The Harder They Come

With a Piece in His Hand He Takes on the Man!

The Harder They Come — Plot

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.

• Release date
• August 1, 1972
• Runtime
• 103 min
• Genres
• Crime, Drama, Music
• Director
• Perry Henzell

The Harder They Come — Cast

Jimmy Cliff Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin

J

Janet Bartley Elsa

C

Carl Bradshaw Jose

R

Ras Daniel Hartman Pedro

B

Basil Keane Preacher

B

Bob Charlton Hilton Winston Stona Detective Ray Jones

L

Lucia White Mother