Wishing to become a successful Reggae singer, a young Jamaican man finds himself tied to corrupt record producers and drug pushers.
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Title: The Harder They Come (1972)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jimmy Cliff | ... | Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin | |
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Janet Bartley | ... | Elsa |
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Carl Bradshaw | ... | Jose Smith |
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Ras Daniel Hartman | ... | Pedro |
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Basil Keane | ... | Preacher |
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Bob Charlton | ... | Hilton |
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Winston Stona | ... | Detective Ray Jones |
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Lucia White | ... | Mother |
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Volair Johnson | ... | Pushcart Boy |
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Beverly Anderson | ... | Housewife |
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Clover Lewis | ... | Market Woman |
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Elijah Chambers | ... | Longa |
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Prince Buster | ... | DJ at Dance |
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Ed 'Bim' Lewis | ... | Photographer |
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Bobby Loban | ... | Fitz |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
With dreams of becoming a successful Reggae singer, a young Jamaican man finds corruption from his record producers and the drug pushers they're connected to. Rather than fail his dreams Ivan lets nothing stand in his way, not even the law. Written by Daniel Jos. Leary
Taglines:
dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail in shanty town (British DVD tag-line) See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
JamaicaLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
5 August 1977 (Denmark) See more »Also Known As:
The Harder They Come See more »Filming Locations:
JamaicaCompany Credits
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IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (TV)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Metrocolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #83. See more »Alternate Versions
Because of the thick accents, and the extensive use of Jamaican slang, the U.S. release prints contained English subtitles. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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I had heard about this film long before I ever saw it. I had heard that it was banned in it's home country of Jamaica due to it's possibility of inciting youths to "hooliganism". I had also heard it had great music and so I picked up the movie soundtrack on LP and enjoyed every song on it. It took video for me to finally see this movie years later and I enjoyed it very much. The movie puts you right in the middle of unfamiliar territory from the start, a busload of Jamaican country people coming into town, with their heavy accents, this is one of the few English movies to have been given english subtitles. From this setting you are taken into the life and ambitions of Ivan Martin, a man willing to stop at nothing to achieve success as a reggae star. He makes it, but there is a high cost. Great music, great performances, including a rare look at Prince Buster DJing a party. If you are a reggae fan, particularly early ska, rocksteady and pre-Bob Marley, this is a movie for you.