8/10
The Rise and Fall of a Musician Divided between Two Loves
30 November 2012
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")
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