I want a bank account.
A man past his 40s
shouldn't have to run anymore.
Line up press conferences,
commercial tie-ins...
...personal appearances
on TV and radio.
- Who are you talking to?
- Art Leavitt in L.A.
- Hello, Art.
- That was Beth. Art says hello.
He's great. He's ready
for a crack at the title now.
I wanna build him up fast.
Of course I'm excited.
I got something to be excited about.
I'll see you tomorrow in L.A.
For dinner. Thanks.
- You leaving town?
- I'm back in business. Public relations.
- What firm are you going with?
- We're taking off tonight.
- I thought I'd go tomorrow.
- Nick says we go tonight.
- Who's the broad?
- My wife.
- What's the matter with you?
- We've wasted enough time.
You go when we go.
You're the press agent.
- I'll fly tomorrow. I haven't packed.
- You'll buy all you need on the coast.
This is your advance and your ticket.
Be at the airport at 10:00. Come on.
Who are those charming characters?
The board of directors.
Nick Benko's boxing club. The boys.
- A press agent for fighters?
- It pays 1000 a month and expenses.
- Why do you have to go to California?
- They wanna build up this fighter.
- He needs a buildup?
- Big one. He's a freak.
Strong as a bull
but green as a cucumber.
You could lick him.
I don't like thinking of you
as a fighter's press agent.
It's sad.
You sell a fighter or you sell soap.
It's all selling.
I guess so, but I think you're capable
of something more important.
Well, a little of this and a lot of this
will make you change your mind.
When we meet the press,
they'll ask questions.
Tell him to let me give all
the answers, that clear?
- No, no. Speak English.
- Yes, mister.
- You see, he understands.
- Do you?
Frankly, no. Everything
is going so fast that I cannot think.
But I trust you.
Just leave everything to me and
we'll come out smelling like a rose.
I do only like you say.
You are my friend.
I'll try to be.
Good. Now we are all friends.
I like.
I hope you freeloaders are enjoying
your drinks and the dollar cigars.
Been here for six weeks,
nobody's seen your boy train.
I looked up Toro in the book.
There's no record of him.
Knocked out 38 guys in a row,
none of them went over three rounds.
- Believe that, I'll tell you another.
- Who discovered him, Eddie?
I'll let his compadre answer that.
This is Seor Agrandi.
Seores, I'm so happy to be
with you lovely people...
...and to tell you all about El Toro,
who is like my own son.
- Where'd you find Toro?
- I have small circus in my country.
We went to Santa Maria,
a little village on the Andes.
There, my strong man challenge all
the villagers with the boxing gloves.
El Toro put the gloves on,
and two minutes later, finish.
El Toro is now my new strong man.
- But can he box?
- He's no Gene Tunney.
- Can he punch?
- Not like Dempsey.
What's he got beside being big?
An iron jaw and a cast-iron stomach.
No man can hurt him.
- Why did he become a boxer?
- Why?
His family were stonecutters.
He never wore shoes till he was 19.
I guess he got tired of
walking around barefoot.
- How far do you think he'll go?
- All the way.
We leave for the fight in 20 minutes.
Drink up, there's more on the bus.
- Hi, Art.
- Hello, Graham. How are you?
How are these guys treating you?
I'm finding out it's pretty rough
on this side of the fence.
It's always rough with people we like.
You should know.
It means you're a hit.
I rushed over from the station.
Just gave your boy a real plug
on my TV show.
- Hope he comes through tonight.
- He will.
I didn't get a chance to ask.
Must have been a shocker
when your paper folded.
Beth was real depressed.
Me? Well...
Can he fight? Big guys
don't have any coordination.
He's coming along.
What are you drinking?
- Anything.
- Same old stuff? Bourbon on the rocks.
How come you turned press agent?
To me you can talk plain.
I need a check every week.
Did it have to be
Nick Benko's boxing club?
The New York Times
didn't send for me, Benko did.
What's the difference? Money's money,
no matter where you get it.
- L 'chaim.
- I'll need it.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the main event of the evening:
Ten rounds of heavyweight boxing.
Introducing the heavyweight champion
of the Pacific Fleet...
...and one of California's contenders
for the heavyweight crown...
...at 196 pounds, Sailor Rigazzo.
And introducing, for his first
appearance in the United States...
...the heavyweight champion
of South America...
...the wild man of the Andes,
undefeated in 39 fights...
...at 278 pounds, Toro Moreno.
Get on the bus, Toro!
Remember, Sailor, you go in one.
What's with Sailor?
If he keeps it up,
he'll wind up in the bay.
- What goes, Max?
- I don't know. I told him to go in one.
- Foul! Foul! Break it up.
- Foul!
What's the matter with you, buddy?
What are you trying to pull?
Splash! Go down!
He's got nothing.
I'll flatten him.
Go on!
I wish I hadn't come, Eddie.
We'll fix Sailor.
Take care of him good.
Right.
Operator, what's holding up my
New York call? Hurry it up.
Well, try that number again.
Yes, yes. Call me right back.
Busy.
- How's Toro?
- I put him to bed. What happened?
Why was everybody so mad
at the stadium? We win, no?
Agrandi, go to bed.
- Don't talk to me like a child.
- What do you want?
Toro's my friend. To you men,
he's nothing but money.
Be quiet, Agrandi.
You've got a room, go to it.
