Young Man with a Horn

This is a great film with three great actors; Kirk Douglas as Rick Martin, Lauren Bacall as Amy North, AND Doris Day as Jo Jordan. Even though the movie was loosely based on the short and sad life of jazz trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, the ending was written in a more positive light than Bix's tragic real life story. Yet the movie still manages to capture the essence of a tormented musician's existence, the dangers of alcoholism, the deceptions of false love, and the effect Rick Martin's choices have on those around him who love...and hate...him. There's Lauren Bacall and Doris Day...bad girl and good girl...who will he choose? Slinky, seductive, and cat-like Lauren? Or loving, beautiful and wholesome Doris? It's a visual feast with two of Hollywood's most alluring women! And it's an acting tour de force from all involved, including Juano Hernandez as young Rick Martin's African American trumpet mentor, Art Hazzard. It's also a great pathos film, only with an added light-at-the end-of-the-tunnel type of ending. Not necessarily a true to life ending, but it makes for a great story...and an even greater movie. This should definitely be on DVD!

...in this musical biopic based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke, American pianist, coronist, and composer who died at age 28. Directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Warner Brothers, this film tells the tale of RIck Martin (Kirk Douglas) who is orphaned as a child and raised by a much older sister who moves around the country, finally settling in LA. A loner both by nature and nurture, he becomes interested in music in general and then the trumpet specifically, with trumpeter Art Hazzard (Juano Hernandez) becoming both a tutor and father figure to him. His sister disappears from the story early on, and this makes Rick a convincing latchkey kid at this point.

As a grown man he meets two women. One is a singer in a band, Jo Jordan, who is just too sweet and understanding to be true to the point that nothing romantic develops. Doris Day is wasted in this part except when she sings. The other is socialite Amy North (Lauren Bacall) who Martin sees as an interesting enigma to the point that he marries her. This is where the film loses its way as Amy's characterization is all over the place. Other than the fact that she seems to enjoy tormenting Rick I really don't get her motivation.

I read the portion of director Curtiz' biography dealing with this film, and apparently Bacall didn't like her character either and clashed with Curtiz on a regular basis on this subject. The lesbian angle for Amy was written in intentionally, but with the production code still being in full force, it's really hard to see it unless you know it's there.

This is worthwhile with Kirk Douglas' electric portrayal, the touching relationship between Rick Martin and Art Hazzard, the great portrayal of night life and jam sessions, and Hoagy Carmichael's narration, all outweighing the goofy ending.

I watched this film because I'm a fan of Lauren Bacall. While she is good, this movie belongs to Kirk Douglas. The title character spends his life devoted to his music. His friend Jo (Doris Day), says he's "married to" his trumpet. Eventually he marries Jo's friend, Amy (Bacall.) The couple are polar opposites; he devoted to the only thing in life that's ever mattered to him, she going from one career path to another desperately trying to find something she can stick with. The backdrop of the movie is, of course, jazz music. But even if you aren't fond of jazz (which I'm not particularly), it won't detract from your enjoyment of the story. And Doris Day sings superbly. Hoagy Carmichael is the narrator, taking you into this smoke-filled world of jazz and eventually back out. It's quite a trip.

A decent Hollywood film, but only if you take it as Hollywood and check reality at the door. It was based on a book that the author, Dorothy Baker, admitted was "inspired" by the life of Bix and his music. Most professional jazz musicians and Bix contemporaries find much of it, especially the search for "high notes," laughable, and an inaccurate portrayal of any musician's life, let alone Bix's. Many of those same people find the film even more flawed...

However, that said, this is good Hollywood. Classic Curtiz work with many of the same nuances you'll find in Casablanca (you'll enjoy the use of smoke and shadow in the b/w environment). It was a film that many of the leads reportedly did not enjoy making (subject matter hit a little too close to home for Hoagy Carmichael and Doris Day), but that does not seem to seep into the film too much. Lauren Bacall satisfyingly fills the role of the sultry wrong woman, Day is terribly wholesome but alluring, and any chance to see Hoagy on screen is worth the price of a rental. Now, if only the Kirk Douglasness of Kirk Douglas could have been turned down a hair...

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