Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

Leaving home, young Buddy Baker arrives unannounced at the luxurious Manhattan apartment of his older brother, Alan, a swinging girl chasing bachelor who prefers his carefree life to ... See full summary »

Director:

Bud Yorkin

Writers:

Neil Simon (play), Norman Lear (screenplay)

Stars:

Frank Sinatra, Lee J. Cobb, Molly Picon

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Frank Sinatra	...	Alan Baker
Lee J. Cobb	...	Harry R. Baker
Molly Picon	...	Mrs. Sophie Baker
Barbara Rush	...	Connie
Jill St. John	...	Peggy John
Dan Blocker	...	Mr. Eckman
Phyllis McGuire	...	Mrs. Eckman
Tony Bill	...	Buddy Baker
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charles Maier	...	Taxi Driver

Storyline

Leaving home, young Buddy Baker arrives unannounced at the luxurious Manhattan apartment of his older brother, Alan, a swinging girl chasing bachelor who prefers his carefree life to working in the family business. Pleased at his brother's show of independence, Alan introduces him to New York night life. Their father is unhappy at Alan's mentoring and the loss of an important account. Buddy is so successful that he soon takes over his brother's liquor cabinet and his girl friends. After giving up a woman who lives in the same building, Alan gets beaten by the husband of another conquest. Scared off, Alan alienates his favorite girl friend, Connie, staying away from all commitment. Hit by the futility of his life, Alan urges Buddy to end his swinging life style, but Buddy is having too good a time. After their argument jolts Alan proposes to Connie. Following their marriage, Alan helps their parents reconcile, works seriously in the family business and turns his bachelor pad over to ...

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | based on play | pinching cheek | camera shot of feet | foot closeup | 

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Taglines:

Laugh Block Buster of the Year From the Hilarious Broadway Hit!

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Genres:

Comedy | Musical

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 June 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wenn mein Schlafzimmer sprechen könnte

Filming Locations:

Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Essex Productions, Paramount Pictures, Tandem Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the jokes in the film are references to Paramount Pictures, which produced and distributed the film.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Sophie Baker: Buddy? is that you?
Buddy Baker: Yeah, mom.
Mrs. Sophie Baker: You're home from work early.
Buddy Baker: Uh, yeah, um, I'm going out tonight.
Mrs. Sophie Baker: Please, darling, don't shed dirt in the living room.
Buddy Baker: I won't.

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Connections

Referenced in Mamadrama: The Jewish Mother in Cinema (2001)

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Soundtracks

Come Blow Your Horn
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Sung by Frank Sinatra

User Reviews

Very few laughs...

The names Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear always look good on the credits for a comedy--until you realize Lear's success was relegated strictly to the tube and Yorkin has no sense of humor. Add to the mix a script based on the play by the highly uneven Neil Simon, and you have a slick but scattershot affair. Frank Sinatra sleepwalks through role as swinging New York bachelor (now there's a stretch) who takes his gawky younger brother under his wing, much to the chagrin of their mother and father (the torturous Molly Picon and Lee J. Cobb, both giving the term 'Old World' a bad rap). Just about every one-liner falls flat, Tony Bill is hopeless in his debut as the kid brother, and Sinatra's one song (the title cut) is mediocre. Dean Martin has a cameo that's not bad, and Dan Blocker is wonderfully big and colorful as a disgruntled businessman, but the rest of this "Horn" blows. *1/2 from ****