- Leave him alone.
- They made lots of promises.
So far, we haven't received one penny.
We want some money right now
or we leave, Toro and me.
You think this is a freak show?
You get paid every night?
You're working for a corporation.
You'll get your share
when the time comes.
- When will the time come?
- It's up to the New York office.
Who you looking for?
- Are you Vince?
- You got the wrong room.
I'm Vince.
- Wait for me in the bar.
- Don't be too long.
- Broads, at a time like this.
- Better learn to relax, Leo.
- Agrandi.
- Frank, go buy Agrandi a beer.
Come on, let's hang one on.
- Keep tab on the dolls for me.
- Sure.
We're in the soup. The commissioner
is holding an investigation.
Let him. Who's gonna talk?
The whole press was there.
They'll talk.
Nobody reads these papers
in the East. That's where the money is.
Art Leavitt has a sports newscast
on TV. He's coast-to-coast.
- Your friend.
- Yes, my friend.
Commissioner's gonna subpoena him.
Leavitt has pull in California.
He can murder us.
Hello? Oh, hi, Nick.
No, nothing's wrong.
It's just a little setback.
They're investigating.
That's a little setback?
Oh, you know already.
You phoned him from the stadium.
I had to tell him
about the commission.
I want it fixed, you understand?
I don't care! I want it fixed!
- Is Eddie there? Put him on.
- All right.
Put Eddie on the phone!
He wants to talk to you.
- Hello, Nick.
- How does it look? Pretty bad for us?
- Yeah, pretty bad.
- It's Leo's fault. I should've known.
No, it wasn't Leo's fault.
It just happened.
Where there's an in, there's an out.
Can you fix it?
No. How could I fix it?
- You've got connections. Use them!
- Not a chance.
I'd fly out tonight myself...
...but my boys are fighting in
Boston, Philadelphia and Buffalo.
But I know you can do it, Eddie.
- No, I won't.
- Don't talk like that. I won't listen.
- Then don't. I'll hang up.
- Wait a minute. Don't hang up!
- Hold it.
- I'll give you to Leo.
I don't want Leo. You want a
bank account, I'll give you one.
- I'll give you 10%.
- Ten percent of what?
Toro. Ten percent of the whole deal.
You owe it to me to pull it off.
- I don't owe you anything.
- You owe it to yourself and your wife.
You walk out on me now,
you walk out broke.
Don't fight me. I'll give you
anything you want, I promise.
Never mind the promises.
Now, listen, Nick.
I want the same as Leo gets and
I want it in writing. No interference.
I'll have a contract
air-mailed to you tomorrow.
From here on in,
tell Leo you're the big wheel.
Okay, Eddie?
Okay.
I'm a partner if I get us out of this
bind. I get 10% /, same as you.
Only, from here on in,
I manage things.
Don't look so beat, Leo.
I could've aced you into the gutter.
What stopped you?
I hate to see a man lose his job.
Even you.
I'm not asking you
to give false testimony.
There's doubt in any fight.
All I want from you
is the benefit of that doubt.
You're saying it wasn't a bag fight?
You can't do this to me.
It's not you I'm after. It's Benko.
You can't put Benko out of business.
You can get Toro's license revoked,
but that'll put me out of business.
- Art, I'm asking you.
- How can you ask me to lie for you?
You don't have to lie. Just don't
say anything if you don't want to.
I've got 3000 in the bank.
I'll lend you any part of it.
I don't want any of it.
I want you to pay me what you owe me.
- What do I owe you?
- A favour. What friends do.
Why did you have to pick this fight
to make yourself a hero?
You knew it was crooked.
Why ask me to watch?
You never saw a fix and
looked the other way to hold your job?
You weren't born in this office
you have now.
I know you got me my first job.
I've always been grateful.
Forget that.
You never
played ball with promoters...
...who bought advertising
in your newspapers?
I'm not proud of it.
But you did it because
you were a nobody.
You were afraid you'd lose your job.
Now you're a big man.
You don't have to lie
to hold your job.
- Well, I do.
- Eddie, I wanna show you something.
Charlie, put that roll of film on
I gave you this morning.
I pieced together some film
for my next TV show.
I want you to take a look at it.
These are not actors you'll see.
They're real fighters who were once
top names in the ring.
Thank you.
Will you pardon us, please?
This is Art Leavitt talking to you
in front of Rudy's Beanery...
... from Skid Row in Los Angeles.
Standing beside me is an ex- fighter
who was a topnotch fighter.
- What's your name?
- Joey Greb.
- How old are you?
- I'm 57.
- How many fights have you had?
- 243.
- Did you ever fight any champions?
- I fought so many I forgot who.
How much money did you mak e
as a fighter?
Anywhere from a half a million to
three- quarters of a million dollars.
Tell me, does your head ever hurt?
Oh, I get these sinus pains, I do.
What do you do now?
- Now?
- Yeah, what do you do now?
Well, now I'm looking for work, I am.
You are? Where are you living?
I sleep in my car opposite
the Ranch Mark et, I do.
- You sleep in a car?
- Yes.
Are you married?
I took air out of the tires
so nobody...
- No, my wife passed away.
- Your wife passed away.
- Do you have any children?
- My boy got lost in the war.
Oh, he did.
Why don't you get a regular job?
Why don't you get a regular job?
Have you got a trade?
No, I got no trade,
outside of fighting.
