Golden Boy (1939)

Another of the films highlighted in Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939 is Golden Boy, a boxing drama starring Barbara Stanwyck, Adolphe Menjou, and---in one of his earliest film appearances---William Holden. Based on Clifford Odets' 1937 play, this Reuben Mamoulian film, which features Lee J. Cobb, Joseph Calleia, and Sam Levene in support, garnered a Best Music Academy Award nomination.

Joe Bonaparte (William Holden) is a sensitive young violinist, who lives with his father (Lee J. Cobb), sister, and brother-in-law above the family's grocery store.  Although Joe plays the violin beautifully and could possibly have a future in music, he wants to make money quickly and, therefore, begins boxing for Tom Moody (Adolphe Menjou).

Joe becomes an overnight sensation in the boxing ring, but since a violinist needs his hands and he could possibly injure his hands boxing, he talks about backing out.  Moody knows that he has a money-maker in Joe, though, so he's not about to let him walk away and, therefore, instructs his secretary/mistress, Lorna Moon (Barbara Stanwyck), to change Joe's mind. Joe has fallen in love with Lorna, and after she leads him to believe she loves him too and that there can be a future for them, Joe returns to the boxing world, much to the disappointment of his father.

Because Joe is such a sensation, he quickly attracts the attention of another promoter, one who promises him bigger and better things.  Joe jumps at the opportunity and leaves Moody's organization, which infuriates Moody and sends Lorna, once again, to Joe's side in an attempt to change his mind.

Joe soon becomes disillusioned with boxing....but does he quit?  Does he return to the violin?  Does he really love Lorna?  Does she really love him?  Those are the questions which play out in the balance of the film.



Though Golden Boy is not one of my favorite Bill Holden films (or even one of my favorite boxing films), it is a solid, interesting, well-acted drama, and it gives an opportunity to catch Mr. Holden before his star had begun to rise.  Although it's easy to see why he went on to become the star that he did, at the outset, it would have appeared that Holden's career was over even before it began. The seemingly-endless boxing lessons, violin lessons, and dramatic coaching were exhausting to Holden; according to Majestic Hollywood, "It was a dreadful period for the young actor, and he expected to be replaced at any time. However, Barbara Stanwyck believed in Holden and went to bat for him.  Telling Columbia boss Harry Cohn that he hadn't given the young man a chance, she promised to work with him. With Miss Stanwyck coaching him, Holden regained his confidence and was able to take direction from Mamoulian; after Golden Boy, Holden was suddenly in demand and on his way to a successful, Academy Award-winning career.  He never forgot Barbara Stanwyck's support and help; in years to come, he would always send her flowers on April 1, the anniversary of Golden Boy's first shooting day."  [1]

Beyond Bill Holden's performance, is that of Lee J. Cobb.  He is absolutely terrific!  He would reprise his role in 1952, when Golden Boy, again, played on Broadway.  Interestingly, in that production, one of my other great loves---John Garfield---would take on the Joe Bonaparte role.

Barbara Stanwyck is my #3 gal (sometimes even #2), and William Holden is one of my "terrific 10," so even though Golden Boy isn't a favorite, I do enjoy their pairing here.  They have great chemistry together.  I'm calling this 3 stars, but it's more like 3.5

Out on DVD, Golden Boy should be quite easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!

[1]  Majestic Hollywood, The Greatest Films of 1939, by Mark A. Vieira, Running Press, 2013.

Body and Soul (1947)

A discussion of John Garfield's career would be incomplete without mention of Body and Soul, the noir-ish 1947 boxing drama for which he received his only lead actor Academy Award nomination. As such an important film in his career, it ought to have been highlighted in the recent blogathon---and it was scheduled to have been included.   In the end, however, the blogger scheduled to highlight that film was unable to participate; thus, I have re-worked my 2-year old review of the film, in order that Mr. Garfield's centennial year see a spotlight on that all-important film here at They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To.

A 5-star film for me, this 1947 Robert Rossen noir, which won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, explores the corrupt world of professional boxing.  Also starring Lilli Palmer, this film features Anne Revere, Canada Lee, Hazel Brooks, and William Conrad in supporting roles.

The son of a candy store owner, Charlie Davis (John Garfield) wants big things out of life.  Telling his mother (Anne Revere) that he doesn't want to end up like his father---just getting by---Charlie sets out to pursue a boxing career, and he soon wins an amateur boxing championship.   His mother, however, doesn't approve of her son behaving like an animal, and, wanting him to be something worthwhile, she begs Charlie not to pursue such a career.  Initially, Charlie complies with his mother's request; however, when his mother is forced to seek charitable relief after his father's death at the hands of gangsters, Charlie changes his mind.

