A film that treats jazz as the star. Wonderful music, with great playing by Harry James. Even the theme of art versus commercialism is handled sensitively. Hoagy Carmichael is great, and Doris Day shows her big band roots with some beautiful numbers. Throw in a totally off-beat, dark performance by Lauren Bacall, and you have a unique film experience. While some might argue with the upbeat ending -- the film is loosely based on the tragic life of Bix Beiderbeck -- I found it to be a moving appreciation of the quest of jazz musicians for truth in music, and the underlying sadness that gives some of the greatest jazz its depth.
Review of Young Man with a Horn
