It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Young Man with a Horn (1950) – Musical #92

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
Michael Curtiz

Starring:
Kirk Douglas, Doris Day, Lauren Bacall, Juano Hernandez, Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Cowan, Mary Beth Hughes, Orley Lindgren,

Plot:
As a child, Rick Martin (Lindgren, Douglas) is orphaned and lives with his sister (Hughes). With no supervision and left to his own device, Rick is drawn to music — first learning how to play piano by ear and then hearing a jazz session led by Art Hazzard (Hernandez). Art takes Rick under his wing and teaches him how to play the trumpet, perfecting his methods as Rick grows into adulthood. Rick eventually gets a job with a band, where he clashes with the bandleader because Rick wants to play jazz and not dance music. In the process, he and the band’s singer Jo Jordan (Day) form a romance. But it’s Jo’s friend Amy North (Bacall) that Rick is drawn to — but through it all he’s most entranced with his music.

Trivia:
• Kirk Douglas’s trumpet playing is dubbed by Harry James. James also coached Douglas on trumpet techniques and methods to make his playing look authentic. Juano Hernandez’s trumpet playing is dubbed by Jimmy Zito.
• Based on the 1938 novel “Young Man with a Horn” by Dorothy Baker, which was inspired by the life of jazz trumpet player Bix Beiderbecke.
• Pianist Hoagy Carmichael, who appears in the film, was friends in real life with Bix Beiderbecke, according to Michael Curtiz’s biographer.

Highlights:
• Juano Hernandez’s performance
• Cinematography
• Harry James’s trumpet music

Notable Songs:
• “Too Marvelous for Words” performed by Doris Day
• “The Very Thought of You” performed by Doris Day
• “I May Be Wrong (But I Think You’re Wonderful)” performed by Doris Day
• “Get Happy” performed by Harry James on trumpet (off camera) and Hoagy Carmichael
• “The Man I Love” performed by Harry James on trumpet (off camera)

My review:
You may be thinking “You Man with a Horn”? A musical? (Or maybe you’re not), but let me explain.

It’s true, “Young Man with a Horn” isn’t your standard musical with choreographed dance numbers. However, this film is categorized as a “music film,” and could be compared to movies, such as “The Glenn Miller Story,” “The Gene Krupa Story” or “The Benny Goodman Story.” All of these largely focus on music from musicians and their bands (rather than splashy musical numbers), and each is chockful of so much outstanding music that you can’t ignore it.

While “Young Man with a Horn” isn’t a biographical story like the examples above, the story is inspired by the life of trumpet player Bix Beiderbecke.

If you love trumpet player Harry James, like I do, you will enjoy the trumpet music in this film. James was the musician behind Kirk Douglas’s trumpet mimicking. He’s one of my favorite musicians and it ensures all the trumpet playing you’re hearing is top notch — because in my opinion he’s one of the best.

This film is engaging and well-paced throughout, as we see how a young orphan, Rick Martin, falls in love with music. And though he finds love from different women, jazz and his trumpet really hold his heart. Even Doris Day’s character, Jo Jordan, says “But you’re already married”—meaning to his music. While Rick’s passion rules him — and sometimes gets him in trouble — he’s further conflicted and confused when he meets Amy North, played by Lauren Bacall, who both puzzles and excites him.

An interesting element in this film is that initially, Lauren Bacall wasn’t happy with the script. Carl Foreman did a script re-write to make give a subtle note that Lauren Bacall’s character was a lesbian, according to Michael Curtiz’s biographer.

The real highlight of this film to me is the performance by Juano Hernandez, who is excellent in every film. He’s so sweet and kind in this film that it breaks your heart.

I also think Doris Day does a great job in this film, in a darker more serious performance than we saw later in her career. This film and Storm Warning were probably the two biggest departures from her sunny roles she became well-known for. I think she is excellent in this.

When I first saw this film, I was a freshman in high school. Doris Day was my gateway into classic films so I was hurriedly watching every Day film I could find. Expecting a bright and colorful Day film, at the time I was disappointed. That may sound silly, I know, but when you’re 14 and exploring films, you don’t always know what you’re getting into.

Revisiting this film now, I think it’s an outstanding piece of work. It’s visually stunning with fantastic black-and-white cinematography, and the story keeps you glued to the screen, while also having the opportunity to hear some great music.

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