What about the managers?
Managers go on forever,
but fighters only last a short time.
Should there be a home for fighters?
The same as baseball players,
they should be pensioned off.
Should they tak e money from fighters
or should the boxing commission pay?
The commission and the authorities,
the state and the government should...
It should be under a
government issue, all together.
The same as the
president of the United States...
... we should have a commissioner
of the boxing authority of the U.S.
What are your plans for the future?
- What are your plans for the future?
- What future?
- Thank you very, very much, Joey.
- It's very nice. Thank you.
- You wanna see more?
- No. No, I've had enough.
- Still want me to keep my mouth shut?
- Yes, Art, I do.
You think I took this job
because I like it?
No, because I don't like
sleeping in the park.
All right. I'll tell the commission
that in my opinion...
...it could've been an honest match.
Will that settle us?
- Yes. Well, almost.
- What else, Eddie?
Tell me. I want to close our books
so we don't have any future business.
What else, Eddie?
Well, just stop looking at me
as if I'd picked your pocket.
- Vince, you're ignoring me.
- Oh, I think about you all the time.
- I'm going to the casino.
- No, you don't.
Well, what am I supposed to do?
Feels good.
I'll give him six brothers
and three sisters. All poor.
- Eddie, why do we have to lie?
- Publicity.
Are you for real?
Do you mambo?
- Go play outside, sister.
- Don't push.
My money!
- The managers are on their way.
- Vince, Frank, clean out that room.
Managers are easy to handle
one at a time, but why send for six?
Get six together,
you're buying trouble.
Nick wants him to fight in Chicago by
Labour Day. We've gotta work fast.
Oh, Toro. It's bedtime.
- Good night, Eddie.
- Good night.
The party's over, sister.
I said, the party's over. Out.
I was...
- Hi, Jim.
- Hiya, Max.
- Hello, Max.
- Hi. Glad to see you.
- Max.
- Hi.
They're all members
of Benko's boxing club?
They've all done business with Nick.
- I'll do the talking.
- Who are you?
Jim Weyerhause.
- Leo tells me you've been unhappy.
- We want a better shake.
Toro is packing them in. You can pay
us an extra thousand and not feel it.
How much does the fighter get?
I asked a question. Just answer it.
We all got contracts with our boys.
They can't fight unless we say so.
You spot a strong kid, buy a 10-dollar
license and toss him in the ring.
For that, you grab a third
of his purse.
You steal another third
by padding the expense account.
Then you cheat him out of what's
left by giving him a fast shuffle.
- You're the managers, that's for sure.
- Do we get the extra dough?
- Pay the fighter an extra thousand.
- For what? Toro makes the gate.
It's good insurance. Pay him after
he takes the dive. Pay him directly.
- Nobody pays my fighter but me.
- You starting something new?
I split everything with my boy.
Trying to poison his mind against me?
If we do go for the extra,
let them take their share.
Pay my Trambo an extra G, some broad
will marry him and I lose my boy.
- You'll get another.
- I'm like a father to my boy.
He can't buy shoes without me.
Mr. Willis, you used
to be a newspaper man.
You just know a fighter in the ring.
We gotta live with these bums.
They're bums. They don't wanna work.
That's why they're in the business.
Without the fighter,
you're nothing.
You're wrong. Fighters come and go,
managers stay forever.
You're on our side. Stick with us.
Fighters are dirt.
- Let's not argue.
- Then what are managers made of?
What are you made of?
I'm wallowing in the same mud you are,
for the same buck.
That's why I want the fighter
to have an extra grand.
His whole life he'll talk about
making $1000 in one night.
I'll feel better, so should you.
Give those "bums" a break.
We handle the money.
We'll pay the fighters.
Get rid of them.
We'll do business elsewhere. Out!
All right, let's go.
We had the schedule laid out.
Where will I dig up new fighters?
They'll be back. Anything for a buck.
If they won't, I want Nick
to know it was your fault.
Mr. Willis. We'd like
to talk this over sensibly.
Sure, come on in.
Maybe you got a point.
To show our hearts are in the right
place, pay the bonus to the fighters.
Okay. Have a drink.
Maybe we seem a little tough
on our boys...
...but deep down, we love them.
You know something, Jim?
I never doubted you for a moment.
Mrs. Harding,
Mr. Benko authorized me...
...to offer you
his contribution of $25,000...
...for your charity drive
if Toro fights the main event.
But Mr. Benko's been indicted
several times.
The fight's TV sponsors
don't seem to mind.
You can't associate
your name with his.
His name isn't mentioned.
The contribution will be anonymous.
- I just want to do the right thing.
- Reject this offer.
Don't be hasty.
We must consider her tax position.
She can't carry the full load
of this charity drive.
They won't allow more
than a 20% / deduction.
- I advise you to accept it.
- I must withdraw.
- You should do the same.
- I want to do the right thing.
Reverend, let me refresh your memory.
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.
Here's your suite.
Go take a look around.
Anybody home?
Hello.
Hello. Is this yours?
Well, it's very pretty.
- I see you took me at my word.
- Thank you.
Why didn't you tell me
you were coming?
I thought Benko would.
He finally let me come.
You didn't have to ask him.
You could have come anytime.
- I wasn't sure you wanted me to.
- Weren't sure?
- No.
- Wait a minute.
