Golden Boy (1939)

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

Lewis Meltzer (screenplay) &
Daniel Taradash (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 September 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A Famous Play.....Now A Great Picture!

Plot:

Despite his musical talent, Joe Bonaparte wants to be a boxer.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Boxing | Gangster | Accidental Death | Grocer

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck	...	Lorna Moon
Adolphe Menjou	...	Tom Moody
William Holden	...	Joe Bonaparte
Lee J. Cobb	...	Mr. Bonaparte
Joseph Calleia	...	Eddie Fuseli
Sam Levene	...	Siggie
Edward Brophy	...	Roxy Lewis (as Edward S. Brophy)
Beatrice Blinn	...	Anna
William H. Strauss	...	Mr. Carp
Don Beddoe	...	Borneo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Halton	...	Newspaperman (scenes deleted)
Stanley Andrews	...	Driscoll, Fight Official (uncredited)
Gordon Armitage	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Earl Askam	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Al Bayne	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dora Clement	...	Ill Ringsider Who Won't Leave (uncredited)
Irving Cohen	...	Ex-Pug (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Dorothy Comingore	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Onest Conley	...	Jimmy, Chocolate Drop's Brother (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Eddie Fetherston	...	Reporter Wilson (uncredited)
Tommy Garland	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Mickey Golden	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Alfred Grant	...	Daniel, Chocolate Drop's Older Brother (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Fighter (uncredited)
James 'Cannonball' Green	...	Chocolate Drop (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Ringsider (uncredited)
Sam Hayes	...	Broadcaster (uncredited)
Frank Jenks	...	Pepper White (uncredited)
Anne Kay	...	Fat Woman (uncredited)
John Kerns	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Reporter Drake (uncredited)
Al Lang	...	Fight Second (uncredited)
Ian McEwing	...	Referee (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Referee (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	Stranger (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Fight Spectator Rapidly Chewing Gum (uncredited)
Bruce Mitchell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Roy Moore	...	Lucky Nelson (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Charles Randolph	...	Referee (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Extra in Moody's New Office (uncredited)
Clinton Rosemond	...	Chocolate Drop's Father (uncredited)
Robert Ryan	...	Referee (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Ringsider Next to Pa Bonaparte (uncredited)
Cy Schindell	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Reporter Saying 'That's Too Bad' (uncredited)
Robert Sterling	...	Elevator Boy (uncredited)
Landers Stevens	...	Ringsider with Ill Woman (uncredited)
Jack Stewart	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Referee (uncredited)
Harry Tyler	...	Mickey, Pepper White's Handler (uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Grocery Customer (uncredited)
Dave Willock	...	Arena Call Boy (uncredited)
John Wray	...	Chocolate Drop's Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Rouben Mamoulian

Writing credits
Lewis Meltzer		(screenplay) &
Daniel Taradash		(screenplay) &
Sarah Y. Mason		(screenplay) &
Victor Heerman		(screenplay)
Clifford Odets		(play)

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Victor Young

Cinematography by
Karl Freund		(director of photography)
Nicholas Musuraca		(director of photography) (as Nick Musuraca)

Film Editing by
Otto Meyer

Art Direction by
Lionel Banks

Costume Design by
Robert Kalloch		(gowns) (as Kalloch)

Makeup Department
Hollis Donahue	....	hair stylist: Barbara Stanwyck (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gene Anderson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
George Cooper	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Donald W. Starling	....	montage (as D.W. Starling)

Music Department
Morris Stoloff	....	musical director (as M.W. Stoloff)
Leo Shuken	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Abe Roth	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia (1940) (France) (theatrical) (as Columbia Films S.A.)
• Columbia Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Columbia Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• 4 Front Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Television (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Group Theatre of New York  stage play production

Also Known As:

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #5368) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Felt Forum, Madison Square Garden - 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The play originally opened in New York on 4 November 1937 and had 250 performances. Luther Adler played Joe Bonaparte, Frances Farmer played Lorna Moon and Roman Bohnen played Tom Moody. Lee J. Cobb was also in the play as Mr. Carp.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Eddie Fuseli visits the new office, Lorna is seen sitting on the desk with a half-smoked cigarette although she had no cigarette earlier in the scene. At the beginning of the scene, she was holding a snifter and shot glass. Then Siggie gives her a roll of money. Eddie walks in, Lorna sits on the corner of the desk holding the cash with both hands. 48 seconds later Eddie looks at Lorna, who is holding the money in her left hand and cigarette in her right hand which looks like it must have been lit for at least a minute when compared to the length of Eddie's just lit cigarette. Lorna was not shown getting off the desk and nobody walked over to give her a cigarette or even to light it. A moment later, Eddie and Lorna are standing next to each other and Eddie's cigarette is shorter than Lorna's even though his was lit after or at the same time as Lorna's.

Quotes:

Siggie:You can't insult me; I'm too ignorant!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cheers: Golden Boyd (#7.13)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

We're in the Money Now

Golden Holden

In this adaptation of the famous Odets play, a young man must choose between music and boxing. In his star-making role, Holden looks impossibly young, and turns in a surprisingly strong performance, given his inexperience. Stanwyck is quite good in a typical role of a tough broad with a soft heart. She helped Holden overcome his jitters and the two developed a legendary friendship during the filming. Cobb, only seven years older than Holden, is schmaltzy but touching as the latter's father. Levene is wonderful as Holden's brother-in-law. Menjou overacts. Mamoulian is at his best when depicting the family life of the Bonapartes. The fight scenes are brief but effective.