The Holland Avenue Boys: A Success Story

The Holland Avenue boys consist of maybe a dozen guys who grew up together on or near the Bronx's Holland Avenue in the '40s and early '50s. As kids, they played stick ball and other street games, hung around at neighborhood diners and other landmarks, often attended school together, and planned and dreamed about careers and the rest of their lives. After leaving high school, they split to go their separate ways, but a remarkable bond was formed. In this engaging documentary, the "boys," now about 60, explain why that early Holland Avenue connection meant so much to them. Though they didn't share a common religious faith (roughly half were Catholic, most others Jewish) they did have a system of shared values. In fact, one elderly parent says that any father could have easily taken over and raised any other kid. The boys had a way of supporting their friends through good times and bad, and while there have been some problems of failed businesses, divorce, and depression, the boys have mostly found worldly success and personal peace and happiness. Parents, spouses, and children discuss how the group's 50-year friendship has enriched their later family lives. This video doesn't fall into any easily defined category, but it's recommended for academic and public libraries. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)