With the encouragement of his girlfriend, Peg (Lilli Palmer), who tells him to fight if he wants to fight, Charlie goes on the prizefighting circuit and finds great success.  Before long, wealth and lavish living come his way, but they come with a price---his very soul.   With a corrupt manager dictating his every move, Charlie not only refuses to listen to the warnings of his family and friends, but he also postpones his wedding to Peg, and as he gets in deeper, Charlie finds himself having to enter the ring with men of questionable health and even to throw a fight if told to do so.  Saying brutally unkind things to his mother and Peg, he pushes them away.

As Charlie is about to fight in the championship---a fight he has been instructed to lose---he becomes aware that the people in the candy store neighborhood---despite being poor--- have bet on him...not so much for the money but as a way of saying they are proud of him.  With this crisis of conscience, Charlie enters the ring.  Will he do what he's told and throw the fight?  Or will he defy the powers-that-be, give the fight his all and, thus, regain his self-respect?  Those are the questions which play out in the remainder of the film.



Body and Soul is an interesting, exciting film, featuring great performances by all.   This is one of John Garfield's most brilliant performances.  (I think he was almost always brilliant in his portrayals.)  He brings incredible realness and passion to this role.  Because of a heart condition, Mr. Garfield was usually under doctors' orders to take things easier, but determined to do his own fight scenes and not rely on a double, he ignored the advice and took "sparring lessons from Mushy Callahan."  His preparation for the role only added to the film's incredible realism.  It is absolutely no surprise that he received a Lead Actor Academy Award nomination for his work here.

Anne Revere was terrific; the scene in which she humbles herself to ask for welfare relief is particularly poignant.

Lilli Palmer---lovely as always--was very good and believable in her role as well, and she and Mr. Garfield had great chemistry with one another.

Even William Conrad, as one of the boxing "heavies," was great, as was Canada Lee, in his role of Charlie's opponent-turned-friend.  Beyond the acting, was the gritty realism of the boxing ring and the corruption of the sport.  Interestingly, at the time of the film's release, the corruption in professional and amateur sports---especially boxing---was under investigation and receiving much press coverage.

Two other boxing movies which I also greatly enjoy are The Set-Up, (starring Robert Ryan, reviewed HERE)  and City for Conquest (starring James Cagney, reviewed HERE).  All three films ought to satisfy the boxing enthusiasts out there.  Body and Soul is out on DVD and should be fairly easy to track down. For Garfield fans, it's an absolute must-see.

Happy viewing!!

John Garfield Blogathon---They Made Me a Criminal (1939)

Another film from that golden year of 1939 is They Made Me a Criminal, a vehicle which gives name-above-the-title billing to John Garfield and The Dead End Kids.  Directed by Busby Berkeley, this film sees Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, and May Robson taking on supporting roles.  While some movie posters tout Ann Sheridan as a co-star, the reality is that she is an extremely minor player; in fact, she's dead within the first ten minutes.  They Made Me a Criminal is a remake of the 1933 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr./Loretta Young film The Life of Jimmy Dolan (reviewed HERE).

NOTE:  This review is part of the John Garfield 100th birthday blogathon.  To read all the other wonderful entries in the event, go HERE.

At a victory party following a fight, boxing champion Johnny Bradfield (Garfield) drinks to excess and finds himself involved in an altercation with a newspaper reporter.  After slugging the man, Johnny---completely drunk---passes out.

With Johnny out cold, his manager proceeds to get into it with the reporter, dealing a blow which leads to the man's death.  Anxious to cover his tracks, the manager---along with Johnny's girlfriend, Goldie (Ann Sheridan)---leaves the scene, knowing that the crime will then be pinned on Bradfield. The two of them end up being killed in a fiery car crash, and because the man was wearing Johnny's watch, his body is identified as that of Johnny.  However, police detective Phalen (Claude Rains), who is out to prove himself to the higher-ups, is quite sure Johnny is still alive, and he has every intention of finding him and charging him with murder.

When the real Johnny comes to and reads the newspaper account of what has happened, he has no choice but to go on the run.  After being warned to not use his fists lest he give himself away, Johnny takes on the name Jack Dorney and heads West.  Hopping freighters, as well as pounding the pavement with his feet, Johnny/Jack makes his way to Arizona, where he finds a welcome at a ranch for troubled boys.

The teenage boys (played by The Dead End Kids) have been sent by a New York priest to his sister's (May Robson) farm, where it is expected that kindness, responsibility, and hard work will rehabilitate them.  Johnny/Jack is put to work, and although his influence on the boys is initially a matter of concern, he eventually proves himself.  In fact, it's not long before the "look out for yourself" man wants to help the farm reverse its dismal finances.  When he sees an advertisement for an amateur fight, Johnny is willing to enter the ring for the prize money---despite the fact that he is a "wanted man" and really needs to keep a low profile.

