Golden Boy |  | Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Actors: Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, William Holden, Lee J. Cobb, Joseph Calleia
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.94
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Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 39,529
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 99
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Running Time: 99 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: COLD22937D
UPC: 043396229372
EAN: 0043396229372
ASIN: B000VECAEY
Theatrical Release Date: September 5, 1939
Release Date: November 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: NR
Release Date: 13-NOV-2007
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
Barbara Stanwyck purists--and who isn't one?--are in for a treat with Golden Boy, a little-seen but true gem of a hard-knocks romance. The film's pedigree is aces: Based on a play by Clifford Odets, directed by the great Rouben Mamoulian, and starring not only Stanwyck but Adolphe Menjou, Lee J. Cobb, and a fresh-faced William Holden, in his breakout screen role. The film crackles with 1939 pre-noir atmosphere, with the New Yawk guys and dames spinning slang out of the sides of their mouths. Stanwyck sparkles as Lorna Moon, a gruff gal running around with the married Tom Moody (Menjou), a boxing promoter looking for the Next Big Thing. In walks the dreamy young Joe Bonaparte (Holden), part violin prodigy, part boxing phenom--though he doesn't look the pugilist part at first. "He's got curls, too!" sneers the scornful Moody. But Joe makes a believer out of him--and of the slinky Lorna. When fists start flying, so do the sparks. Some of the dialogue is dated (not to mention the young wife who likes being smacked around), but the snapshot of the era is spot-on, and Stanwyck, as always, steers the film to a higher ground. Extras include a Ford Theatre TV episode, "Sudden Silence" from the mid-'50s; a cartoon, "The Kangaroo Kid"; a crazy comedy short called "Pleased to Mitt You" starring Stooge Shemp Howard (!); and other great vintage tidbits. Get ready to go 15 rounds with Golden Boy. --A.T. Hurley
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
 Nearly a KO... July 6, 2010
Andrew Ellington (I'm kind of everywhere)
The plot may be formulaic and some of the acting may be mediocre and some of the dialog may be a tad cringe worthy and the overall film may end up being schmaltzy but `Golden Boy' has so much heart I couldn't help falling in love with it.
The film tells the story of a young violinist named Joe who has a dream of becoming a prize fighter. When he injures a professional boxer he gets his chance to take his place in a fight, and soon he becomes a sensation. His father is disgruntled over his son's decision to chuck aside his talent for such a brutal profession, but Joe's manager Tom Moody couldn't be more pleased, that is until Joe starts having doubts. When Tom sends his mistress, Lorna, to convince Joe of the course he should take, things get complicated.
The romantic aspect of the film seems clichéd and a tad forced, but the dramatic tensions between Joe and his father are splendidly constructed. The chemistry between Stanwyck and Holden helps with the romantic subplot, but even their undeniable charm can't really add much weight to their `love'. I also found the boxing match at the films conclusion to be rushed and laughably edited. Despite that though, I really like this film a lot. For me, it all boils down to one thing really:
Lee J. Cobb.
At just twenty-eight years old, Cobb aged himself almost double his actual age to play William Holden's father with stunning results. With every silent stare, Cobb permeates the scene with genuine emotion. Not only was his Italian/American accent legitimate, but his understanding of the character was spot on. There is nothing false here, no emotion lacking in his complete transformation. It is a beautiful performance that deserves more recognition. Stanwyck is also beautifully used here, exuding a rich sense of masked sentiment as she hardens herself before Holden. Holden (an actor I have always liked very much) is pretty good here. He certainly gets better as the film presses on, relaxing into his charm and tapping into a real emotional center.
I found Adolphe Menjou, Joseph Calleia, Sam Levene and Edward Brophy to be painful caricatures who failed to really uncover the reality of their characters.
Depsite how it sounds, there is more to praise here than just Cobb's performance. The texture of the film is fresh and exciting, and it really has gusto. The development of the central characters is strong, even if it doesn't always stack up as neatly as you'd want it. Like I said, the romance seemed a little `obvious', but the development of Lorna and Joe as characters was pretty authentic. The pacing is nice and brisk, but it never feels too lightweight, especially considering the themes presented. While I found some of the scripting to be dated and at times a tad overdone (I really hated Siggie's character) I also felt an earnestness that helped me forgive my issues with it.
Like I said, there is heart here. It may not all come together as one would like, but in the end I'm pretty positive you'll be one over by this golden boy!
If you read any of my reviews on Barbara Stanwyck movies, January 9, 2010
JOHN GODFREY (Milwaukee ,WI USA)
then you know. She's simply the best. Golden Boy was adapted from a sucessful play, a boxing mellowdrama. An incredibly young looking William Holden is Joe Bonaparte in his breakout role. Joe is amazingly gifted as violinist & boxer. As a violinist he will have class, beauty in his life, the love of his father, and poverty. Boxing promises class of a different sort, wealth & brutality. Lee J. Cobb plays it old as Joe's father who desparately wants him to quit boxing & save his hands. Stanwyck is Lorna, his agent's girl who at first seduces him to box & make money for her boyfriend. He does. Later, she sees how boxing is coarsening & turning this innocent young man, mean. She makes common cause with his dad & soon they fall in love. There is his dilemia. It plays well on the stage & there are few boxing scenes so it is maybe unfair to call this a boxing movie but a mellowdrama from the late 30's, in any case.
 A Classic with two great stars May 10, 2009
Lloyd G. Kay (Asheville, NC)
I'm 74 and may have seen this years ago, but being a huge fan of William Holden, I have been going back and watching a lot of his films. This one was his first big hit. Great chemistry between him and Stanwyck.
Involving Story With Good Characters February 17, 2009
Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
This is a good classic movie worth owning on DVD. The main attribute? You care about these people in the movie.
On first look, it was a shock at first to see William Holden this young. In this film, he looked about 19 and didn't even have the deep voice I was accustomed to hearing in his movies from the `60s on. However, I've watched this three times and enjoyed it all three times, especially now that it finally came out on DVD in late 2007. No problems with the transfer, either.
I didn't recognize Lee J. Cobb, either, who played Holden's father, a Jewish man with a beard. Barbara Stanwyck, meanwhile, played her typical role: tough gal with a soft heart underneath. Yeah, boxing fans might find a few credibility problems but overall, this is a good story and well-acted.
May we PLEASE see more 30's Stanwyck films on dvd, Sony? July 17, 2008
Iowahawkeye "Warren" (Astoria, NY United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Stanwyck did approx 35 films during the 1930's, and many of the them are with Columbia, as she was shared with them and Warner Brothers. Sony, PLEASE get busy putting these films out on dvd, her fans deserve it and many other stars of the same period get much better treatment than she. I hope Amazon can pass the word onto the studios that not everyone wants to see the absolute dreck that is coming out of the studios today.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 15
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