Violins and boxing rings don't go together, even if you are William Holden with fabulous hair.
Intro.
Just when I thought that William Holden month was over, I came home Friday night and discovered that I had long ago set up some recordings and two of his films were waiting for me. It was a very pleasant surprise, and after a lot of errands, cooking and general chores, I finally let myself unwind with some popcorn and Golden Boy. Overview
Golden Boy opens with struggling sports agent Tom Moody (Adolphe Menjou) telling his girlfriend Lorna (Barbara Stanwyck) that he can't afford to divorce his wife and marry her. He only has one client, a boxer, but as luck would have it, a lanky young man with floppy curls barges into his office to tell him his client just broke his hand. The young man follows Tom and Lorna down to the gym, asking to be given a chance to sign with them as a fighter. Tom only listens though when he learns that the young man, Joe Bonaparte (William Holden) is the one responsible for breaking his prize fighter's fist. So Joe gets signed and starts boxing. He's never had any formal training, but he learns quickly and has a beginner's enthusiasm and reckless courage. He also has a very loving family who know nothing about his first fight. His father, an Italian storekeeper, has saved up enough money to buy Joe a beautiful $1500 violin for his upcoming 21st birthday. Joe's played the violin since he was very young and has earned a music scholarship, but with the tempting new world of boxing and fast money, Joe comes to a difficult decision. Which life should he pursue? He loves music, but he wants to provide for his father and earn enough money for them to live comfortably - boxing allows for big money like that. Joe's talented in both fields. But nothing is that simple. Lorna, trying to help Tom stay in business, charms Joe and convinces him to keep boxing. Joe rises to become a great sensation, but at the price of his music - 8 months on the road without playing have made his hands tough and shaky on the violin. To make things even worse, Mobster Fuseli (Joseph Calleia) wants a piece of Joe's contract. And he keeps raising his price in exchange for Joe's signature. Joe accepts, much to the dismay of Lorna, who has met Joe's family and has found herself falling in love with Joe. What it all comes down to is a big fight against the middle-weight champ in Madison Square Gardens and devastating consequences.Highlights
I am now a Barbara Stanwyck fan. What an actress! She's one of those actresses that steals every scene with her talent, charm and beauty. Not to mention her strength. She is outstanding as Lorna, both the "girl Friday" to Tom and yet the compassionate friend and then lover of Joe. We can see her character transform from a middle-aged cynical spinster into a warm, devoted part of a family. She has a real presence and gives the film its heart. I am looking forward to finding more of her films to watch and enjoy!
Barbara Stanwyck lobbied to get unknown William Holden into this film as the title character. I read somewhere that something like 5000 actors had been considered for the role, but it was Barbara Stanwyck that really pushed for Holden and in the end, got him cast. It did more than that too - it launched his whole career and even earned him the nickname of "The Golden Boy" of Hollywood. Check it out - if you search IMDb's site for "Golden Boy" you'll get William Holden listed before the movie itself. Holden was so grateful to Barbara Stanwyck for her support that he reportedly sent her flowers every year on the anniversary of their first day of shooting. He also trained pretty hard for this role, taking both boxing and violin lessons so as to make his performance look more natural. It's the stuff that movie legends are made of.
Although the story line was a plot that I'd seen in variations before (youth trying to choose between two different worlds/careers), it was very well done here. Most of that is due to the fine acting of Stanwyck and Holden, but a good part of it is also due to the way the events unfold. There is a great deal of love and tenderness in the film and Joe's family (although sadly stereotyped) is one of the happiest families on screen. We come to care for them the same way Lorna does. This is just as much her story of finding happiness and a family just as much as it is about Joe finding out who he really is and accepting his destiny. It isn't nearly as straightforward as my overview might make it seem, and the ending will definitely come out of left field.
Review and Recommendation
What did you accomplish when you were 21? If you were William Holden, you were making a film that would jump-start your career. It's astonishing to think about where I was at 21 (probably struggling through my class in organic chemistry) and to see how cool and confident he appears on screen. His performance and the great performance by Barbara Stanwyck make this film worth seeing. If you're interested in a Hollywood legend or like films about boxing or even if you just want a good, solid hour and a half of entertainment, give Golden Boy a try. P.S. Also, just to satisfy my fan-girl side, I have to say that when Holden appeared at first, tall, a bit lanky and sporting some gorgeous, floppy dark curls, I thought for a moment there was a mix-up because he looked an awful lot like Tom Hanks in the movie Big. Just now I'm watching the opening of Sunset Boulevard and man, there's a scene where I swear he could be Hanks. Or would that be, Hanks could be Holden? I wonder if Tom Hanks could be considered the "Golden Boy" of modern films. I know he's been called the Jimmy Stewart "everyman", but I think he definitely follows Holden's footsteps too. That's a post I'll have to write another day.
