In the archive · Film
The Harder They Come
“With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!”
Cast
Jimmy Cliff
Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin
Janet Bartley
Elsa
Carl Bradshaw
Jose
Ras Daniel Hartman
Pedro
Basil Keane
Preacher
Bob Charlton
Hilton
Winston Stona
Detective Ray Jones
Lucia White
Mother
Volair Johnson
Pushcart Boy
Beverly Anderson
Housewife
Clover Lewis
Market Woman
Elijah Chambers
Longa
Prince Buster
DJ at Dance
Ed 'Bim' Lewis
Photographer
Bobby Loban
Fitz
Joanne Dunn
Barmaid
Don Topping
DJ
Karl Leslie
Freddie
Sandra Redwood
Girl
Ula Fraser
Elsa Friend
Synopsis
Ivanhoe Martin arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, looking for work and, after some initial struggles, lands a recording contract as a reggae singer. He records his first song, "The Harder They Come," but after a bitter dispute with a manipulative producer named Hilton, soon finds himself resorting to petty crime in order to pay the bills. He deals marijuana, kills some abusive cops and earns local folk hero status. Meanwhile, his record is topping the charts.
Where to watch
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