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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by Rouben Mamoulian
USA 1939

 

If Clifford Odets' play seems impossibly shopworn today - boy from poverty row is tempted to abandon Art and his violin for the quick but brutalising rewards of the boxing-ring - at least this adaptation prunes away the worst, pseudo-poetical excesses of the original dialogue. Gone, too, is the character of the labour organiser, mouthpiece for Odets' flabby plea that the hero's choice is a matter for concern in terms of the on-going struggle between Capital and Labour. What's left is melodrama, with the dilemma couched largely in moral and personal terms, and it stands up pretty well under Mamoulian's stylish direction, with its chiaroscuro lighting effects, savage final fight (shot with subjective camera), and gallery of excellent performances. Holden (in his film debut) is good in the title role; but the real treats are Menjou's mournfully cynical fight manager, Stanwyck's melting moll, and Calleia's wonderfully serio-comic, trigger-itchy gangster.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

William Holden in his first starring role as a ghetto boy who turns in his violin for a pair of boxing gloves. Columbia was attacked for softening Clifford Odets's famous stage play, though at worst it's an exchange of naive Broadway cynicism for naive Hollywood optimism--a fair trade, I'd say. The film is actually one of Rouben Mamoulian's more restrained and responsible jobs of direction--he hasn't overloaded Odets's rhetorical flourishes with his own customary explosions of style.

Excerpt from Dave Kehr's review at the Chicago Reader located HERE

 

Poster

Theatrical Release: September 5th, 1939

Reviews            More Reviews           DVD Reviews

 Comparison: 

Sony - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

Part of the Barbara Stanwyck - Screen Goddess Boxset  which includes Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, All I Desire, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Golden Boy and The Miracle Woman.

BONUS CAPTURES:

Distribution

Sony

Region 1 - NTSC

Universal (Stanwyck Goddess boxset)

Region 2 - PAL

Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:39:09 1:35:09 (4% PAL speedup) 1:39:18.410

Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.10 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.78 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Disc Size: 19,185,816,553 bytes

Feature Size: 19,009,007,616 bytes

Average Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate :

 Sony

Bitrate:

Universal (from the Stanwyck Goddess set)

Bitrate:

Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) English (Dolby Digital 1.0) LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles English, None English, None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Sony

Aspect Ratio:
Original - 1.33:

Edition Details:
• Cartoon - The Kangaroo Kid

• Pleased to Mitt You (comedy short)

• Screen Snapshot

• Ford Television Theatre: Sudden Silence

• Previews

• Theatrical Trailer (1:41 / 4:3)

DVD Release Date: November 13th, 2007
Keep case

Chapters 20

Release Information:
Studio: Universal UK
 

Aspect Ratio:
Original - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• none

shares the set with Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, All I Desire, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, and The Miracle Woman.
 

DVD Release Date: October 17th, 2005
Keep Case inside cardboard box

Chapters 14

Release Information:
Studio:
Imprint

 

Disc Size: 19,185,816,553 bytes

Feature Size: 19,009,007,616 bytes

Average Bitrate: 21.99 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

   

Edition Details:
• N
one

Blu-ray Release Date: October 7th, 2022
Transparent
Blu-ray Case inside slipcase

Chapters 12

 

Package - Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Imprint Blu-ray (October 2022): Imprint have transferred Rouben Mamoulian's 1939 Golden Boy to Blu-ray. It is on a single-layered disc with a modest bitrate but improves in the video - notably with contrast and texture. It's brighter than both DVDs and provides a consistent pleasing presentation. It seems to be the same source with a infrequent, duplicate, speckles in all three transfers.     

NOTE: We have added 40 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Imprint use a linear PCM dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. There is some pugilism and 'punching' effects as well as cheering crowd noises that come through authentically flat. Plus there is a score by Victor Young (Arise My Love, Union Pacific, The Accused, Strategic Air Command, The Sun Shines Bright, Johnny Guitar, China Gate etc.) He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for Golden Boy. It sounds very supportive and clean via the uncompressed transfer.  Imprint offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Imprint has no extras - not even a trailer.

Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy is based on the 1937 play by Clifford Odets. It was originally intended to be a Frank Capra film and John Garfield and Tyrone Power considered for the boxer / promising violinist, Joe Bonaparte with William Holden getting the nod. The producers were initially unhappy with Holden's work and tried to dismiss him, but Barbara Stanwyck insisted that he stay on. The 1947 film, Robert Rossen's Body and Soul was partly based on Golden Boy. It is definitely in the upper-tier of early boxing-related films. The Imprint Blu-ray is overpriced for being bare-bones and will certainly be reduced when re-issued without the LE slipcase. Stanwyck is her usual great self.  

***

ON THE DVDs (October 2005):  On the heels of Warner's Barbara Stanwyck Signature Collection this little gem was residing in Sony's (ex. Columbia) camp. Perfect timing for an NTSC release.

Although Sony's effort is technically dual-layered - the film definitely is only single-layered... as is the Universal PAL edition. In actuality, the UK release utilizes more space when you take into consideration the extensive supplements available on the Sony. I initially leaned towards the frugal PAL edition in terms of image. It has far superior contrast as the Sony looks a shade sepia. The Universal also includes more information in the frame (marginal). Unfortunately, the PAL edition has some falsely acquired brightness and shows more artefacts. Both are fairly clean but different speckles here and there are visible in each. Both are progressively transferred. In the end this is not an easy choice in regards to the image - both having some prominent minuses but this is one title you probably won't see hit high-definition in your (my) lifetime. Both have optional English subtitles but they are flawed in the Universal residing on a black label background (see sample below). The Sony are awful bright yellow

Another big difference are in the supplements - where the Universal (shared in a collection with Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, All I Desire, The Bitter Tea of General Yen and The Miracle Woman. ) offers nothing - the Sony is stacked. It offers a cartoon - The Kangaroo Kid, a three-stooge-esq comedy short called Pleased to Mitt You (with Shemp!). There is also something called a 'Screen Snapshot' featurette with some footage of stars of the era at leisure including Stanwyck trying her hand at golf (just love this gal). Then we have a 1956 TV episode of Ford Television Theatre: Sudden Silence with Jeff Morrow and Barbara Stanwyck - kinda cool addition! Finally some previews and the original theatrical trailer. Way to go Sony!

I LOVE my UK Stanwyck Goddess collection but it is pricey. I also really like this film a lot... and the Sony supplements. The final choice is yours but don't pass up William Holden's debut!

Gary W. Tooze

 


DVD Menus

(Sony - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)

 
 
 
 
 
 

Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Samples

1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal (Stanwyck Goddess Set) - Region 2 - PAL MIDDLE

3) Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

Box Cover

 

Part of the Barbara Stanwyck - Screen Goddess Boxset  which includes Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, All I Desire, The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Golden Boy and The Miracle Woman.

BONUS CAPTURES:

Distribution

Sony

Region 1 - NTSC

Universal (Stanwyck Goddess boxset)

Region 2 - PAL

Imprint - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 


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