Drama

Music

Romance

Young Man with a Horn

Warner Bros. Pictures

United States of America

English

Kirk Douglas

Lauren Bacall

Doris Day

Hoagy Carmichael

Juano Hernández

Jerome Cowan

Mary Beth Hughes

Nestor Paiva

Orley Lindgren

Walter Reed

Paul E. Burns

Dan Seymour

Bill Walker

Jean Spangler

Paul Brinegar

Frank Cady

Dick Cherney

Everett Glass

Keye Luke

Barry Norton

Michael Curtiz

Dorothy Baker

Carl Foreman

Edmund H. North

Jerry Wald

Ted D. McCord

William Wallace

Alan Crosland, Jr.

Everett Alton Brown

Ray Heindorf

Max Steiner

Harry James

Robert Turner

David Curtiz

Betty Delmont

John Wallace

This trumpet is part of me, the best part!

Young Man With A Horn is inspired by the sad life of jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke, a sad life because Bix would succumb to alcoholism and pass away at the age of 28.

Rick Martin (Kirk Douglas) is the fictional character of the piece, the film is told in flashbacks of Martin's life through the nostalgic reminiscence of pianist Smoke Willoughby (Hoagy Carmichael).

Young Man With A Horn is very much a film of three parts, the first half firmly establishes Rick's love of music from an early age, his tutelage under mentor Art Hazzard (Juan Hernandez) is fully formed and completely fleshes out Rick's character. We are then privy to the middle part of his life as he forms a bond with Smoke and band singer Jo Jordon (an ebullient and charming Doris Day), Rick is happy, his love of music taking priority over outside interests, but then Amy North (a swishing Lauren Bacall) enters his life, and here the film switches firmly into a melodramatic piece, it's a switch that pays off as the end credit looms large.

The directing from Michael Curtiz is as you would expect very tight to the drama, and the photography from Ted McCord captures the smoke filled nature of jazz clubs perfectly. The acting from the cast principals is never less than above average. Some may find it hard to accept Kirk Douglas in the leading role, and certainly at first glance he looks oddly out of place with a trumpet at his lips, but he studied under trumpeter Larry Sullivan and convinces as a viable trumpet player (the actual music is dubbed by Harry James). The music of course is excellent, and as long as one is prepared for the melodramatic turn of events, this is a very rewarding piece. The proviso though is that you remember that this is far from being a true biographical story of the tragic Bix Beiderbecke. 8/10

Young Man With a Horn  - Trailer

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Young Man with a Horn

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Cast

Kirk Douglas

Lauren Bacall

Doris Day

Hoagy Carmichael

Juano Hernández

Jerome Cowan

Mary Beth Hughes

Nestor Paiva

Orley Lindgren

Walter Reed

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