Golden Boy

Summary

1953 BBC studio production of Clifford Odets’ drama Golden Boy.

Theatre play

Golden Boy by Clifford Odets (1906-1963) [more information]

Play synopsis

'The play focuses on Joe Bonaparte, whose dream of becoming a violinist could become a reality when prizefight promoter Roxy Gottlieb offers to sponsor him as a boxer. He finds himself torn between the lure of big money and the distinct possibility of injuring his hands, thereby destroying his musical career. Among those offering him advice are his Italian immigrant father, his manager Tom Moody, and Tom’s girlfriend Lorna Moon, with whom Joe falls in love’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Boy_%28play%29; accessed 22 January 2015).

Production history

First produced by the Group Theatre on Broadway in 1937.

Date of transmission

Sunday 8 November 1953

Time

8.40-10.30pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Director

Julian Amyes

Producer

Ian Atkins

Playwright

Clifford Odets (1906-1963)

Sets / Settings

Richard R. Greenough

Cast

Anne Allan	Lorna Moon
Michael Balfour	Tokio
Victor Baring	Barker
Gaylord Cavallaro	Siggie
Kenneth Haigh	Joe Bonaparte
Melvyn Hayes	Call Boy
Paddy Hayes	Driscoll
Miriam Karlin	Anna
Arnold Marlé	Mr Bonaparte
John Moffatt	Eddie Fuseli
Ronan O’Casey	Frank Bonaparte
Macdonald Parke	Roxy Gottlieb
Hartley Power	Tom Moody
Richard Shaw	Pepper White
Frank Singuineau	Sam
Ewen Solon	Drake
Julian Somers	Mr Carp
Charles Stanley	Mickey

Additional details

Origination

Live from studio

Vision original

Monochrome

Later transmissions

Presented again at 7.00pm on Thursday 12 November 1953.

Extant status

No archival copy is known to exist.

Play tags

American drama; boxing

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 8 November 1953 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, photo and article by Peter Forster, ‘Boxing, Beauty and the War’, p. 14

Title

Rocket to the Moon (Channel 4-PBS, 1986) (Blog article)

Author/creator

Amanda Wrigley (Author)

Reference

https://screenplaystv.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/rocket-to-the-moon-1986, published 24 January 2015

Notes

Includes discussion of other plays by Clifford Odets including Golden Boy.