10 Outstanding Final Film Performances

As the American Film Institute’s choice for the greatest actor of all time, it only made sense that Bogart would end is career with a strong performance in the boxing noir film, The Harder They Fall. Mark Robson’s dark interpretation of the corrupt boxing world was a fitting end for Bogart’s legendary career.

Reprising his role as a character with principles that have been challenged by an immoral scheme, Bogie stars as journalist Eddie Willis, who in desperate need for work decides to become a boxing promoter for a gimmick fighter who has no boxing ability.

Unlike most boxing films that focus on the hardship that the fighters face from a career in the ring, The Harder They Fall instead looks at the behind-the-scenes battles of the boxing world. The film’s focus on the subjects of exploitation and the human conscience was ideal for Bogart, who was praised by critics for his typical dominating performance on the screen.

By the time that filming had begun, Bogart was already suffering esophageal cancer after years of heavy smoking and drinking, passing away just a year after the film’s release. Whilst Bogart is understandably recognised more for his performances in The Maltese Falcon (1941), Casablanca (1942) and The African Queen (1951), his final performance was a respectable end to an exceptional career.