Does Johnny go through with the fight?  Or, realizing the danger of being so visible, does he back out?  Does Detective Phalen, who has seen Johnny's picture in the paper, find him and take him back to New York to face a murder rap?  These are the questions which play out in the balance of this film.




Although listed on Mr. Garfield's filmography as his second film, They Made Me a Criminal, technically, is his third.  Blackwell's Island, the true second film to be made, was released a couple months after this one. With Garfield's debut performance in Four Daughters the previous year touting him as "the sensational new "find"---not of the year, but of the decade," Warner Brothers knew they had a mega-star on their hands; wanting to capitalize on that popularity while Four Daughters was fresh in the minds of audiences, they rushed They Made Me a Criminal ahead of the B-grade Blackwell's Island.  While Garfield had been billed seventh in Four Daughters, he was given name-above-the-title status in this film.

They Made Me a Criminal is a perfect vehicle for the talents of John Garfield.  He completely excelled in roles like this, and he was his usual wonderful self here.  The misunderstood, huge-chip-on-the-shoulder rebels are easily my favorite kinds of roles for Mr. Garfield.  Quite honestly, I love him like this!!  The Dead End Kids, who are normally so obnoxiously disrespectful that I can hardly stand them, were definitely more tolerable in this film.  Even Leo Gorcey wasn't as smart-alecked as usual.  According to Mr. Garfield's biography, Body and Soul, The Story of John Garfield, he enjoyed working with the Dead End Kids.

As for Claude Rains' portrayal of a New York detective---he felt he was dreadfully miscast for the role and begged to be let out of it.  Interestingly, however, Mr. Garfield felt that Rains "contributed the strongest performance" to the film.  Garfield was critical of his own performance---finding it "hollow"---and he would "deprecate the picture at every opportunity in later years."  Funny, I thought he was quite good in the role...maybe not his best performance, but certainly solid and very believable.

May Robson is completely delightful...especially in the fight scene.  What a fun grandma-type she is.  I love her spunky spirit!

This film is out on DVD, plus it is available in its entirety on YouTube, so you shouldn't have a problem being able to view it.   It's a solid, 3-star film...close to 3.5 stars.  I think it's a film all Garfield fans will want to see.

Happy viewing!!


NOTE:  All directly quoted material is obtained from Body and Soul: The Story of John Garfield, by Larry Swindell, William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975)

The Life of Jimmy Dolan (3 stars)

The Life of Jimmy Dolan, from 1933, is a pre-code boxing drama starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Loretta Young, with Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, and Aline MacMahon taking on supporting roles.  Also making appearances here are a very young Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley before she was Anne Shirley (billed as Dawn O'Day here), and a young John Wayne.  This film, which is the last of six pairings between Mr. Fairbanks and Miss Young, is the original of the 1939 John Garfield film They Made Me a Criminal (reviewed HERE).

After getting drunk at a party, left-handed boxer Jimmy Dolan (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) throws a punch at the newspaper reporter intent on getting a story, sending him sprawling backwards into a fatal fall.  Without realizing his blow killed the man, Jimmy passes out, leaving his friend Doc (Lyle Talbot) to take matters into his own hands.  Sure he and Jimmy's girlfriend, Goldie, will be implicated in the death as well, Doc determines that the best thing the two of them can do is leave town, which, after slipping Jimmy's watch on his wrist and setting out in Jimmy's car, they do.  However, with the police on the lookout for Jimmy's car, a chase ensues, and a drunken Doc crashes.  The car explodes upon impact, killing both Doc and Goldie, and with Jimmy's watch being the identification, Jimmy---who, as expected, has been accused of killing the reporter---is presumed dead.

After Jimmy comes to and learns that not only is he dead, but that he had been implicated in the reporter's death, he is advised by his attorney to take on a new identity and leave town. After being warned not to use his fists, lest he give himself away, Jimmy---now known as Jack Dougherty---hops a freighter and makes his way west.

Near Salt Lake City, Jack/Jimmy leaves the freighter behind and takes to his feet.  After reaching a farm run by Auntie (Aline MacMahon) and Peggy (Loretta Young), his strength gives out, and he stays there for a time as they nurse him back to health.  Jack discovers that the farm is much more than a farm---it is a hospital of sorts for crippled children---and as he stays on to work there, Jack falls in love with Peggy and becomes fond of the children.   After learning that Auntie is in financial straits and that the children will be returned to the orphanage if she cannot make a payment, Jack is determined to do his part to help them out and, thus, despite his attorney's warning to not use his fists, he agrees to take part in an upcoming fight.