I don't know what you've been
thinking, but you'd better stop it.
- All right, I'll try.
- No, don't try. Just stop it.
- I'm glad you came. It's been so long.
- Sure has.
No, I won't go. You can't do that.
- I belong with Toro! I stay!
- Shut up. This is a high-class hotel.
- I get a lawyer!
- You won't.
- I take Toro away from you!
- Shut up.
- What's going on?
- Agrandi's flying home tonight.
- What did he do?
- Nothing. He's bothering me for money.
- He's got it coming?
- No. His visa's expiring...
...and he won't get an extension.
- You fixed it?
- We don't want any troublemakers.
- You can't, the kid will be lost.
- He'll be fine. He trusts you.
- He only talks to Eddie.
He'll forget about Agrandi.
Two more fights and we're home.
- He can get the 10:00 flight.
- Good.
- You're doing it wrong.
- You telling me how to run my business?
- I'm making a wise suggestion.
- Don't.
- You can't revoke my visa.
- I don't want trouble.
I say the guy's gotta go, he goes.
That's all.
- Buy him out.
- You're in the deal too.
- Money comes out of your pocket too.
- I said, buy him out.
Wait a minute,
you're not indispensable.
- I did pretty good without you.
- Then fire me.
What are we arguing about?
We're partners.
I want to see you happy.
Leo, when Agrandi gets on the plane,
give him $5000.
- Now you satisfied?
- It stinks.
Why are you so touchy?
I keep paying out.
I'm a very generous guy. Ask Leo.
- You're generous.
- I'll get his ticket.
Get Agrandi out of here and tell Toro.
Make sure he doesn't act up.
Stick with Toro.
- Right.
- Come on!
Eddie, look, let's not argue in front
of people. It makes us look bad.
And five grand makes us look good,
huh?
Yeah?
What?
When?
I'll be right down.
Toro's run away.
Help me! Eddie, help me!
You wait here.
Help me, Eddie! Help me!
Leave him alone and get out of here.
What's wrong?
I want to go back home like Agrandi.
I don't like these people.
- Come over here.
- These people watch me. I'm afraid.
- Take it easy. Calm down.
- I don't like them. I wish to go home.
I want to talk to you.
- I will not...
- Sit down.
Luis promised he would never go.
Why did he leave?
His visa, his passport expired.
But, why him and not me?
We came together.
The government makes exceptions.
You're special. Agrandi's not.
You are my friend?
I hope. Do as you're told for a little
longer, and you'll go home rich.
The first South American heavyweight
champion of the world.
They'll hold parades, you'll
be famous and treated like a king.
Your parents will be proud.
Maybe you don't care what they think...
...but think of how they're going
to feel if you come home a nobody.
What if they never let me go?
That's nonsense. I'm going to tell you
a secret. I don't like them either.
I did this for the money, like you.
As soon as we get enough, I'll quit.
We'll both quit together, you and me.
That's a promise.
- I believe you, Eddie.
- Back to the hotel.
- Hello, Beth.
- Hello, Art.
- How are you, Art?
- Hello.
- Hi, Nick.
- Hi.
What happened between you and Art?
Oh, nothing.
There's real excitement in
Chicago tonight.
Tonight's winner earns a chance to
meet Buddy Brannen in New York.
We're running a little late. Neither
fighter has made his appearance.
Go down, see what's holding him up.
Go on, move.
- What's wrong?
- Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine.
Hey, what's the stall?
- We're waiting for Dundee.
- What's with him?
- Hold on. Max went. You better wait.
- Why?
They've got commissioners
snooping around.
- That's good, Toro. Keep punching.
- How are you feeling?
I'm okay.
Come on, big fellow, loosen up,
relax those muscles.
- I win tonight.
- Attaboy.
Then one more fight and I go home.
You gotta do more than that.
You have to knock Dundee flat
to get the champ.
- I knock him out.
- Attaboy, Toro, knock him flat.
Leo.
Gus is sick. I don't think he'll show.
- He's gotta show.
- What do you want me to do?
You tell him... No, tell his manager.
Tell him what Nick will do.
- And make it strong.
- Right!
No, Frank, you stay here.
- Dundee's in bad shape.
- What's wrong?
- He can't stomach water.
- How about a shot?
His nose is bleeding.
I'm supposed to cancel the
fight for a nosebleed?
I'll lose the gate. I want him here.
All right. Max will get him up in the
ring if he has to drag him there.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we have at ringside...
...the man who the winner tonight will
meet in New York later this year...
...the heavyweight champion
of the world, Buddy Brannen.
And now, for the main event,
10 rounds of boxing.
Introducing the South American Goliath,
who has scored 25 knockouts...
...at 275 pounds, Toro Moreno.
And his opponent, at 212 pounds...
...the ex-heavyweight champion
of the world, Gus Dundee.
You know the rules for the state of
Illinois. I want a nice, clean fight.
In the event of a knockdown,
go to the furthest neutral corner.
Any questions?
- Which is the furthest neutral corner?
- I'll take care of it.
- Now, shake hands and come out fighting.
- Come on, Gus!
Come on, Gus!
For all the money,
he better make it look good.
Don't worry, he will.
Come on!
Come on!
Get up, you bum!
What's wrong with Gus?
He's not trying.
He better start trying next round.
Oh, what a tanker!
Why don't they stop the fight?
It's too early. The fans have got to
get their money's worth.
