Golden Boy charts the swift rise of a gifted twenty-one-year-old violinist, Joe Bonaparte, who is corrupted by fame and fortune when he chooses to become a professional boxer. Surrounding his hero with a gallery of sharply written characters who try to shape and guide Joe's destiny, playwright Clifford Odets lays out the young man's many facets: sensitive musician, rebellious son, frustrated lover, and self-destructive champion. In the end, it's the seductive promise of the American dream that betrays Joe as it did for so many in the Depression years.
What Is the Story of Golden Boy?
Clifford Odets' Golden Boy first premiered on Broadway in 1937. This drama follows Joe Bonaparte, the son of Italian immigrants living in New York City, who dreams of fame, fortune and a better life and decides that he will achieve those dreams through professional boxing. The only problem is Joe is a violin prodigy who could lose it all if he damages his hands. Another hitch: Joe's protective father disapproves of his new lifestyle. Will Joe be able to have it all—including love with the lovely Lorna Moon—or will he the compromises be too great?