Back in New York, Detective Phlaxer (Guy Kibbee) spots news of the Salt Lake fight, along with a photo which looks suspiciously like Jimmy Dolan to him.  Though he had long thought that the body identified as Jimmy's was misidentified, because of a mistake earlier in his career, his superiors refused to believe him.  Now, with something to prove and a chance to salvage his reputation, Phlaxer sets out to Salt Lake City to meet up with Jack Dougherty and bring him back to New York as the accused killer Jimmy Dolan.

Doex Phlaxer find Jimmy/Jack?  Does he bring him back to New York for trial and prison?  Will Auntie get the funds she needs to save the farm?  Will Peggy and Jack's love survive?  How everything plays out is the balance of the film.



While not a spectacular film, The Life of Jimmy Dolan is, nonetheless, very solid and entertaining.  The storyline is interesting, and it is loads of fun seeing Loretta Young when she was just 20 years old and Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley, and John Wayne in the early days of their careers.  Despite the large supporting cast, this really is Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s film, and he is quite good in his role.  Without question, though, I preferred the Garfield remake, in part, probably, because of my love affair with John Garfield.  In the remake, Guy Kibbee's role is played by Claude Rains, Loretta Young's by Gloria Dickson, and Aline MacMahon's by May Robson, and the farm for crippled children is a home for delinquent youth---played by none other than the Dead End Kids.  You might want to watch both films and compare them for yourself.  I give both of them 3 stars---though They Made Me a Criminal is more like 3.5.

The film is not out on DVD, so it might be difficult to track it down; however, TCM airs it fairly regularly, so you could probably catch it there within a few months.

Happy viewing!

The Set-Up (4 stars)

I've shared before that I am a huge Robert Ryan fan.  Although he's typically a cynical, unlikeable, "bad boy" kind of character, I just really like him and think he was a tremendously underknown and underappreciated actor.  So, whenever I have the chance to catch one of his films, I do.  The Set-Up, from 1949, stars Ryan, along with Audrey Totter, under the direction of Robert Wise, in a gritty boxing drama.

Ryan plays Bill "Stoker" Thompson, an aging boxer who has been on a losing streak.  His wife, Julie (Audrey Totter), hates watching him get beat up and really wants him to quit the business.  However, Bill, sure he is just one punch away from the top spot, tells her that "when you're a fighter, you gotta fight."  So, certain he will be successful, he gets set for that night's fight, which will pit him---a 35 year-old---against an up-and-coming 23 year-old.

When Stoker hits the ring, he gives it everything he's got and puts up a fierce fight.  What he doesn't know, though, is that he is supposed to lose.  His manager already guaranteed Stoker's loss...only thing is, he failed to tell Stoker.  And when the powers-that-be are double-crossed, there's a price to pay.

According to Robert Osborne's introductory information, Robert Ryan considered Stoker Thompson to be his favorite role. I think he does a great job here, and it's easily one of my favorite Ryan roles as well. This film is out on DVD and should be quite easy to track down.

Happy viewing!!

City for Conquest (4 stars)

Ever get teary-eyed in a James Cagney film?   If not, watch City for Conquest, a mildly sentimental drama from 1940, and you just might.  This touching film also stars Ann Sheridan, with Donald Crisp, Arthur Kennedy, Anthony Quinn, and future director Elia Kazan, in supporting roles.  No, the film doesn't bring huge sobs, but it definitely always makes me gently weep.

Cagney and Sheridan portray Danny Kenny and Peggy Nash, who have been sweethearts since childhood.  Danny, a manual laborer, does some boxing on the side, but he's not overly interested in making a career out of the ring.  However, wanting to make some quick money to help his aspiring-musician brother (Arthur Kennedy), he takes on the name Young Samson and agrees to a fight. Although Danny finds immediate success, he really doesn't want to keep fighting, so he backs away from the ring.

Dancing professionally is what Peggy is all about.  She's been dancing since she was a child, and having her name in lights is all she can think about, so when professional dancer, Murray Burns (Anthony Quinn), expresses interest in her, she's totally ecstatic.  Wanting more than just the average life she's known, Peggy partners with Murray, and the two begin touring together.

Danny wants to marry Peggy, but when she is offered a more lucrative gig, she chooses that over Danny.  Brokenhearted, Danny figures that the only way he can regain Peggy's love is to be on top himself, which causes him to push for a fight he just might not be ready for.

The Max Steiner score in this film is gorgeous...another thing you probably wouldn't expect in a James Cagney film and just one more reason I enjoy City for Conquest so much.  It's really a touching, heart-tugging film, which I hope y'all get a chance to watch.

Happy viewing!!!