Ladies and gentlemen, in one minute,
12 seconds of the third round...
...the winner by a knockout,
Toro Moreno.
Keep the press away from Toro.
And you keep a tab on Dundee.
- I'll get you out of here.
- No, you go on.
I'll ask Art to take me back
to the hotel. Go on.
All right.
You yellow dog! You yellow dog!
You yellow dog!
Art?
Will you take me back to the hotel?
I'd like to talk to you.
Sure, Beth.
- What do you think, doc?
- He's still in a coma.
- Is he bleeding?
- There's seepage from his ears.
Toro didn't hit him hard.
Chances are he didn't. Gus probably
got a haemorrhage in the Brannen fight.
I understand he took a pretty
severe beating from Buddy.
The commission examined Gus.
Why did they pass him?
Damaged tissue can be small,
no bigger than a pinpoint.
It might not show in an examination,
but a tap could start the bleeding.
Gus is strong. He'll pull through.
Gus is a good man.
I'm praying for him.
George, you do that. It's good.
You keep praying for him.
- It was an accident. Right?
- Sure.
- They take their chances in the ring.
- That's right.
The boxing commission
decides whether a fighter is fit.
If they passed him,
we're in the clear, right?
That's the accepted view.
It doesn't happen to be mine.
Doctor, will you do me a favour please?
Eddie Willis is inside. Would you tell
him we'd like to see him?
- Can't we wait at the hotel?
- We'll stay and show some respect.
- Frank, go get some coffee.
- Right.
How about sandwiches?
What's the matter with you?
Trying to make a picnic? Just coffee.
All right.
Eddie, this will look lousy if the
press says Brannen finished off Gus.
Make up a story
for the morning papers.
You mean something like, "Gus was a
formidable opponent...
...but when he faced
the wild man of the Andes...
...he gambled with his life."
- Wonderful.
- You want the commission to know that.
- Great! Exactly!
It sure is great.
How can you worry about the press when
Gus is lying with a tube in his head?
Eddie, how about a statement?
Toro fought clean.
It's just one of those things.
- Moreno ever kill in South America?
- No.
But you wrote that he sent
some fighters to the hospital.
- That was just press agent talk...
- Wait!
Let's not hide anything. Sure, Toro
sent some boys to the hospital.
Why not? He's tough. Anyone who enters
the ring with him takes a chance.
I want the whole world to know that.
Buddy Brannen too.
Will Toro take the title?
I'm serving notice on the New York
State Boxing Commission now.
We wanna win the championship, but we
don't want a repetition of tonight.
When he's had enough,
the referee should stop the fight.
- When will the fight be?
- We'll be ready in six weeks.
- How big of a gate do you expect?
- Come on, gentlemen.
Please, let's not discuss that here.
I'd give up our crack at the title
if I thought it could help Gus.
Dundee's always been a clean fighter,
a good family man.
He's been a credit to his profession.
And if there's a God in heaven, I'm
sure he'll be in Gus' corner tonight.
He died on the operating table.
Never came to.
- I heard it on the radio.
- Yeah. Rotten luck.
Gus was only 33 years old.
In most jobs he was just a kid.
In the fight game he's an old man.
Hello, this is 1104. Would
you send someone up for our bags?
Yes, we're checking out. Thank you.
- What do you mean we're checking out?
- We're going home.
- I can't go home now.
- I had a long talk with Art Leavitt.
I don't want to hear about Art Leavitt.
He told me enough in California.
You should've listened.
There's a lot of things I should and
shouldn't have done.
But how can you even think of staying?
I can't go back now. In six weeks
Toro fights Brannen in New York.
That's when I cash in.
If I walk now, Nick will cut me off.
You sound as if money
means everything.
You did okay with the money I sent.
Did anybody ask about the fur coat?
You said you were a press agent.
You didn't say a man had to die.
You talk as if I killed him.
I didn't say that.
If you stay you're like Nick.
Haven't I got enough trouble without
you giving me more?
- I don't know what's happened to you.
- Hello. No, I can't talk to you now.
You've been letting me have it.
Other men lose their jobs and
they get another job.
- Go back to the rewrite desk.
- I won't settle for that.
- Why won't you?
- I was there 20 years ago.
- It pays a living but you want more.
- Yes, and I'm getting it.
- But how are you getting it?
- Without it, you're a bum to people.
Would you take those
three bags, please?
Yeah. Okay, Nick, I'll be right over.
It's the first time the bum's
been happy.
Eddie, I talked to Brannen's manager
and closed the deal for the match.
Look at the paper. Look at that.
Now nobody can say, "That's
Toro the phoney" or "Toro the freak."
They're going to say,
"That's Toro the killer."
We're sitting on top of the whole fat
world and you got 10% / off the top.
And one more thing:
It couldn't happen to a better guy.
Hey, Eddie.
Here's a girl that wants to marry me.
It'll make your mother very happy.
Eddie, this is Shirley, a very
fine girl. This is Eddie, a fine man.
No, thank you.
- One more. One more.
- What round?
Quiet. May I have it quiet, please?
New York is proud and honoured to have
this heavyweight championship.
The whole world looks upon
you two fine athletes...
...to uphold the great American
tradition of sportsmanship.
I know from both of you boys'
past experiences...
...that you always give your all, and we
can expect a clean, honest contest...
