like the man say if youre gon na steal steal from the best and abraham polonsky surely take this to heart when he lift golden boy right out of cliff odets typewriter and add just enough spin to get away with it . what be all the more remarkable be the blatant clue . garfield and a fellow alumnus with odets of the group theatre actually have a minor role in the original production of golden boy a plot and l we forget and involve a gifted violinist who take up prizefight more than this garfield previous movie role be humoresque in which he play yeah and you get it a gifted violinist corrupt by money . unlike joe bonaparte and garfield charlie davis be not in conflict with his artistic gift ( he have none ) but be hook on money and all it can buy or and if you want to get fancy and he be fight his good nature as well a his opponent in the ring . just because it owe so much to odets doesn not make it a bad movie but odets be there in every frame because polonsky have opt to write about a world familiar to odets and employ sub odets dialogue . in a strong supporting cast and lloyd gough and william conrad and lilli palmer and joseph pevney and the great ann revere only lightweight hazel scott be superfluous . by now and of course and garfield could play character like this in his sleep but nevertheless this be a fine example of late forty film making .