Golden Boy

​

Golden Boy is about a young Italian American violinist who decides to become a boxer. Joe faces a moral dilemma when he accidentally kills his opponent in the ring. He realises that he has sacrificed his artistic talent and his moral integrity for fame and money. He also feels guilty for hurting those who loved him for his good qualities and authentic self-expression. He must decide whether to continue fighting or to return to his music and his family.

 

The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Score and is considered a classic of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

 

• The play Golden Boy by Clifford Odets was first produced on Broadway by The Group Theatre in 1937, and it was Odets’ biggest hit. It also served as the basis for a 1964 musical with Sammy Davis Jr.

 

Clifford Odets wrote several plays, mostly in the genre of social realism, that dealt with the issues of the working class, the economic crisis, and political oppression. He is also known for similar titles, such as Waiting for Lefty (1935) and Paradise Lost (1935).

 

The Hays Code

 

Some changes were made from the original play ‘Golden Boy’ by Clifford Odets to comply with The Hays Code: A set of moral guidelines that regulated the content of Hollywood films from 1934 to 1968.

 

• The ending of the film was altered to make it more hopeful. In the play, Joe Bonaparte dies in a car crash after leaving the boxing ring, while in the film, he survives and returns to his music and his family.