...that will go down in the annals of
pugilism and be remembered.
Have them shake hands.
- Thanks, Joey.
- Okay, Eddie.
- Hey, Willis! Wait a minute.
- Wait downstairs, huh?
- I got a beef with you.
- What's bothering you?
You're planting phoney stories,
and I don't like it.
- What is it you don't like?
- Saying your big joker is a killer.
- All right, we'll talk in here.
- Leave him alone.
Go ahead, Eddie.
We're building up the gate,
what do you care what we say?
It's a question of personal pride.
How did I hurt your pride?
I'm the one that nailed Gus.
Murdered him for 15 rounds.
I don't know what held him up.
But when Gus left he was dead.
Your joker tapped him. I did the work
and he gets the glory. I don't like it.
I did you a grave injustice.
I never knew it meant so much to you.
When I butcher a guy, I want the world
to know, and they will with your boy.
You're to carry Toro for six rounds.
Don't ruin the film rights.
It's important money.
There's more at stake. I'll prove
that I'm the guy that put Dundee away.
I don't care what you do to Toro,
but use your head.
Don't do it until after six rounds.
That was the deal.
No deal, Nick. No deal.
I'm gonna butcher your guy.
You're the fixer. Let's see you
fix your way out of this.
What should I do? You knew eventually
Toro would have a real fight.
- Wait a minute.
- What?
Fix it so he doesn't
walk into a meat grinder.
I can't help it if this bum gets mad.
Don't blame me.
Stop saying it's not my problem.
I'll make it mine.
Toro's not your brother.
You're not responsible for him.
He believes in me.
So do I. That's why I hired you.
Make up your mind. You can't be two
people. Where do you stand?
I'm part of the deal, but
I don't want him butchered.
Fine. Here's something important.
The odds on Brannen are 5-to-1.
- That's bad. You have to build up Toro.
- Drop me at the corner.
We build up Toro stronger and the odds
on Brannen drop to about 9-to-5.
Then we put some big bets on
Brannen and we pick up a bundle.
- Hello, Beth.
- Hello, Eddie.
I just got in this morning.
Yes?
Do we have to stand in the hall?
I'm not a vacuum cleaner salesman.
I'm your husband. This is my home.
I live here.
I'm sorry. I'll be out of
your way in five minutes.
Beth, why can't we be
sensible and talk?
What's to talk about? What's different?
You're with the same outfit.
You still feel the same way
you did in Chicago?
Yes, Eddie, I do.
Well.
Eddie! Eddie, if you want Toro,
Frank took him to St. Eustace.
You're not supposed to take him
anyplace without asking me.
I figured a church was okay.
The priest asked him to come.
- What for?
- I don't know.
Maybe to give him his blessings.
- Where's Toro?
- In the vestry, talking to the Father.
I received this letter
from Father Pappelli.
He's the priest in Santa Maria,
Mr. Moreno's village.
- Do you read Spanish?
- No, you better read it to me.
Mr. Moreno's mother wants him to
come home right away.
Is she ill?
No, she's mourning the man who
was killed by her son.
He didn't kill him.
It was an accident.
A man was beaten to death. He doesn't
want to stay in this barbaric sport.
Eddie, you are my friend,
help me go home.
I'd like to help you,
but you can't go home yet.
I want to go home now, Eddie.
Right now.
Toro, do you trust me? Well, do you?
Yes, Eddie.
Come with me. I'll see what I can do.
Don't worry about him,
I'll look after him.
Gracias, Padre.
I don't know what to say.
I don't know what to say. I talk
till I'm hoarse, and we get nowhere.
A priest 6000 miles away writes a
letter and our dreams go up in smoke.
When you got off the boat I saw you
and I made a promise.
Remember what I said?
I promised a crack at the heavyweight
championship. Now, I've kept my word.
It wasn't easy. I didn't do it alone.
It took the efforts of every man here.
We worked, sweated and bled for you.
We worried about you.
You had nothing but the best.
Here, look, here's Danny.
The best trainer in the business, and
he handled you like you were his son.
George, he worked like a slave to
teach you the tricks of the game.
Leo poured money over you
like it was water.
Giving you the best protection and
comfort that a fighter could get.
Max scouted your opponents.
He gave the information to Danny and
George so you'd be prepared to win.
Vince and Frank watched over you
like you were a little baby.
Eddie.
Eddie knocked his brains out so your
name could be known around the world.
Why do you think I did all of this?
Because I wanted to make money?
No. Because I always wanted a champion.
I put all my dreams and hopes in you.
And you sit there and say you don't
want to fight. You want to go home.
Do you know what I'm saying. Do you?
Listen, Toro. Listen to me now.
If you quit, you're not only
cheating yourself...
...but you're robbing every man in
this room of what he's worked for.
How can you be so selfish?
Mr. Benko, you make me feel
like I am a bad man.
Eddie, I don't like to do this to you,
but I must do what the priest says.
Get him out of here. Come on! Out!
Get him out of here!
- You come with me, Eddie?
- No, you go ahead. I'll be along.
- Maybe Eddie ought to work on him.
- Shut up!
Talk him into the ring,
he'll listen to you.
Sure, he'll listen to me.
You said nobody gets hurt. Right?
You want the money that's clean and
easy. This is a tough business.
If you want the money, get it.
Get him in the ring.
You have him face
a guy who will murder him.
