In his book "Understanding the Beats," (1992) Edward Halsey Foster writes of the undercurrent of interest and jealousy by the white middle class of the 'hipster' culture of the 1940s. Thus, Hollywood produced movies such as this one that romanticized 'hipster' culture so that the 'organization man' could get vicarious hipster kicks from a safe distance.
'Young Man With a Horn' is a real break through from the phony and full of hooey M-G-M biopics of earlier decades, with a realism and toughness that you expect from the grittier Warner Brothers. The subject is the unconstrained aliveness of a jazz musician, a special type of hipster. It focuses on the jazz musician's life and obsession with jazz; it features plenty of jazz with Harry James and Hoagy Carmichael; it has lesbianish implications for Lauren Bacall's character; it has a black actor playing one of the major roles; it has meaty dialog about the origin and nature of jazz music as well as the size of its specialized audience; it also has wonderful singing by Doris Day, who does a good imitation of Peggy Lee.
Well, so much for the pluses. The screen writers probably figured that Kirk Douglas's obsession for his trumpet and what he could do with it would be a one trick pony and not be able to sustain audience interest for a whole movie. So after the impressive first half hour, the movie makes an abrupt turn, with the entrance of Lauren Bacall as Amy, to a triangle love story about Kirk's love for and failed marriage to her, with the Pollyanish Jo (Doris Day) waiting in the wings to help him when he falls.
Based on the book about Bix Beiderbecke's life, it ends differently. Instead of dying young, Douglas (as Rick Martin) on his death bed has an epiphany mistaking an ambulance siren as the mysterious note he's been trying to hit all his life. Cut to the recording studio where, suddenly healed, he backs Doris Day singing 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' and fade out. Also sell out.
Well what would you expect for the period when it was filmed? We'd have to wait until 'Round Midnight' (1986) and 'Bird' (1988) to have films that really are true to the jazz musician's life.
For the great first half of the film, a 7. But the rest brings it down to a 5.
'Young Man With a Horn' is a real break through from the phony and full of hooey M-G-M biopics of earlier decades, with a realism and toughness that you expect from the grittier Warner Brothers. The subject is the unconstrained aliveness of a jazz musician, a special type of hipster. It focuses on the jazz musician's life and obsession with jazz; it features plenty of jazz with Harry James and Hoagy Carmichael; it has lesbianish implications for Lauren Bacall's character; it has a black actor playing one of the major roles; it has meaty dialog about the origin and nature of jazz music as well as the size of its specialized audience; it also has wonderful singing by Doris Day, who does a good imitation of Peggy Lee.
Well, so much for the pluses. The screen writers probably figured that Kirk Douglas's obsession for his trumpet and what he could do with it would be a one trick pony and not be able to sustain audience interest for a whole movie. So after the impressive first half hour, the movie makes an abrupt turn, with the entrance of Lauren Bacall as Amy, to a triangle love story about Kirk's love for and failed marriage to her, with the Pollyanish Jo (Doris Day) waiting in the wings to help him when he falls.
Based on the book about Bix Beiderbecke's life, it ends differently. Instead of dying young, Douglas (as Rick Martin) on his death bed has an epiphany mistaking an ambulance siren as the mysterious note he's been trying to hit all his life. Cut to the recording studio where, suddenly healed, he backs Doris Day singing 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' and fade out. Also sell out.
Well what would you expect for the period when it was filmed? We'd have to wait until 'Round Midnight' (1986) and 'Bird' (1988) to have films that really are true to the jazz musician's life.
For the great first half of the film, a 7. But the rest brings it down to a 5.