Young Man with a Horn (1950)

A young trumpeter enjoys highs (musical success, fame, and fortune) and lows (sour marriage, death of his mentor, bout with alcoholism).

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Carl Foreman (screenplay), Edmund H. North (screenplay),

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Doris Day

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Rick Martin
Lauren Bacall	...	Amy North
Doris Day	...	Jo Jordan
Hoagy Carmichael	...	Willie 'Smoke' Willoughby
Juano Hernandez	...	Art Hazzard
Jerome Cowan	...	Phil Morrison
Mary Beth Hughes	...	Marge Martin
Nestor Paiva	...	Louis Galba
Orley Lindgren	...	Rick as a Boy
Walter Reed	...	Jack Chandler

Storyline

Aimless youth Rick Martin learns he has a gift for music and falls in love with the trumpet. Legendary trumpeter Art Hazzard takes Rick under his wing and teaches him all he knows about playing. To the exclusion of anything else in life, Rick becomes a star trumpeter, but his volatile personality and desire to play jazz rather than the restricted tunes of the bands he works for lands him in trouble.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | trumpeter | band | trumpet | jazz | 

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Taglines:

A White-Hot Drama about a Red-Hot Jazzman!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Jazztrompeter

Filming Locations:

Aragon Ballroom, Lick Pier, Ocean Park, Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Columbia 10-inch studio LP featuring Doris Day and Harry James hit the top spot on "Billboard"'s popular albums chart.

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Goofs

Early in the movie when young Rick Martin is walking on the street, a car pulls up to the intersection. Although it on screen only for a moment, it appears to be late 1940s or early 1950s Hudson. This would match the time that the movie was made but would not be right for a boy who ages 15-20 years to become Rick Martin the man.

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Quotes

Rick Martin: [to Amy] You're like those carnival joints I used to work in. Big flash on the outside, but on the inside nothing but filth.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Kirk Douglas (1991)

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Soundtracks

"Tea for Two"
(uncredited)
Music by Vincent Youmans (1925)
Part played by Kirk Douglas (dubbed by Harry James)

User Reviews

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 thru 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 from 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, and certainly it's a switch that pays off as the end credit looms large.

The directing from Michael Curtiz is very good and the photography from Ted McCord captures the smoke filled nature of jazz clubs perfectly, whilst the acting from all 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, Young Man With A Horn is a very rewarding piece, just remember that it is, however, far from being a true biographical story of the tragic Bix Beiderbecke. 8/10