I don't care. Get him in the ring. If
you do it without him getting hurt, fine.
If you don't, fine.
But get him in. There must be a way.
Sure, there's a way. You've been lying
to him ever since you got hold of him.
Suppose I start telling him the truth.
Maybe that'll work.
Maybe.
- Where is he?
- In there.
Now, all you guys blow.
George, you stay here.
You really believe you killed Dundee,
don't you?
With this hand I killed him.
Yeah, you really believe that.
Well, let me tell you something.
You couldn't kill anybody
unless you had a gun.
- What do you mean?
- You're a fake. You never hurt anyone.
- I punch. They go boom. 26 men.
- Every one of them a fix or a pushover.
- I do not believe you.
- I don't care. It's the truth.
You're not even a 10th-rate fighter.
You're what they call a bum.
I no bum. I train hard, and I fight
hard. I do not know my own strength.
You believe all those lies I write.
Nick Benko paid me to make people
think you couldn't be hurt.
No one can hurt El Toro.
Any saloon fighter could wipe
the floor with you.
Go away, Eddie. Go away.
George.
You don't know your own strength?
I'll show you what a bum you are.
- George, how old are you?
- I'm 53, Mr. Willis.
He's 53. A broken-down old warhorse,
but he can beat your brains out.
I want you to belt him. Let him know
what it feels like to get hit.
- I can't, Mr. Willis.
- Do you like him?
- Yes.
- You'll do him a favour.
He thinks he's King Kong. He won't
believe me. Belt some sense into him.
Go away, George.
I don't want to hurt you.
Belt him, I said.
Go away, George.
I don't want to hurt you.
Watch it, big fella.
Now, let him get up by himself.
Come on, get up.
I'm sorry, but it was the only
way to prove it to you.
You never killed anybody and you
can't fight. You couldn't bust an egg.
The priest was right.
Go home before you get hurt...
...and wind up on Skid Row.
Isn't that right, George?
Mr. Willis is right, Toro.
What do I do, Eddie?
Tell me. What do I do?
Listen to me carefully.
You go home now, you go home broke.
You fight Brannen and
you wind up with money.
- The Brannen fight is fixed too?
- No, you can't fix the champ.
And I can't beat him, huh?
You might as well know the truth.
Brannen's got it in for you. He killed
Dundee and wants to prove it.
Yes, Brannen, he's a mean fighter.
He loves to pound a man to jelly.
But I can't go home broke.
Then do the match, but don't fight him.
Just stay enough so it looks good.
George will show you how
to handle yourself.
Toro, you got a long reach.
Hold him off. Don't let him get close.
Keep away from him. When he moves in,
don't fight him. Grab and hold him.
Hold him until the referee breaks you.
You do that for a couple of rounds,
make it look good.
And when he connects and you
feel hurt, go down and stay down.
Stay down till the referee counts you
out. That's the only way to fight him.
I don't know. What will people think?
Why care what a bunch of
bloodthirsty people think of you?
Did you ever see their faces? They pay
a few bucks to see a man get killed.
The hell with them. Think of yourself.
Get your money and leave this business.
Okay, Eddie, I do like you say.
And you'll fight like
George tells you?
- Yeah. I fight like George tells me.
- Good. Thanks for your help, George.
- Okay, let's go, let's go.
- Come on.
Remember, big fella,
fight like I told you, understand?
- I understand.
- Let's go.
Come on, hurry it up.
That only helps if you can fight.
Come on.
Ladies and gentlemen.
Ladies and gentlemen, let us have a
moment of silence for Gus Dundee.
A real champion who
went down fighting...
...when the Great Referee counted
him out for the last time.
You boys received instructions
at the weigh-in this afternoon.
I caution you to watch your low blows.
In a knockdown, the man on his feet
goes to the farthest corner.
Shake hands. Come out fighting,
Good luck.
Come on, Toro!
Hold it, Toro! Hang on, Toro!
Clinch him!
Stay away. Clinch when he moves
inside. Stay away. Don't fight.
Clinch him. Hang on, Toro.
When you go down, stay down!
What will people think of me?
Leave me alone, George.
One, two, three...
...four, five, six...
...seven, eight, nine.
The time: 39 seconds
in the third round.
Winner by a knockout...
...still heavyweight champion
of the world, Buddy Brannen.
- Can I go in?
- Enough reporters in there already.
- I just want to see how he is.
- Can't do it.
Let me see your pass.
All right.
- How do you feel, Toro?
- What punch hurt the most?
Leave him alone, boys. Let the doc
work on him. Give him a break.
I tried...
How badly is he hurt?
His jaw is broken. We'll have
to move him to the hospital.
The ambulance is coming
down here to the lower level.
I go home now.
Get my money.
I'll get your money, and you
can go home. Don't talk anymore.
All right, let's clear
the way for him.
Why did he take that beating? Why
didn't he fight like you told him to?
Some guys can sell out and
other guys just can't.
Good night.
Good night, George.
Come in. We were talking about you.
You know Jim Weyerhause?
- We've met.
- Last summer in Las Vegas.
I just sold Toro's contract
to Weyerhause.
I came from the hospital.
He'll never fight again.
The doc says his jaw
will mend in three months.
We need time to work up a campaign.
What campaign?
We can cover the towns
you went through.
Fans will pay to see
the local boy beat up the big guy.
