Rather neglected by the older sister who is raising him, Rick Martin (Orley Lindgren) finds what he's looking for in music. Fascinated by the piano in a local mission church, Rick teaches himself to play by ear. Before long, though, needing a more affordable instrument---and one he can carry with him---he transfers his interest to the trumpet, and under the tutelage of blues musician, Art Hazzard (Juano Hernandez), Rick quickly masters the beautiful brass piece.
As the years go by and young Rick becomes a man (now played by Kirk Douglas), his love for music becomes his all in all. He's an intense man, not much interested in having friends or a social life...just in hitting a note that has never been hit before. Landing a job in a dance orchestra, he has a hard time adhering to the rigid rules of the bandleader, desiring, instead, to shake things up a bit with some jazzier tunes.
The band's singer, Jo Jordan (Doris Day), and piano man, Smoke Willoughby (Hoagy Carmichael) look past Rick's driven, hard-to-get-along-with personality and become good friends. When Rick's rebellious ways get him fired from the band, Jo helps him land another gig; however, Rick's passion for his music and his desire to do something that's never been done before, continue to consume him.
The band's singer, Jo Jordan (Doris Day), and piano man, Smoke Willoughby (Hoagy Carmichael) look past Rick's driven, hard-to-get-along-with personality and become good friends. When Rick's rebellious ways get him fired from the band, Jo helps him land another gig; however, Rick's passion for his music and his desire to do something that's never been done before, continue to consume him.
After getting involved with and marrying a troubled medical student (Lauren Bacall), Rick's life and career spiral downward, ultimately taking him to rock bottom.
Only with the love and support of true friends, Jo and Smoke, will this troubled man be able to pull himself up from the gutter and get his life in order. How it all plays out is the balance of the film.
Young Man with a Horn is a completely riveting film, and it provides an opportunity to hear the lovely voice of Doris Day perform four different numbers. Kirk Douglas's acting is sensational. Up until about ten months ago, I would have said that I didn't much care for Mr. Douglas. Since that time, though, I've seen a few of his films (including two which were among my 5-star film discoveries of 2012), and I have been blown away by the performance he gives. My appreciation for him has grown by leaps and bounds, and I've recently begun including him on my favorite actor list. Here in Young Man with a Horn, he is so into the role that there are times the obsessive glint in his eyes is positively maniacal---completely intense and in definite keeping with his driven character. Although Mr. Douglas's trumpet sounds were provided by Harry James, his playing looked authentic to me.
Appropriately hard and cold, Lauren Bacall plays her unlikable character to perfection. Miss Bacall was 26 years old here---hard to believe...she looked significantly older...like 35 or 40! Doris Day is her usual lovely self and is very solid in her role as well; having a chance to hear her sing is always a delight. And Juano Hernandez is wonderful! I loved his character, and I think he brought him to life beautifully. The music of the film is the icing on the cake---there is lots of it, and it is terrific, all made available in a separate soundtrack.
Out on DVD, this film should be easy to track down. It is also on the TCM schedule for Thursday, May 30th at 3:30 a.m. (ET). Fans of Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall, Doris Day, or jazz music ought to really enjoy this one.
Happy viewing!!
