Godley & Creme Golden Boy - collage video with clips from the 1939 film Golden Boy

Taken from their album, The History Mix Volume 1

Golden Boy is a 1939 drama romance film based on the Clifford Odets play of the same name. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, The film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou and William Holden.

Production
Golden Boy features William Holden in his film debut, the role that made him a star: a promising violinist who wants to be a boxer. Barbara Stanwyck plays his love interest. The supporting cast includes Lee J. Cobb in an unusual role as the bewhiskered Italian immigrant father of Holdens character.

The producers were initially unhappy with Holdens work and tried to dismiss him, but Stanwyck insisted that he be retained. Thirty-nine years later, when Holden and Stanwyck were joint presenters at the 1978 Academy Awards, he interrupted their reading of a nominee list to publicly thank her for saving his career.

Cast

Barbara Stanwyck as Lorna Moon[1]
Adolphe Menjou as Tom Moody[1]
William Holden as Joe Bonaparte[1]
Lee J. Cobb as Mr. Bonaparte[1]
Joseph Calleia as Eddie Fuseli[1]
Sam Levene as Siggie[1]
Edward Brophy as Roxy Lewis[1]

Adaptations
On January 7, 1940, Stanwyck performed a parody of Golden Boy on The Jack Benny Program.[2]