ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

yocarlosvarelapr Michael Curtiz was a genius director, don't you agree? Masterpieces like "Casablanca" "The Adventures Of Robin Hood" "The Charge Of The Light Brigade" "Mildred Pierce" and over 150 other titles including the musical "Romance on the High Seas" which introduced Doris Day to the world. In "Young Man with a Horn" Doris Day is the luminous center, the ideal. She is photographed and framed like a reachable dream. Kirk Douglas plays the trumpet player in love with the wrong woman and Lauren Bacall here is the personification of the wrong woman, she knows it, she tells him but he goes for it like a lamb to the slaughter. "Young Man with a Horn" has some extra pluses, Hoagy Carmichel for instance and Juano Hernandez but what the film reminded me of was, Michael Curtiz's brilliance and that Doris Day was, is and always will be one of the great film actresses of all time. Regardless of the film she appeared in, she displayed an extraordinary talent to be, to be totally and if you think I'm just waxing lyrical, "Young Man with a Horn" presents indisputable evidence of her extraordinary talent.

TheLittleSongbird With such blazing source material, a great director like Michael Curtiz (whose 'Casablanca' and 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' are two of my favourite films) and talent like Kirk Douglas, Lauren Bacall and Doris Day, as well as being based on an interesting man and life, 'Young Man with a Horn' had so much going for it.On the most part too, 'Young Man with a Horn' lives up to its vast potential. The only glaring fault is the ending, which felt rushed, far too syrupy and tacked on, considering the sordid and sleazy nature of the rest of the film it really jarred and quite badly. Some may be disappointed at the biographical sections being fictional (then again biopics are rarely accurate) and that the tone of the source material is softened.'Young Man with a Horn' does more right than it does wrong. It looks wonderful, with a stylish visual look with inspired film noir-ish touches. Curtiz allows atmosphere and emotional power to come through, and come through they do. The music is one of 'Young Man with a Horn's' best assets, being a singer and cellist this component has always been important to me and is always mentioned in my reviews. Not just the superb playing of Harry James, but some great songs sung by Doris Day that are also beautifully staged. "The Very Thought of You", "Too Marvellous for Words", "I May be Wrong" and "With a Song in my Heart", all terrific, as are the arrangements of "The Man I Love" and "Get Happy".The film is intelligently scripted without getting over-heated and never feels bland. The story is absorbing and enough of the sordid and sleazy nature comes through as well as the emotional power.Kirk Douglas is outstanding in the lead role, particularly in the tormented scenes. Lauren Bacall also excels as does a cast against type Doris Day. Hoagy Carmichael is smooth and warm-hearted and Juano Hernandez gives his role great dignity.All in all, very powerful even when softened in comparison to what it's based on. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Claudio Carvalho In the 30's, the outcast orphan Rick Martin (Orley Lindgren) is raised by his daughter without any care or love. One day, he overhears a song in a mission and owner of absolute pitch, he is capable to play it on the piano. When he sees a trumpet in a pawnshop, he falls in love with the instrument and works to raise the necessary money to buy it.One day, he meets the legendary trumpeter Art Hazzard (Juano Hernandez) and Rick (Kirk Douglas) becomes his protégée. Art teaches how to play trumpet to Rick that becomes a well succeeded but rebel trumpeter. Along his career, Rick Martin's friends are Art Hazzard, the piano player Willie 'Smoke' Willoughby (Hoagy Carmichael) and the singer Jo Jordan (Doris Day) and becomes the star of his orchestra. When Jo introduces her friend Amy North (Lauren Bacall), who is a medical student that loves to experience new sensations, Rick falls in love with her in the beginning of his downfall."Young Man with a Horn" is a beautiful movie by Michael Curtiz that tells the story of the rise and fall of a musician divided between his two loves: his trumpet and a woman. The story is basically divided in two parts – the first one before Lauren Bacall's character is uplifting, with the story of a boy that becomes a star through his friendship with a great trumpeter and his music, and the second part that is heartbreaking with his unrequited love by a strange woman. The performances are top-notch; the music score is magnificent; and the cinematography in black and white is wonderful. The cast seems to be enlightened and it is almost to highlight a performance - Orley Lindgren, Juano Hernandez, Kirk Douglas, Hoagy Carmichael, Doris Day and Lauren Bacall, they are all fantastic. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Êxito Fugaz" ("Rapid Success")

blanche-2 Kirk Douglas is a "Young Man with a Horn" in this 1950 film that supposedly is based on the life of Bix Biederbeck. It is highly fictionalized, and while very good for what it is, it doesn't really tell us much about Bix or jazz, though Harry James on the trumpet dubbing for Douglas is fantastic. The film also stars Hoagy Carmichael (who narrates as well), Doris Day as a band singer, and Lauren Bacall as the woman that Douglas falls for.Douglas is Rick Martin. As a child, he is sent to live with his sister, who ignores him, so that Rick is off on his own most of the time. He discovers music and becomes interested in the trumpet. He turns out to be supremely gifted and ends up connected to the great jazz trumpet player of the day, Art Hazzard (Juano Hernandez) who teaches and mentors him. Rick becomes famous and respected, and all goes well until he falls madly in love with a psychiatric student Amy North (Bacall) though a better choice for him might be the understanding band singer (Doris Day). Once in love with Amy, Rick loses his focus.I really enjoyed this film but I had a few problems with it. First of all, what year was this supposed to be set in? Before jazz, there was dixieland and the predominant black influence, yet we don't really see Rick listening to dixieland or becoming involved with it. The jazz in the film is the big band jazz that my dad listened to.Secondly, and here is the real problem, is the script. This purports to be the story of a man who is so emotionally damaged and so isolated and torn up inside that he can only express himself through the trumpet. Anyone get the impression that Kirk Douglas could only express himself through the trumpet? He seemed pretty chatty, charming, in touch with his anger, and passionate to me. I'm not blaming Douglas. He gives a terrific, honest performance of the script he was given. But the situations and dialogue have nothing to do with how the character is actually described in the film. Had the script been more reflective of the character, an actor who was more in his own head could have been cast - actually, someone like Montgomery Clift. Or don't describe him that way in the narration and in everyone's lines.A final word on probably the best performance in the film, that of Juano Hernandez as Art Hazzard. Hernandez is underrated and a footnote in Hollywood history, but a darned important one - his work paved the way for actors like Sidney Poitier. Here he gives a dignified, strong performance. A wonderful actor well worth seeking out in other roles.Doris Day is lovely and sings like an angel; Lauren Bacall, in an unusual role for her, does a good job as a cold woman who, in modern sensibility anyway, seems like she may have been gay. She doesn't like her husband touching her and she's ready to go to Europe with some woman she just met, so you tell me. The easygoing Hoagy Carmichael adds his smooth style to the proceedings.The music is heavenly in this film, and the story is interesting with excellent performances. In spite of some of my misgivings, this is well worth seeing.