Year of Release: 1950Country of Origin: USA
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Doris Day, Hoagy Carmichael
Plot outline: Based on a novel by Dorothy Baker, loosely based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke, a trumpeter loves jazz so much he has trouble earning a living and getting along with people (IMDb).
Trying in vain to convince us otherwise, the movie business continually churns out stories about artists who realize they need to be great human beings first and great artists second. If they don't, they perish. Dramatically contrived and thematically feeble, Young Man with a Horn benefits more from its atmosphere of smoky gin joints and posh ballrooms. The trumpet playing is rousing (Douglas's playing is dubbed by the great Harry James), Carmichael gets to shine behind the keyboard, and Day's vocals on songs like "The Very Thought Of You" spin straw into gold. But the non-musical performances are shallow: Douglas is forceful but one-note, Day is as square and wholesome as a glass of milk, and Bacall purrs along in the same faux-bad girl performance she's given for the past 60 years. But I suppose that's fitting for a morality play this black and white, where wild jazz, liquor, and loose women cause the downfall of man. (JK)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
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