(1940)
2
Hans J. Wollstein
A tough little Paramount B-movie, directed with his usual steady hand by Edward Dmytryk and performed by a fine cast of second-tier performers, Golden Gloves was undoubtedly inspired by Clifford Odets' 1937 Broadway play Golden Boy and its 1939 screen version. In fact, Paramount attempted to borrow William Holden, the sensational young star of Golden Boy, but Columbia's Harry Cohn reportedly refused to let him go, and contract player Richard Denning was chosen instead. Denning is quite good in the role of the fighter with a conscience but Golden Gloves belongs to villainous J. Carrol Naish who offers a memorable interpretation of controlled menace.
Golden Gloves on AllMovie
Golden Gloves (1940)