He's washed up.
He's still got a name.
You gave it to him.
We can make nothing but money.
I got him booked
for the Bull Ring in Tijuana.
What makes you think
he wants to fight?
These bums are all alike. They all
think they've got one more fight left.
He better have plenty left
for the price I'm paying.
- He's still a bargain at 75 grand.
- And that includes the bus.
- What's going on?
- What's the matter? You're in.
I'm making you the same deal Nick did.
Only Jim you'll have to watch.
Me, you could trust.
Here's your share.
Twenty-six thousand dollars.
Want to count it?
What's Toro got coming?
I don't know. Ask Leo.
Leo's the bookkeeper.
I promised him I'd pick up his money.
What's the rush?
He's in no shape to spend it.
- I promised I'd bring it.
- I'd have to look it up.
Look it up. I'll wait.
All right, if you want it that way.
Why don't you have some food?
Why'd you sell his contract
without asking him?
Toro is part of my stable.
A guy don't ask a horse...
- He's a human being.
- Fighters ain't human.
- How would you know?
- Here it is.
I can't make head or tail of this.
What's Toro's share?
- It's there in black and white.
- Show it to me.
Toro and Agrandi each owned 50
percent. They partnered with Max.
He met them at the boat. They signed
a paper giving him 50 percent.
- That's highway robbery.
- It'll hold up in any court.
That leaves Toro
with 25 percent of himself.
When Toro signed with Nick
he had to split himself again.
How many times
can a man split himself?
Everything's signed,
sealed and notarised.
- How big was the gate tonight?
- 1,284,000, before taxes.
- What's Toro's share?
- First we deduct expenses.
- What were the expenses?
- Here.
126,800 for training camp
and personnel.
- You never spent that much.
- I can prove it. Want to make a bet?
- Don't bet with Leo. He's never wrong.
- What else?
142,700 salaries and living
expenses in New York City.
Nick is the New York office.
Who made the matches
with Dundee and Brannen?
- Just tell me what Toro's got coming.
- Let me finish.
There's $67,384 for publicity
and entertainment. You spent that.
- Tell me how much Toro's getting.
- I want you to hear.
There's equipment, sparring partners,
transportation...
How much does he get?
- Taxes, petty cash and miscellaneous.
- How much does he get?
Exactly $49.07.
Forty-nine dollars. The gate was
over a million. Is this a gag?
We don't keep funny books.
Send in your own CPA. If you find
one wrong entry, I'll quit.
Your lawyers have legal contracts
to back up Leo's figures.
I don't like that talk.
You let him get beat, then leave him
with a hole in his pocket.
You got your share.
He took the worst beating
I ever saw in my whole life.
And you want me to tell him he gets
a lousy $49.07?
- How much would you take?
- You better take it slow, Eddie.
He didn't have five guys
in the ring with him.
Hey!
Where you taking him?
I go home now.
Yes, Toro, you go home.
Let me hold my money.
About the money, I went over
the books with Nick and Leo...
I know they are thieves.
But you are a smart man.
They cannot fool you.
How much money did you get for me?
How much money, Eddie?
Well, I...
I do not need so much.
Just enough to buy my mother
the new house.
My father, I will take to Buenos Aires
and buy him the shoes.
All kind of shoes.
Let me hold my money, Eddie.
All right, there it is.
How much?
Twenty-six thousand dollars.
In my country, that is a lot of money.
That's a lot of money in any country.
Pan American World Airways flight 203
for Buenos Aires now boarding.
All aboard flight 203, please.
What are you gonna do now?
I've got a few ideas, but you'd better
hold on to your job for a while.
All right, I don't mind.
Wait a minute.
I'd better get this.
Nothing.
What did you do with Toro?
- I put him on a plane.
- Where is he?
I put him on a plane and sent him home.
Wanna hear it again?
You get him back, or you're gonna
have to pay me $75,000.
- Get out of here, Nick.
- Lay off.
I sold Toro to Weyerhause.
You shipped him out of the country.
You stole my merchandise.
I gotta pay Weyerhause back.
You're gonna give me back the
$26,000 I gave you.
- I gave it to Toro.
- I can't believe that.
I don't care what you believe.
I gave it to Toro.
Throw away your money. I'll stay on
your back till I get $75,000.
You don't have to,
because I'm gonna pay you back.
I'm gonna write a series of articles
and you'll be the leading character.
Everybody will be talking about you.
I might even make you
"Man of the Year."
Go ahead and write. It's been tried
before. Who reads and who cares?
- I care.
- Who's gonna listen?
- People still know how to read.
- People?
The people sit and get fat and fall
asleep in front of their TV.
- Maybe this will wake them up.
- That's big talk coming from a nobody.
A nobody doesn't have much to lose.
I know what you've done, how you
did it and how you expect to do it.
The fight game is big business. Open
your mouth and we'll shut you up.
Gonna have your men work me over?
I can write from a hospital bed.
Now, you listen to me,
and you pay attention.
You get the writing idea
out of your head.
You can't scare me or buy me,
and you haven't got any other way.
Nick, you're in trouble.
- What am I fighting you for?
- You're not fighting me.
I'm fighting for Toro, myself...
...and every bum that ever got his
brains knocked loose in the ring.
A man that gives away $26,000
you can't talk to.
I wanna tell you one more thing.
I wouldn't give 26 cents
for your future.